Mathieu Mercier's Metaphysical Bricolage
Mathieu Mercier approaches bricolage as a means to rearrange the world with measured gestures, resisting the tyranny of leisure and empty time. His work draws on the familiar aesthetics of the supermarket, not to celebrate consumer society in a post-pop spirit, but to critically point out systems of fascination and alienation. His oeuvre is dense with references to modern art. Mercier describes his exhibitions as "hard" due to their deliberately unwelcoming atmosphere and the cold, provocative void created by the distance between objects.
Key facts
- Mathieu Mercier uses bricolage to rearrange the world with measured means.
- He sees bricolage as a way to counter the tyranny of leisure and empty time.
- His aesthetic is inspired by the contemporary life of the 'supermarket'.
- He critiques consumer society's systems of fascination and alienation, not merely representing them.
- His work contains numerous references to modern art.
- Mercier describes his exhibitions as 'hard' due to their unfriendly atmosphere.
- The distance between objects in his exhibitions creates a cold, provocative void.
- The article was published in artpress in June 2002.
Entities
Artists
- Mathieu Mercier
Institutions
- artpress
Sources
- artpress —