[Press Release]

Galerie Chantal Crousel, Paris
March 10th – April 20th, 2018

“For I consider it vitally important that in the end an entire life with all its aspirations can be viewed in its entirety, that nothing gets lost, not even what was wrong or dull.”
— Kurt Schwitters, 1927

Galerie Chantal Crousel is pleased to present ReCycle, a reflexion on the power of object recycling, bringing together a selection of works by seventeen compelling artists, created between 1942 and 2017.

The exhibition traces the history of assemblage and the potential of recycling from Kurt Schwitters’ pioneering work, to the artists who have been articulating this practice through the 80s and until today. It does not only involve the idea of bringing new sense to everyday life material, but also investigates the relationship these artists express with the adopted objects.

Connecting the mixed media collages by Kurt Schwitters, Carol Rama and Ray Johnson from mid 20th century, with more contemporary works by Thomas Hirschhorn, Clément Rodzielski and David Douard, the exhibition explores the organizational hierarchy of recuperated material. These works also borrow common expressions and imagery found in magazines and medias, and seek unexpected dialogues in rigorously structured compositions.

In the same way as Marcel Broodthaers, Tony Cragg and Robert Filliou experiment and play with the physical characteristics of the materials used with humor and wit, Isa Genzken, Abraham Cruzvillegas, Jean-Luc Moulène, Haegue Yang and Heimo Zobernig –inspired by the search of the original purpose of the existing objects, assemblages and installations– reveal a distorted nature of the employed materials. In their own manner, these artists inquire the notion of a recycled object, its social, economic and political value, in order to offer new systems of vision and communication.

Finally, the exhibition builds around that which is echoed of the material’s physical aspects in its used, damaged, and transformed state. These alterations are carried out in the exhibited works by Wade Guyton, Wolfgang Tillmans and Reena Spaulings. The discarded is displayed as refined, creating a conversation beyond borders and a new definition of beauty.

Altogether, this way of creating art resonates with the ongoing problematic of our present world as environmental changes occur. The visionary idea of an artwork as integrity of things and expressions which Schwitters’ and all the other artists of this exhibition share, brings a positive and constructive gaze on a certain beauty and what universal language can offer us.

Kurt Schwitters
Sans Titre (Merzrelief, Blau, Beige)
1942
Relief, huile, bois, plâtre et tôle sur panneau de bois / Relief, oil painting, wood, plaster and metal sheet on a wooden panel
24.7 x 18.5 cm | 49.8 x 38.5 x 6.5 cm (framed/encadré)
Courtesy Galerie Natalie Seroussi & Galerie Zlotowski.

Marcel Broodthaers
! à ces mots, le corbeau ne sent plus de joie
1968
Texte peint sur portes d’armoire en bois / Painted text on wooden cabinet door
154 x 118 x 3.5 cm
© Estate Marcel Broodthaers

Tony Cragg
Street Streaks
1982
Bouteilles & briques / Mixed Media
237 x 276 x 0 cm
Courtesy of the artist and / de l’artiste et de la Galerie Chantal Crousel, Paris.
Photo : Florian Kleinefenn

Abraham Cruzvillegas
The hare with amber eyes
2015
Pierre, bois, brique, verre, papier, argile, fils de téléphone, disque vinyle, jauge
Stone, wood, brick, glass, paper, clay, phone wire, vinyl record, dipstick
125 x 245 x 55 cm
Courtesty of the artist and / de l’artiste et de la Galerie Chantal Crousel, Paris.
Photo : Florian Kleinefenn

Isa Genzken
Untitled
2012
Child mannequin, stuffed toy monkey, stool, mixed media
149 x 96 x 63 cm
Child / Enfant 149 x 57 x 56 cm
Singe / Monkey 72 x 38 x 35 cm
Courtesy Galerie Buchholz, Cologne/Berlin/New York.

Thomas Hirschhorn
WHY NON-PERMANENCY PERSISTS
2017
Carton, impression, pièces d’argent, adhésif / Cardboard, print, silver coins, tape
240 x 160 cm
Courtesy of the artist and / de l’artiste et de la Galerie Chantal Crousel, Paris.
Photo : Sebastiano Pellion di Persano.

Wade Guyton
Untitled
2017
Impression jet d’encre Epson UltraChrome HDX sur lin / Epson UltraChrome HDX inkjet on linen
213 x 175 cm
Courtesy of the artist and / de l’artiste et de la Galerie Chantal Crousel, Paris.
Photo : Ron Amstutz

Ray Johnson
Sans titre (Dear Emile Bern ard) (and Greta Garbo)
1975 – 1990 –1991 – 1 et 2 août 1993 –15 avril 1994
Collage / Collage
38.1 x 38.1 cm
Collection privée / Private collection
Photo : Florian Kleinefenn

Haegue Yang
Adventure at Villeperdue
2015
If, laque, bois, fixation métallique, pierres romaines, outils en métal, bâtons en bois, panier métallique, chaîne en métal, entonnoir en acier,
boules en métal, huit en métal / Yew, lacquer, wood, metal fixture, Roman stones, metal tools, wooden sticks, metal basket, metal chain,
steel funnel, metal balls, metal eight
125 x 180 x 190 cm
Courtesy of the artist and / de l’artiste et de la Galerie Chantal Crousel, Paris.
Photo : Sebastiano Pellion di Persano