Jean-Luc Moulene: Opus + One

Dia Art Foundation presents Opus + One, the first museum exhibition in North America devoted to the work of Paris-based artist Jean-Luc Moulène. Commissioned by Dia, Opus + One will comprise objects and images created over the past two decades and will be on view at Dia:Beacon, Riggio Galleries, in New York's Hudson Valley for one year. Organized by Dia curator Yasmil Raymond in collaboration with the artist, the exhibition will be accompanied by a new work commissioned for the Dan Flavin Art Institute, in Bridgehampton, NY, and a major publication. A reception for Jean-Luc Moulène will be held at Dia:Beacon on Saturday, December 17, 2011, from 2–4 pm.

Opus + One unites two bodies of work: thirty-five objects from the ongoing series Opus (1995–present), and the monumental photographic essay La Vigie (2004–2011). It will also include a massive new sculpture, Body, (2011), which was shown for the first time in the Tuileries Gardens, Paris, during FIAC in October of this year.

The exhibition title derives from the Latin word Opus, which Moulène designates as the encompassing term for his three-dimensional work. The suffix, "+ One" comes from the notation of recurrence in mathematics, yet it also reflects Moulène's interest in the idioms of advertising and capitalist tactics, as well as his conception of the viewer as a hypothetical consumer.

Dia's exhibition advances its legacy of commissioning projects and exhibitions from midcareer artists that encourage significant explorations in new directions within the artist's practice. It continues in the spirit of the program presented by Dia in New York City from 1987–2004, and projects by artists including: Robert Gober (1992–93); Katarina Fritsch (1993–94); Jessica Stockholder (1995–96); Thomas Schütte (1998–99); Rosemarie Trockel (2002–04); and Pierre Huyghe (2003–04), among others. It also follows the commissioning of major new works shown at Dia:Beacon by Vera Lutter (2005–06); An-My Lê (2006-08); Tacita Dean (2008); Zoe Leonard (2008–11); and Koo Jeong A (2010–11).

The Dan Flavin Art Institute Opus + One will be accompanied by a concurrent presentation of newly commissioned wall objects that will be shown in the Dan Flavin Art Institute's special exhibition gallery.

Publication A major publication designed by Marc Touitou will be made in conjunction with Opus + One. A diverse group of authors will address specific subjects in Moulène's work through fiction, nonfiction, and art historical texts. Writers include art historians Briony Fer and Thomas McDonough, author and curator Corinne Diserens, poet Manuel Joseph, author and artist Jalal Toufic, exhibition curator Yasmil Raymond, and Dia director Philippe Vergne. Scheduled for release in summer 2012.

Jean-Luc Moulene
Opus + One
Kurator: Yasmil Raymond