In 2004, Mâkhi Xenakis was invited to exhibit her sculptures in the Saint Louis de la Salpêtrière chapel,  and journeyed deep into its history. She discovered that the La Salpêtrière hospital had been France's largest detention center for women, from the time of Louis XIV to the days of the great neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot.

Up to 8000 women had been locked up together. All society's rejects — beggar-women, madwomen, epileptics, adultresses, orphans, Jews, Protestants, the blind, every sort of cretin.

Drawn to the idea of bringing these thousands of women back from the depths of oblivion, Mâkhi created a group of 260 sculptures. She installed them in the main nave of the Saint Louis de la Salpêtrière chapel, then in the Hospital gardens.

She also wrote a book based on the hospital archives: Les folles d’enfer ("The Mad Women of Hell"), published by Actes Sud (2004).

The sculptures have since been repeatedly exhibited, and several theatrical adaptations and readings based on the book have taken place.

In 2005 Mâkhi organized the first "adoption week" in her workshop. Since that time, new sculptures have taken shape and these are regularly acquired by private and public collections. In 2008 Florence and Daniel Guerlain acquired 102 for their private collection in Les Mesnuls.

To date, more than 270 folles have been adopted. The author's only "requirement" for collectors is that they give each sculpture a name, and send news from their new home.

For "adoption" requests, simply contact Mâkhi Xenakis  directly, via her site or by mail to makhi.xenakis@gmail.com. Prices vary according to the height of the sculptures, and range from 400 euros to 6000 euros. 

In 2013 Mâkhi directed a film that assembled photos taken of the folles d'enfer sculptures, while a chorus of women recite fragments of the book. This new work prolonged and synthesized her various bodies of work on the theme of the Salpêtrière women: writing, sculpture and photography.  To see Mâkhi Xenakis' new film click here:

In 2014, for the Charcot exhibition to take place in the La Salpêtrière chapel, the folles d’enfer will return, with many new sculptures.

To view Mâkhi Xenakis' book "Les folles d'enfer de la Salpêtrière", published by Actes Sud in 2004, click here:

To watch the TV broadcast on Arte's Métropolis show in 2004, return to the VIDEO page.

Showing folles d’enfer

Exhibitions: Chapel of La Salpêtrière, Gardens of La Salpêtrière, Paris. Arboretum, Argenton sur Creuse. Gardens of Sciences-Po, Paris Musée des Beaux-arts de Besançon, Besançon. Centre d’art Passerelle, Brest. "Nuits blanches", Paris. Chapelle du Méjan, Arles. Galerie Sainte Catherine, Rodez.  Biennale de Châteauroux. Chapelle du grand couvent, Cavaillon Cloître du Musée des Beaux Arts d'Arras. Pitié Salpêtrière.

Press (selection): 2008: Mâkhi Xenakis, Rencontre, Art Absolument. Julie Martin, Mâkhi Xenakis, sculpteuse de vies, Athmosphère. 2004: Philippe Dagen, Mâkhi Xenakis et les spectres de la Salpêtrière, Le Monde. Myriam Boutoulle,  Mâkhi Xenakis, un cri silencieux, Connaissance des arts. Anne Dagbert, Mâkhi Xenakis Les folles d’enfer, Art Press. Sandrine Cabu, Folle Alliée, Libération. Michel Polac, La maison des fadas, Charlie-Hebdo. Anne Diatkine, Mâkhi Xenakis, follement inspirée, ELLE.

Audiovisual Media:  2004: Arte, Métropolis, with Pierre-André Boutang. France Culture  Tout arrive  with Marc Voinchet. France 2, Un livre, un jour with Monique Atlan. France Inter, Charivari with Michel Polac. France-Info with Patrick Pesnot.  2006: Les folles d’enfer, film produced by Mâkhi Xenakis, during the Brest exhibition.   Le mur dans le miroir, video for contemporary art about the Folles d'enfer:   site: http://lemurdanslemiroir.free.fr/Archives.html 2009: 5mn of "Folles d’enfer" online on the sit of elles@centrepompidou.fr and at www.artabsolument.com. La grande Table, France Culture, 2013.

