The powder is arranged in a pile and displayed on a pedestal. It’s the exact kind of make-up that German Chancellor Angela Merkel puts on before she steps in front of the camera.

And now it is also part of "The Happy Museum" installation by Berlin-based artist Simon Fujiwara, which is on show at the "Lafayette Anticipations" art foundation near the Centre Pompidou in Paris.

Across three floors, the London-born 36-year-old poses questions about the values and contradictions of today's society, in which everyday life is hardly conceivable without self-portrayal and staging.

The German chancellor's make-up, seen as representing facade and illusion, is a special composition which Merkel’s make-up artist shared with Fujiwara, the Paris art foundation explained.

The "Joanne" series of works also deals with questions of image and new technologies. These are photographs of a former art teacher who was dismissed after images of her appeared on the internet without her permission.

The exhibition, which is entitled "Revolution," can be seen until the 6th of January. It brings together works that were partly created with the support of the art foundation of the Galeries Lafayette luxury department store chain.