Olivier Blanckart's High Tech & Low Use Sculptures at Musée de l'objet and Galerie Lœvenbruck

Olivier Blanckart, known for his provocative performance at the Venice Biennale in a phallus-shaped boat and his scathing tracts, reveals a deeper concern with representation and the constraints of his self-invented technique using cardboard and tape. His work, which he terms "high tech & low use," employs these universal materials to create sculptures that critique political and economic systems. Blanckart's practice began in 1991 when he performed as a homeless artist named Jean-Michel at Parisian openings, using cardboard and tape to build temporary shelters. He was influenced by Inuit art's minimal expressiveness, leading to his "Quasi objets"—cardboard replicas of everyday items. His large sculptures, like "Paulo l'eskimo" and "Apollo," are made from crumpled craft paper covered in tape, filled with foam. Blanckart also creates "remix" sculptures based on iconic news photographs, such as the immolation of Thích Quảng Đức and the assassination of Inejiro Asanuma, reconstructing unseen elements. He distinguishes his work from Wang Du's by focusing on emotionally charged images and restoring what is outside the frame. Blanckart's practice includes impersonating historical figures like Guy Debord and Yves Klein, and he explores the power of approximation in art, echoing Robert Filliou's concept of "well-made" and "badly-made." The exhibitions run from March 7 to April 27, 2002, at Galerie Lœvenbruck in Paris and March 8 to April 27 at Musée de l'objet in Blois.