Sometimes, Bernar Venet creates about 300 “gribs” (gribouillage, or doodles), as he calls them, in one sitting. Spontaneous, unrestricted and somewhat meditative, the French conceptual artist then selects those that are “most interesting and most free”. Entirely experiential, the process can be likened to action painting and is an activity that Venet thoroughly enjoys.
Some of these gribs will be exhibited at Dubai’s newly opened Custot Gallery on May 19 as part of Venet’s first solo exhibition in the Arab world. “My gribs are probably non-artistic for some, but they do perhaps open to something visually, aesthetically and formally new,” says Venet, who showed a sculpture and a work on paper at Custot Gallery’s group exhibition debut in March.
UAE debut
His dealer, Stephane Custot, believes Venet’s work fits within the region’s cultural practices and ethos. “I can see his work in the region so well and it’s logical for me to have Bernar showing here,” says Custot.
“I would like to do something ambitious in Dubai – not a four-metre sculpture to put next to the entrance of a hotel,” says Venet, laughing. “I would like to sign the city with something important.”
For his upcoming solo exhibition, he presents a new set of sculptures that are more pointed, sharp and narrow, all of which began as maquettes, which he experimented with.
“I play with possibilities and improvise,” says Venet, who debuted some of these works in April at New York’s Paul Kasmin Gallery.
One would be forgiven for sensing that these new sculptures appear severe and therefore evoke harshness. However, that is hardly what Venet intends on conveying. “A line can be straight, curved or broken, and then there is a possibility of making a line go a little crazy,” he explains. “Remember, an angle is a broken line.”
The big prizes
The International Sculpture Centre honoured Venet, a recipient of France’s Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur, in February with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the genre of sculpture. These accolades, however, humble the jovial, light-hearted artist, whose passion for drawing began in childhood. “I think in shapes, I visualise the sculpture right away. When I was younger, I wasn’t as sure of myself and perhaps a little tense, but I overcame that,” he says.
“I have a tendency to love everybody and believe that everybody is nice. You need to be relaxed and then everything becomes easier and more natural.”
Born and raised in the South of France, where he now has a namesake foundation and sculptures that dot the French Riviera, as well as other parts of the world, Venet visited Dubai about 10 years ago as part of a plan to potentially create sculptures for the city.
“I care to show in Dubai because I care to show my work to people who have never seen this kind of art. If you put a work somewhere, you feel closer to the people,” he says.
“I feel the city. I honestly love it because it’s so original; it’s about changing the world and changing yourself constantly and showing what can be done in architecture. I feel close to that because it’s pure creation all the time.”
In the summer of 2011, Venet was invited to exhibit at the Château de Versailles in Paris. Seven of his works were displayed on the palace grounds, but perhaps the showstopper were the 22-metre arches that embraced the statue of Louis IV at the Place d’Armes. About six million people saw those arches and a similar work will be installed in Bonn, Germany, in June.
Almost protective, the manner in which they encircle a space has been noted by some as evoking a sense of warmth and openness. This is complemented by their earthy copper colour, which contrasts the coldness that steel, the material that Venet uses for his sculptures, exudes. “People feel an embrace in my pieces,” he says.
Just as Venet’s sculptures often leave an impression of regard, so, too, they can be read within the contexts of Islamic architecture and calligraphy. “Definitely,” he says. “I often thought about the writing, the movement in the calligraphy looking very much like my sculptures. The arches are abstract and deal with soft lines; sure there is a relationship.”
• Bernar Venet’s solo exhibition opens on May 19 at Custot Gallery Dubai. For more information, visit www.custotgallerydubai.ae
artslife@thenational.ae
