Events/Openings

The Jordan/Seydoux — Drawings & Prints Gallery is delighted to present a solo exhibition Editions limitées of the French artist François Morellet. The artist’s third exhibition at Jordan/Seydoux coincides with the sixth anniversary of the gallery in Berlin (2008-2014). In honor of this occasion, the gallery has published a limited edition of a new series, original silkscreens entitled “Ondes parasites”.

“Serious-minded people have few ideas. People with ideas are never serious.” Paul Valéry

The artistic oeuvre of François Morellet remains for six decades consistently imaginative, systematizing indeterminacy as a method. Each work depends upon a predefined ruled-based system for inventing images, which determines the design motif as well as its formal execution. The artist varies techniques and materials using basic geometrical shapes (a square, a circle and a line …) and mathematical principles. Juxtaposition, superposition, interference, coincidence and fragmentation are his most important parameters. An enigmatic, often laughing irony is disclosed in the titles, challenging the viewer’s expectations about its ultimate meaning.

The focus of the exhibition are the three silkscreens “Ondes parasites”, printed as a set of two onto white acrylic plates as an edition of twenty-seven. Each contain a series of concentrics arcs whose degrees of curvature are arranged into three directional variations. A 125 x 125 cm embossment from 1997 entitled “Emprunt n°8” will also be presented. It is part of a series of ten monumental etchings and embossments for which Morellet has used motifs of overlapping beam structures. This design is reminiscent of a site-specific project he realised for the RWE Headquarters building, a leading German energy company. In addition, small-formatted constructions using the number Pi are shown, such as “π strip-teasing, 1 = 10” (2006). Morellet has found with Pi an ideal system to represent lines in an unpredictable way with infinite progression. The etchings show irregular zigzags which degrees are given by Pi sequential numerals.

François Morellet, born in 1926 in Cholet, describes himself rather dryly: “1948-75, Industrial Manager, married in 1946, abstract painter in 1950, member of GRAV (Groupe de Recherche d'Art Visuel) 1960-68, without artistic training, no awards.” Initially engaged with figurative painting, he turned to Concrete Art by the early 1950s in order to develop uniform, systematic works. Since the 1960s, he made patterned spatial structures as well as neon works and installations with adhesive tape. Around 1970, the work became more spatial through incorporating architecture, public space and nature. These include Morellet’s light installations at Potsdamer Platz (Daimler Financial Services) in Berlin and a “Convertible Wall” (“Wandelbare Wand”) in the German Bundestag. In 2008 he was awarded the Peter C. Ruppert Prize for Concrete Art. In 2012 honored with the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. In Germany, Morellet’s work has always enjoyed international renown, evidenced by his participation in 1964, 1968 and 1977 in documenta in Kassel. In France, the Louvre since 2010 includes a permanent installation with glass windows “L’esprit d’escalier” in the stairway. His works are on view in numerous collections and are currently represented in group exhibitions in Munich, Paris, Rouen, Buenos Aires, Miami and New York. Some current solo shows include, “François Morellet, c’est n’importe quoi?” in Kamel Mennour Gallery (Paris) and “François Morellet – Works on paper” in the Josée Bienvenu Gallery (New York).