ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Mathieu Mercier's Sublimation at Crédac, Ivry-sur-Seine

exhibition · 2026-04-23

Mathieu Mercier's 'Sublimation' exhibition is being held at Crédac in Ivry-sur-Seine from January 20 to March 25, 2012. This marks his first significant show in Paris since his 2007 exhibition at ARC. The title encompasses a psychological defense mechanism, a transition in physical states, and a hot printing technique. The exhibit features expansive windows that interact with light, reminiscent of a Platonic cave. In the initial room, items such as apartment building windows and a cluster of bananas draw inspiration from De Chirico and Warhol. The second space offers a view of an industrial landscape, displaying a bench crafted from drainpipes and a bicycle positioned near a tube. The final, dimly lit room houses an ebony aquarium with axolotls, representing power and authority.

Key facts

  • Exhibition 'Sublimation' by Mathieu Mercier at Crédac, Ivry-sur-Seine, from January 20 to March 25, 2012.
  • First major Parisian exhibition since 2007 at ARC.
  • Title references psychological, physical, and printing processes.
  • Exhibition space at Manufacture des Œillets with large windows.
  • First room: objects from reality on ten round plinths with diagrams.
  • Bananas reference De Chirico, Warhol, or vanitas; paired with Kodak test pattern.
  • Second room: bench from drainpipes, lamp inspired by Gino Sarfatti (1960s).
  • Third room: vitrine with ebony aquarium containing two axolotls.
  • Axolotl can remain larval and regenerate organs.
  • Small white tube lit by a ray of light symbolizes power and authority.

Entities

Artists

  • Mathieu Mercier
  • Gino Sarfatti
  • Giorgio de Chirico
  • Andy Warhol

Institutions

  • Crédac
  • ARC
  • Manufacture des Œillets

Locations

  • Ivry-sur-Seine
  • France

Sources