Tournesols

An exhibition of van Gogh’s paintings is always an event in history,
not in the history of painted objects
but in the history of history as such.

For there is no famine, no epidemic, no volcanic eruption,
no earthquake, no war that has so reversed the monads of the air,
the dark figure, the fama fatum, the neurotic fate of things
twisted the neck in such a way,
like a painting by van Gogh – brought to light,
the gaze,
hearing, touch,
directly exposed again to sight, hearing, touch, smell,
finally hurled anew into the familiar present,
reintroduced into the cycle.

(Artaud)

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)