French curator Vincent Honoré, whose critically acclaimed curations earned him deep respect from young European artists, has died at the age of 48. A local publication in France, Le Quotidien de l'Art, has reported that Honoré passed away last Wednesday, Nov. 29.
Although the cause of death is still being investigated by local police, several of his close relatives have reportedly said that it was suicide. Many of Honoré's colleagues and loved ones have expressed online their deep sadness in light of the news.
MO.CO in Montpellier, where Honoré worked as director of exhibitions, has put out an official statement regarding the curator's passing in an Instagram post, writing, "Today we lose an extraordinary and inspiring colleague who will leave a huge void within our community."
"His legacy will live on through all the exhibitions he designed, such as the current Huma Bhabha exhibition, and the young artists he advised and supported," MO.CO added.
The museum has also announced that it will be holding a public tribute to honor Honoré and his life's work as a curator, mentor, and art enthusiast.
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The Decorated Curatorial Career of Vincent Honoré
Before his directorial position in MO.CO, Honoré curated for the Palais de Tokyo Contemporary Museum in Paris from 2001 until 2004. Later on, Honoré continued working as a curator at a couple of London institutions like the Tate Modern, the David Roberts Arts Foundation, and the Hayward Gallery.
Honoré also curated several special projects including the 13th iteration of the Baltic Triennial and the Kosovo pavilion held at the 58th edition of the Venice Biennale, which featured the Kosovan virtual artist Alban Muja.
The beloved curator was also an art criticism writer who regularly authored articles for the Mousse and Cura contemporary art magazines, among others. He also wrote and founded a book series called "Drawing Room Confessions" which highlighted the works of individual artists such as David Lamelas and Miriam Cahn.
His curated exhibitions were usually critically praised and an avenue for tackling advocacy issues about fractured identity, classism, colonialism, and gender. One such exhibition was the formative 2018 event dubbed "DRAG: Self-Portrait and Body Politics" held at the Hayward Gallery, showcasing young talents like Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, Robert Mapplethorpe, Cindy Sherman, and Sin Wai Kin.
In a 2015 interview with Art Map London, Honoré said, "I really believe an art museum should be a stage on which events are happening. It should not be a temple and it should not be an amusement park. Displaying an artwork is an event, a talk is an event, and they create memories."
"Therefore, a museum is made of memories and when we leave it we should be filled with these memories," he added.
