wim delvoye carves beauty into the mundane at galerie perrotin, paris

wim delvoye carves beauty into the mundane at galerie perrotin, paris
(above) wim delvoye
rimowa classic flight multiwheel 971.73.00.4, 2013
aluminium repoussé
hand embossed aluminium
78 x 52 x 27,5 cm (30 3/4 x 20 1/2 x 10 3/4 inches)
image © designboom

wim delvoye
galerie perrotin, paris
on until october 31st, 2014

absurdly intricate details drawing from art and architecture movements of the past — most notably sacred gothic architecture, to 19th century sculptures — combined with subtle influences from the diverse portfolios of hieronymus bosch, peter brueghel and andy warhol, characteristically define wim delvoye‘s aesthetic. the belgian artist employs these themes and genres by reinterpreting and visualizing them through daily objects, deforming these motives that drive his work to recreae a genuine cabinet of curiosities of wunderkammer. galerie perrotin in paris, presents more than twenty new pieces by delvoye which continue to explore and make reference to history, re-approriated for contemporary consumption.

wim delvoye (detail)
rimowa classic flight multiwheel 971.73.00.4, 2013
aluminium repoussé
hand embossed aluminium
78 x 52 x 27,5 cm (30 3/4 x 20 1/2 x 10 3/4 inches)
image © designboom

upon entering into the gallery, a set of five aluminium rimowa suitcases are present. though recognizable in form, delvoye has emblazoned their surfaces with imagery that range from his own, personal coat of arms, to miniature persian patterns. each hand embossed travelling case thus is transformed into bas-relief sculptures which speak of a globalized world.

wim delvoye
rimowa classic flight multiwheel 971.70.00.4, 2013
aluminium repoussé
hand embossed aluminium
74,5 x 52 x 26 cm (29 1/4 x 20 1/2 x 10 1/4 inches)
image © designboom

wim delvoye (detail)
rimowa classic flight multiwheel 971.70.00.4, 2013
aluminium repoussé
hand embossed aluminium
74,5 x 52 x 26 cm (29 1/4 x 20 1/2 x 10 1/4 inches)
image © designboom

wim delvoye
rimowa classic flight multiwheel 971.70.00.4, 2013
aluminium repoussé
hand embossed aluminium
74,5 x 52 x 26 cm (29 1/4 x 20 1/2 x 10 1/4 inches)
image © designboom

wim delvoye (detail)
rimowa classic flight multiwheel 971.70.00.4, 2013
aluminium repoussé
hand embossed aluminium
74,5 x 52 x 26 cm (29 1/4 x 20 1/2 x 10 1/4 inches)
image © designboom

photo by claire dom, courtesy of galerie perrotin

wim delvoye
suppo (karmanyaka), 2012
marble
221 x 70 x 69 cm (87 x 27 1/2 x 27 1/8)
image © designboom

devloye’s frequent references to gothic architecture are evident with the reveal of the artist’s introductory marble work ‘suppo (karmanyaka)’ — a fictive kingdom ruled by a tyrant — in which the structure of a tree trunk seems to emerge from a slab of stone, its ‘bark’ revealing a textured surface of pointed arches and elaborate tracery moving upwards in a twisting movement. in its altitude, it stands like a medieval-style tower that is spinning heavenwards, reminiscent of constantin brancusi’s endless column.

wim delvoye (detail)
suppo (karmanyaka), 2012
marble
221 x 70 x 69 cm (87 x 27 1/2 x 27 1/8)
image © designboom

wim delvoye
double helix alternation current 13 cm x 15L, 2009
bronze nickelé
19,5 x 193 x 25 cm (7 3/4 x 76 x 9 3/4)
image © designboom

the sometimes thin line which separates delvoye’s work from blasphemy is demonstrated in ‘double helix alternating current 13cm x 15L’, in which the artist has bent a series of crucifixes to form a helix; at once exercising his fondness for spiralling architectural ornamentation, he also seems to be questioning religious beliefs and the role of faith and its importance for eternal existence.

wim delvoye (detail of crucifixes)
double helix alternation current 13 cm x 15L, 2009
bronze nickelé
19,5 x 193 x 25 cm (7 3/4 x 76 x 9 3/4)
image © designboom

installation view
image © designboom

the artist’s shift between the sacred and profane is precisely displayed in his ‘dunlop geomax 100’, in which he has metamorphized tires into architecture details, carving floral motifs and other intricate designs into some of their surfaces; and ‘sans titre (car tyre)’ series which sees the inflated rubber tubes twisted into one another, transforming them into gordian-like knots.

wim delvoye
dunlop geomax 100 / 90-19 57M 540° 2x, 2013
polished and patinated stainless steel
25 x 77 x 80 cm (9 3/4 x 30 1/4 x 31 1/2 inches)
image © designboom

general view of the ‘dunlop geomax 100’ series
image © designboom

general view of ‘sans titre (car tyre)’ series
photo by claire dom, courtesy of galerie perrotin

wim delvoye
sans titre (car tyre), 2010
hand carved car tyre
∅ 71 x 14 cm (∅28 x 5 1/2 inches)
photo by claire dom, courtesy of galerie perrotin

wim delvoye
sans titre (car tyre), 2010
hand carved car tyre
∅ 71 x 14 cm (∅28 x 5 1/2 inches)
image © designboom

wim delvoye (detail)
sans titre (car tyre), 2010
hand carved car tyre
∅ 71 x 14 cm (∅28 x 5 1/2 inches)
image © designboom

wim delvoye
sans titre (truck tyre), 2013
hand carved truck tyre
∅ 148 x 60 cm (58 1/4 x 60 inches)

wim delvoye
sans titre (car tyre), 2010
hand carved car tyre
∅ 71 x 14 cm (∅28 x 5 1/2 inches)
image © designboom

wim delvoye’s artistic practice is known for being provocative, but still submissive in its approach. touching on themes and visions from our past, he seems to eternalize them by representing them through the mundane so that their values and our understanding of them becomes digestible.

wim delvoye
portrait © designboom

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