Fabricateurs despaces

The Institut d'art contemporain presents a new generation of artists on the European scene who are concerned by questions of sculpture in the broad sense.

Differing from the sculpture of the past decade with its mainly post-ready-made techniques or assemblies of recovered materials, this new 'extended sculpture' simultaneously forms set-up, installation and architecture and uses space as the actual material for sculpture.

Fabricateurs d'espaces groups eight internationally reputed artists. The works shown are recent or made for the occasion. Sculptors of space or 'spacers', these artists use a vocabulary of forms derived from minimal art or land art.

The many meanings of space are explored - space generated by the body of the spectator, architectural space, mental and imaginary space, cosmic space, etc. Space is probed, constrained, gone beyond and reinvented.

These artists use the actual gestures of sculpture to make space interact with the material nature of their works, works that paradoxically generate the immaterial.

Here, the quest for 'elsewhere' is not necessarily on a cosmic scale but accompanies a wish to be free of gravity. The philosphical and perceptual approach that runs through the artistic approaches and works in this exhibition addresses the notion of Utopia and the quest for a future in the process of reinventing itself.

This exhibition is the fruit of a partnership with the Museum für Gegenwartskunst in Siegen, within the framework of the series of exhibitions entitled European Partners initiated by the Goethe-Institut and Kunststiftung NRW (North Rhine-Westphalia Art Foundation).

Fabricateurs d'espaces
Kuratoren: Nathalie Ergino, Aude Merquiol

Künstler: Björn Dahlem, Jeppe Hein, Vincent Lamouroux, Guillaume Leblon, Rita McBride, Evariste Richer, Michael Sailstorfer, Hans Schabus