During a bit more than three months of existence in Paris, Trois Traces d'Oscar attracted more than three thousand visitors. That is not nothing, if we consider the exhibition's means, in terms of media coverage.

As always, the works shown on the Espace Niemeyer’s walls delighted some, and left others quite indifferent. For the anecdote, in the range of a frank and massive rejection (something that does happen sometimes, as I learnt during all of my career, but which to my knowledge so far did not occurr often, in this occasion), Trois Traces d'Oscar even triggered one day the strange and disproportionate hostility of a Frenchman, who had collaborated with Oscar Niemeyer during his years of exile in Paris in the 1970s. This man claimed to be outraged, howling treason and crying out heresy and scandal in view of the paintings representing the architect (and in view of them solely. Other works from the series that did not represent Niemeyer did not not worry him, apparently). Go figure...

A destabilizing episode, at the time. But tasty, fourteen years later.
And there again, Espace Niemeyer’s Administrator Gérard Fournier -who knew that man and had heard of the scuffle-, supported the painter and the paintings on the walls.

So, at the end of the day and somewhere over the rainbow (this shared "Rainbow" dream of ours), despite everything and sometimes despite of a few, Gérard Fournier and I were able to carry Trois Traces d'Oscar to fruition. We did it in the name of our admiration for Oscar Niemeyer and for his works. Those set on the red soil of Brazil, like those from elsewhere. And really, that is all what matters.

We did Trois Traces d’Oscar.