Alain Kirili's Monumental Sculpture 'Résistance' Inaugurated in Grenoble as Embodied Abstraction
On May 14, 2011, Grenoble will unveil Alain Kirili's sculpture 'Résistance,' which pays tribute to WWII resistance fighters. This artwork consists of fourteen blocks of Rose de Bourgogne limestone, each approximately thirty tons, representing 'incarnate abstraction.' Kirili highlights the importance of monumentality in addressing political and urban concerns, while also reintroducing tactile experiences and ritual circumambulation. The event coincides with the centenary of Wassily Kandinsky's 'Concerning the Spiritual in Art.' Commissioned by mayor Michel Destot, this piece builds on Kirili's earlier work, 'Hommage à Charlie Parker' (2007). The tactile nature of the Rose de Bourgogne stone reflects Kirili's connection to Paul Cézanne and French sculptural traditions, with architect Alexandre Chémétoff designing a shelter for 'incarnate contemplation.'
Key facts
- Alain Kirili's sculpture 'Résistance' will be inaugurated in Grenoble on May 14, 2011
- The work honors World War II resistance fighters from the Grenoble area
- The sculpture consists of fourteen blocks of Rose de Bourgogne pink limestone weighing about thirty tons each
- Kirili describes his approach as 'incarnate abstraction' that reintroduces tactile experience to monumentality
- The inauguration coincides with the centennial of Wassily Kandinsky's 1911 publication 'Concerning the Spiritual in Art'
- Grenoble mayor Michel Destot commissioned the sculpture for the city
- Architect Alexandre Chémétoff designed a covered shelter around the sculpture for 'incarnate contemplation'
- Kirili relates the work to his previous monumental sculptures 'Hommage à Charlie Parker' (2007) and 'Improvisation Tellem' (2000)
Entities
Artists
- Alain Kirili
- Wassily Kandinsky
- Alexander Calder
- Paul Cézanne
- Claus Sluter
- François Rude
- Jean-Philippe Rameau
- Henri Matisse
- Claude Monet
- Mark Rothko
- Constantin Brâncuși
- Mimi Mingat
- Gabrielle Giffard
Institutions
- Musée de Grenoble
- Ludwig Museum
- Musée de l'Orangerie
- Collège de France
- Tuileries Garden
- Bibémus Quarries
- artcritical
Locations
- Grenoble
- France
- Cologne
- Germany
- Paris
- Dijon
- Burgundy
- Provence
- Nuits Saint George
- Prémeaux
- Auxerre
- Vézelay
- Citeaux
- Clos-Vougeot
- Romanée-Conti
- Târgu Jiu
- Romania