Theatrical adaptations of the"folles d’enfer" 2013 : Compagnie Micheline Welter, Compagnie Bouche à bouche. 2011: directed byAnne Dimitriadis, Athens. 2009:  directed by Vivette Pons. Rodez 2008: directed by Geneviève Robin, Théâtre du Rodour, Morlaix. 2007: directed by Anne Dimitriadis, Théatre MC 93, Bobigny . Directed by Vivette Pons, La menuiserie, Rodez. 2006: directed by Geneviève Robin, compagnie Paris-Atlantique, Brest. Direction Compagnie Passacaille, Lyon.

Bibliography (theater):  

For the play directed by Anne Dimitriadis at Théatre MC 93, Bobigny: 2007: Georges Banu, La Salpêtrière, capitale de la douleur,  Art press. Michelle Servin, Théâtres au long cours, Les temps modernes. Mathilde de la Bardonnie, Pour l’honneur des sorcières, Libération.  Ella Marder, Le souvenir des folles, rue 89. Didier Mereuze, Le cri des gens déraisonnables, La Croix . Gilles Costaz, Follement tragique, Politis.  Hell or haven for society’s refuse, Paris Update.  Les folles d’enfer de la Salpêtrière, L’Express. Manuel Piolat, Des femmes que l’on ne voulait pas voir, La Terrasse. Joël Plantet, La folie sur la scène et gravée sur un plancher, Lien social. Evelyne Sellés-Fischer, Théâtre folles à lier, Historia.  Armelle Héliot, Enfermement du style, Le Figaro. Annie Chennieux, Les folles d’enfer, Journal du Dimanche. Même si le théâtre ce n’est pas votre truc, Paris Première.  Aurélie Clonrozier, Trois personnages en quête d’histoire, Croque madame. Perrine Le Querrec Les folles d’enfer,  Etat-critique.co.  Lionel Labosse, Les folles d’enfer, www.alter-sexualité.com. Julien Rameaunot, www.pariscap.com. Radios: Pascal Paradou, Culture vive, Radio France International.  Joelle Gayot, Sur scène, France Culture.

For the play produced by Geneviève Robin in Brest: 2008:   Le Télégramme, Sophie Prévost, Ouest France 2006:   Les loges de la folie, Le Telegramme .  Des femmes racontent les folles de la Salpêtrière, Ouest France.

Debates and encounters about the Folles d’enfer : Regards croisés sur la Salpêtrière, Théâtre MC93, Bobigny, moderated by Laure Adler, with the participation of Geneviève Fresse, Gerard Wacjman, Anne Dimitriadis and Mâkhi Xenakis. Institut Français, Athens. Sciences-Po, Paris. Maison des Sciences de l’Homme, Paris. Ecole de médecine, Brest, Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris.  Art home café, Paris, Bookstores: Les Sandales d’Empédocle Besançon, Luciole, Vienna, Jonas and Bookstorming, Paris.

Film: 2013: International symposium on 400 years of history at the Salpêtrière hospital: "Les 400 ans de la Salpêtrière : La Salpêtrière, un théâtre de l'hystérie". Association Psychananlyse et medecine (APM) and Paris XIII university; presentation of Mâkhi Xenakis' film Les folles d'enfer.

Catalogues produced about the Folles d’enfer :  2006: Autour des folles d’enfer, published by the Passerelle art center and the city of Brest. Mâkhi Xenakis, Donner figure, text byMarion Daniel.  2004:  published by L'Arboretum and Editions Tarabuste, Une nuit d’enfer, text  by Djamel Meskache , intervews with Jacques Victor Giraud.  

New video on line: Les folles d'enfer.