Cyprien Gaillard's 'When you expect flutes, it's whistles' at Kunsthaus Bregenz
Cyprien Gaillard's show at Kunsthaus Bregenz is launching on July 11, 2026, and it explores urban decline, chaos, and survival through engaging installations that highlight cycles of destruction and rebirth. An orange construction chute hangs outside, representing ongoing changes in the area. Inside, the inflatable sculpture Visitant (2021–2026) moves to 90s KILLASAN music, creating a jarring contrast with the museum's quiet vibe. The exhibit examines public space 'deterrents'—like classical music and barriers—that regulate access and marginalize people. On the first floor, diamond-patterned Polaroids capture everyday life, while modified flutes with zero-euro notes on the second floor reference the Pied Piper, paired with stainless steel shapes and damaged ATMs that symbolize disruption and violence. The film DETERRENT (2026) focuses on urban edges, showcasing sound deterrents and graffiti, illustrating exclusion and the aftermath of erasure. Gaillard's art reflects on harsh environments where life still thrives.
Key facts
- Exhibition titled 'When you expect flutes, it's whistles' at Kunsthaus Bregenz, Austria, from July 11, 2026.
- Features a suspended orange construction chute behind the façade symbolizing demolition and renovation.
- Ground floor includes inflatable sculpture Visitant (2021–2026) moving to KILLASAN sound system music.
- First floor displays Polaroid photographs in diamond formations on cardboard, held by metal wire.
- Second floor includes modified flutes with zero-euro banknotes referencing the Pied Piper legend.
- Also on second floor: stainless-steel sculptures inspired by Italian ATM sunshades and damaged ATM components.
- Third floor shows new film DETERRENT (2026) filmed in Los Angeles and Northern European cities.
- Film produced by Kunsthaus Bregenz in collaboration with Fondazione Prada, Milan, first showing in Bregenz.
- Gaillard (b. 1980, Paris) lives in Paris and Berlin; recipient of Marcel Duchamp Prize (2010) and Nationalgalerie Prize for Young Art (2011).
Entities
Artists
Institutions
- Kunsthaus Bregenz
- Fondazione Prada
- European Central Bank
- Haus der Kunst
- OGR Torino
- Fondation Beyeler
- Palais de Tokyo
- Lafayette Anticipations
- LUMA Arles
- Julia Stoschek Collection
- Sprüth Magers
- MoMA PS1
- Kunsthalle Basel
- MMK Frankfurt
- New Museum
- Tate Modern
Locations
- Bregenz
- Austria
- Los Angeles
- United States
- Northern Europe
- Paris
- France
- Berlin
- Germany
- Osaka
- Japan
- Milan
- Italy
- Munich
- Turin
- Basel
- Switzerland
- Arles
- Düsseldorf
- New York
- London
- United Kingdom
- Hamelin
- Scandinavia