On 22nd April 2008 Jan Fabre took on the role of the notorious French gangster Jacques Mesrine (1936-1979) for his five-hour performance Art kept me out of jail, which he put on amongst the ancient sculptures at the Louvre in Paris. In the end he was shot down and died at the feet of the Nikè of Samothrace, the renowned Greek sculpture.

Art kept me out of jail! is now also a book, published by Editions Dilecta, which reports on the metamorphosis of the artist into a gangster in the performance at the Louvre (in the Galerie Daru and the Cour Napoléon) on 22nd April 2008. The book comprises 30-odd drawings from the series entitled The Escape of the Artist I-II-III, which Jan Fabre drew in connection with this performance, as well as photos and quotes from the script of the performance itself. This extremely expressive dramaturgy transports the reader into the very varied worlds of news snippets, an oppressive manhunt and the museum, and also the atmosphere of tragicomic theatre. In the marvellous setting of the Louvre, Jan Fabre / Jacques Mesrine disguises, seduces, falls and puts up resistance until the last salvo of bullets.

The book contains essays by Marcella Lister, Bart De Baere, Bernard Marcadé, Giacinto Di Pietrantonio, Philippe Van Cauteren and Achille Bonita Oliva, and also a DVD of the performance.

French version : 978-2-916275-61-1
English version : 978-2-916275-65-9

www.editions-dilecta.com
www.amazon.fr