Beisson's Treasures
December 2013 - February 2014, Musée Granet, Aix-en-Provence, France
Discover the exhibitionIn late 2013, the Musée Granet (Aix-en-Provence) welcomed Marc Couturier and Jean-Michel Othoniel. For one year, these two internationally recognized artists took part in the event «quartier créatif» (« creative neighborhood »), organized for the urban renovation project in Beisson, a district in northern Aix-en-Provence in the south of France.
In the exhibition, entitled "Trésors de Beisson" ("Beisson’s treasures"), Jean-Michel Othoniel presents some of his most recent works, which reveals his increasing interest in abstract forms.
In parallel, Othoniel created a monumental sculpture for the Beisson belvedere observatory. The Rose des vents, this public commission in Aix-en-Provence, represents an infinite and abstract knot, circling the absent form of a Sahara gypsum flower. This mobile, in the tradition of Calder, stands in the city as a lighthouse, a sign of pride and dignity.
The exhibition also shows the richness of Marc Couturier’s work, who patiently collected, for the musée Granet, some 'treasures' from day-to-day life, unveiling the true spirit of the Beisson neighborhood and involving local inhabitants in this artistic project.
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Image 1/6, left
La Rose des sables, 2013
Gypsum flower, steel
19 5/8 x 9 7/8 x 9 7/8 in. (covered)
Collection of the artist
Image 1/6, center
La Rose des vents, 2013
Steel, resin, painting
29 1/2 x 13 3/4 x 13 3/4 in. (covered)
Collection of the artist
Image 1/6, right
Three Bottle of Tears, 2012
Murano glass, demineralized water
21 5/8 x 9 7/8 x 9 7/8 in.
Private collection
Image 2/6, left
Nœud vert et ambre, 2012
Green and amber mirrored glass, stainless steel
60 1/4 x 66 1/8 x 39 3/8 in.
Courtesy Galerie Perrotin
Image 2/6, right
La Rose des Vents, 2013
Four preparatory watercolors
Watercolors on paper
14 1/8 x 18 1/8 x 1 3/8 in. (framed)
Collection of the artist
Image 2/6, left
Nœud gris dégradé miroir, 2012
Mirrored glass, steel
51 1/8 x 59 x 39 3/8 in.
Courtesy Galerie Karsten Greve
Image 3/6, to the right, in the backgroud
Noeud bleu miroir, 2013
Mirrored blue glass, stainless steel
27 1/2 x 25 5/8 x 13 3/4 in.
Private collection
Image 4/6
L'In Noir, 2010
Mirrored glass, metal
116 7/8 x 472 1/2 x 4 3/4 in.
Courtesy Galerie Perrotin
Image 6/6,center
Precious Stonewall, 2013
Indian mirrored glass, wood, metal
29 7/8 x 21 5/8 x 8 5/8 in.
Courtesy Galerie Perrotin
Image 6/6, right
Pink Lasso, 2008
Murano glass, metal
114 1/8 x 55 7/8 x 25 1/4 in.
Courtesy Galerie Perrotin