When reflections appear to our eyes, they already belong to the past. Laurent Grasso’s works explore our perception of time through challenging our senses. The starting point of the exhibition is “Rétroprojection” – a series of works based on engravings of phenomena from the 19th century. Printed with silver ink, the images appear or disappear depending on the angle of observation as reflections from the past towards the future.
Installation view – Laurent Grasso, Kunstverein Arnsberg, 2009
Playing with the ambiguity of time, Grasso’s mixed media environment provokes associations as potential doubts. The viewer questions the obscure technique and origin of the works to find the reflections between the images that reveal and mystify their content. Grasso is trying to follow a light-wave back to its reflection and seize a timeless moment – his works play with time but don’t belong to it.
The historical references add a further dimension depicting the human urge to explore nature as a key to its atavistic fears. On the tension between past and future, reality and illusion, Grasso creates a sensory experience that reflects our time as mythology.
Comprised of videos, installations and prints “Reflections Belong To The Past” is the first major survey of Laurent Grasso’s work in Germany. Born 1972 in Mulhouse, Grasso lives and works in Paris. Recent solo exhibitions include Palais de Tokyo, Paris (2009) and Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris (2009). Grasso is the winner of Prix Marcel Duchamp (2008).
The exhibition is realized with the friendly support of Institut Français and CULTURESFRANCE
www.kunstverein-arnsberg.de