The Mediums of No Return: Art Press Editorial on Contemporary Art's Material Turn

In an editorial for artpress, Anaël Pigeat examines a renewed engagement with traditional artistic mediums in contemporary art. While artists like Philippe Parreno and Pierre Huyghe have explored the 'anti-object' through exhibitions at Palais de Tokyo and Centre Pompidou, a parallel trend sees creators returning to painting, drawing, stone carving, and film. There is a growing interest in decorative arts and techniques once marginalized, such as porcelain, weaving, and rocaille. This is exemplified by the exhibition 'Décorum' at L'Arc, focusing on tapestry and carpets, and a special issue of artpress 2 dedicated to ceramics. Pigeat frames this not as a nostalgic return but as a 'neo-craft' phenomenon, referencing the 19th-century Arts and Crafts movement but without its moralizing stance. Artists today reinvent their mediums, embracing error and chance, pushing materials to their limits. The editorial argues that the current moment is not about returning to a medium but about 'mediums of no return,' where old contradictions coexist and the medium itself becomes the subject of the exhibition.