OttO
I had the pleasure of seeing ‘Otto’ - Laurent Grasso’s exhibition at Perrotin in Paris which ran from September 6th - October 6th, 2018.
“The exhibition interconnects sacred spaces, animistic beliefs and scientific theories.” - Perrotin Press Release
The unique part about ‘Otto,’ as well as many of Grasso’s exhibitions, are that they revolve around a central film, and the surrounding works complement the theme of the film. For ‘Otto’ the theme is the power of waves. More specifically, electromagnetic waves, vibrations and frequencies.
While wandering through the exhibition, it feels equal parts meditative and like you’re in a strange science experiment. This could be because the sculptures are ‘active’ - emitting electromagnetic waves that have an effect on the body (whether consciously noticeable or not).
At first glance the sculptures don't look active at all....but on closer look you see vapor filling each globe chamber (see below).
One of my favorite sculptures of the exhibition (see below) - is an almost extra-terrestrial-like child who's observing the scientific reactions taking place around it.
The static-ness of the child offers a nice contrast to the metal and vapor sculptures surrounding it, grounding the viewing with a more human-like object in the midst of machines.
The final room of the exhibition is painted an electric orange, showcasing two beautiful surrealist paintings, showing off the range of work that Grasso is able to do.
On the far right wall - the bulbs reflect the vibrant orange walls and contrast it with a complementary electric blue.
About the Artist
Laurent Grasso is a French artist and lives and works in Paris. He’s one of the few artists, similar to Daniel Arsham or JR that create robust exhibitions that span across many different types of forms and materials such as sculptures, painting, video, ect.
“Laurent Grasso’s practice engages deeply with science, history, mythology and supernatural phenomena to weave a research-filled narrative” - Wikipedia
He also has a great Instagram .......
Grasso is represented by the following galleries
Perrotin Gallery - Paris
Sean Kelly - New York
I can't think of a better place for Laurent to have exhibition his apocalyptic, scientifically charge artworks than the old-world, traditional space that is Perrotin in Paris. Similar to other galleries in Paris, Perrotin is hidden in a majestic courtyard, but the real gem of this building is the regal two-sided staircase that frames it.
This couldn't be a more perfect contrast to the works Perrotin exhibits on the regular. So it's no surprise that Perrotin has had exhibitions by similar multi-media talented modern artists like Daniel Arsham as well as JR in this very space in the past two years.
