Regulator

Regulator, 2011, is a Renaissance-like machine or pedagogical instrument. It starts and stops randomly, being an unfixed machine that is made to move by strong airflow. The arms stretch out and the spheres lift as centrifugal force overcomes the pull of gravity. The sculpture thus challenges the spatial perception of the visitor.

“As a child used to amuse myself by spinning a marble on the bottom of a round basin, until it spun up the sides, propelled by the centrifugal force overpowering gravity.” “Often, art simply consists of showing invisible things”

Free Fall n°1, n°2, n°3

In Free Fall no°1, no°2, no°3, 2011, pieces of paper, in different shades of grey, are suspended by needles to form an abstract cartographic experience that turns figurative when seen from a distance. The images were taken at a freefall simulator: an instructor is helping the artist himself to find his balance in the air flow.

Tokyo Statue

In tribute to the Japanese capital hosting this exhibition and to its residents, Xavier Veilhan is offering visitors, Tokyo Statue, 2011, is a four-meter-high silhouette, in a deep green, in the tradition of the artist’s emblematic work – his series of statues representing scanned human figures. As with his previous works, where postures and attitudes take precedence over the models to become forms, his definition – boiled down to a few facets – approaches abstraction and evokes – albeit with a modern dimension – Tatlin, Calder, Giacometti, Malevitch or Brancusi. The figure and base are not dissociated, but treated on the contrary with the same care: each features exactly 60 facets. The figure, reproduced at 1:00 scale, is comprised of triangles, while the soaring form of the pedestal, made up of square blocks, has an architectural quality. With its wider base, it offers a seat to the visitor – who in turn, when using it, becomes simultaneously an element of the composition and its scale reference. The work’s constructivist and suprematist influence is modulated by its resolutely ‘pop’ plain green colour.

Tokyo Statue, 2011, is a simplified representation of a spectator at the show, but celebrated on a pedestal, looking at the city skyline. It integrates a seat to allow contemplation of the view, not only of the show. The green color is traditional in his work: it matches the color of the floor and makes the statue appear as a silhouette.

Stabile n°1

Stabile n°1, 2011 was created in a metal building workshop. It consists of a rustic assemblage of different square tubular elements, cut, soldered together, and lacquered in a plain colour.

This artwork is a steel sculpture that evokes both the surrounding architecture and a dynamic ascendance. It is related to constructivism and suprematism, and is a modern shape that mirrors the visitor’s own presence in the space.