Wilfrid Almendra
26 Mar - 04 May 2013
Exhibition view "Matériologique", Fondation d'entreprise Ricard, 2013. Photo : © Aurélien Mole / Fondation d'entreprise Ricard
WILFRID ALMENDRA
Matériologique
Curated by Zoë Gray
26 March - 4 May 2013
The Fondation d'entreprise Ricard is delighted to present this solo exhibition of work by Wilfrid Almendra. The show will include a selection of existing pieces and new productions to provide an exciting overview of his sculptural practice. It is the first institutional show of this French artist in Paris and is curated by Zoë Gray, who has followed the artist's work for the past decade.
In Wilfrid Almendra' s work, ideas and materials are inseparable. His formal vocabulary is derived from architecture, from the shapes and surfaces with which we surround ourselves. He brings together diverse sources to create playful and ambiguous sculptures, making reference to the practices of the hobbyist or dilettante while also citing the designs of major architects of the Modern era. However, it is not simply a question of mixing cultural registers, of blurring high and low culture. Instead, he is fascinated by the creativity that is shared by the suburban bricoleur and the urban planner, by the conceptual artist and the craftsman.
Wilfrid Almendra adapts his forms from vernacular architecture, mining the aesthetics of suburbia and touching upon the sensitive topic of taste. Works such as his New Babylon and the series Killed in Action (Case Study Houses) explore the way in which Modernist ideals are watered down and stripped of their political edge in mainstream residential architecture. Sculptures such as the Concrete Gardens examine the cultural aspirations inherent in DIY and garden ornaments, walking a fine line between admiration and derision. And the recent series Model Homes (Sonata) condenses references to abstract painting with intentionally naïve stained glass, creating works that blend Arte Povera and Minimalism with a post-Pop sensibility.
Matériologique
Curated by Zoë Gray
26 March - 4 May 2013
The Fondation d'entreprise Ricard is delighted to present this solo exhibition of work by Wilfrid Almendra. The show will include a selection of existing pieces and new productions to provide an exciting overview of his sculptural practice. It is the first institutional show of this French artist in Paris and is curated by Zoë Gray, who has followed the artist's work for the past decade.
In Wilfrid Almendra' s work, ideas and materials are inseparable. His formal vocabulary is derived from architecture, from the shapes and surfaces with which we surround ourselves. He brings together diverse sources to create playful and ambiguous sculptures, making reference to the practices of the hobbyist or dilettante while also citing the designs of major architects of the Modern era. However, it is not simply a question of mixing cultural registers, of blurring high and low culture. Instead, he is fascinated by the creativity that is shared by the suburban bricoleur and the urban planner, by the conceptual artist and the craftsman.
Wilfrid Almendra adapts his forms from vernacular architecture, mining the aesthetics of suburbia and touching upon the sensitive topic of taste. Works such as his New Babylon and the series Killed in Action (Case Study Houses) explore the way in which Modernist ideals are watered down and stripped of their political edge in mainstream residential architecture. Sculptures such as the Concrete Gardens examine the cultural aspirations inherent in DIY and garden ornaments, walking a fine line between admiration and derision. And the recent series Model Homes (Sonata) condenses references to abstract painting with intentionally naïve stained glass, creating works that blend Arte Povera and Minimalism with a post-Pop sensibility.