Bernar Venet, 83 years old, is one of the most important conceptual artists in France and the world. The large-scale retrospective exhibition, Bernar Venet: Beyond Concept and Matter, is held at the Phoenix Center in Beijing. The artist attended the opening ceremony in person and performed a live action art piece.
The retrospective showcases nearly 180 classic works from Venet's more than 60-year artistic career. Some of these series have been featured in significant exhibitions such as the São Paulo Biennial, Documenta in Kassel, and the Venice Biennale, and have also been displayed in major museums like the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and Tate Modern in London. This exhibition is also a key cultural project of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France in 2024, the China-France Cultural and Tourism Year, and the Croisements 60.
In the more than 10,000-square-meter exhibition space at the Phoenix Center in Beijing, Venet's unique art spans various forms, including tar (asphalt) paintings, cardboard reliefs, performance art, mathematical paintings, interactive new media, deformed sculptures, as well as photography, sound, and film. "I decided to pursue art at the age of 11, and by 14, I realized that art was more than just painting a picture or making a sculpture in a room; it was about creating something beyond that," Venet emphasized during his speech. "We need to seek out—what is art? Artists must reflect on the essence of art."
During the preparation for this exhibition, Venet traveled back and forth between China and France several times and, at the age of 83, personally participated in the setup. At the exhibition's opening, he performed his action piece The Image Memory of Steel Bars and Gestures on-site. This "abstract painting" made from steel materials is closely related to Venet's ongoing emphasis on "change." Through his creations, he hopes to show an open, diverse, and mixed world that is undefined, conceptualized, and constantly in flux, bringing vibrant artistic energy to every guest present.
As the Chinese curator of the exhibition, Xiao Ge, Chief Editor of Phoenix Art, commented that Venet is an artist who constantly challenges boundaries. His works traverse multiple art forms, including painting, sculpture, and performance, but what remains unchanged is his deep exploration of materials and concepts. Venet's work is rooted in both matter and ideas, serving as a bridge between different cultures.
This retrospective brings together the artist's most iconic works, especially the large-scale weathering steel sculptures of arcs and geometric structures that have made Venet famous worldwide over the past three decades. These pieces complement and resonate with the architectural design of the Phoenix Center, creating a rich artistic atmosphere for the audience. Visitors can not only experience the collision of culture and spirit but also gain insight into the artist's deep exploration of form, concept, and language, as well as his contributions to the fusion and innovation of Chinese and Western cultural arts.
It is reported that the exhibition will run until February 28, 2025.
Translator: FENG Haoxuan
Reviewer: BAI Jing
