Vincent Ganivet

Galerie West
Groenewegje 136 The Hague

Vincent Ganivet — installation + sculptures
Exhibition: Saturday 14 November 2009

At first glance the fountains, arcades and stones by Vincent Ganivet remind us of declining Old Rome. The young French artist Vincent Ganivet triggers his audience by using traditional building structures in a new context and by reconstructing classic ways of building.

Vincent Ganivet (1976, FR) shows for the second time at West with his surrealistic objects which are obvious and touching at the same time. He is an ethical artist for whom autonomy and control of his resources are essential. With raw material such as stones, concrete and glass he assembles powerful constructions that carry a delicate message and create tension among the viewers.
A wooden box filled with fire-works including an activated lighting mechanism and a carefully set up (leaking) water system on the ceiling. Also, the fragile installation of dishes, with glasses and other kitchen utensils which can crash any moment, is quite nerveracking.
In everyday life we would try to avoid these dangerous situations. But Ganivet drags the audience into his work and despite of – or because of - the disorder that it evokes, it provokes a laugh.

For this exhibition at West Ganivet creates objects of solid ceramic construction material in a production method like on ‘the assembly line’. Next to Ganivets Arcades his Stones seem to be natural readymades. Nevertheless, appearances are deceiving. The artificial rock is not resting on the ground statically, as one might expect, but vibrates from time to time just like a mobile phone. And again Ganivet plays with water and keeps the visitor at a distance.

Beside exhibitions in France, Ganivet has had shows at, amongst others, J. Marroquí y D. Arlandis, Valencia, at M.B.Prospects, Berlin and at West, The Hague (june 2008). At this very moment he shows his work together with the remarkable architects Lang & Baumann at Le Confort Moderne, Poitiers.

Galerie West. More photos Chmkoome