Philippe Decrauzat: Foyer exhibition 2008

April 5, 2008 – April 1, 2009

The mural that Philippe Decrauzat (*1974, lives in Lausanne) designed for the entrance to the Bonner Kunstverein is made up of alternating black and magenta-coloured lines that extend over the entire length of 20 metres. They slowly enter the white surface, only to fade out again just as slowly after a pictorial crescendo. In this way, the movement of the visitor entering is recorded and visually intensified. The precision of the lines leads to an iridescent moiré effect, which also stages the theme of movement as a phenomenological process of perception. The work is part of a series of works that Decrauzat has been continuing since 2000 and which is based on the fascination of REM sleep. R.E.M. stands for Rapid Eye Movement and generally refers to the dream phase in which the eyes move jerkily under the closed eyelids. The work, which constantly threatens to elude the viewer through flickering effects, creates afterimages; images that are seen without the eye, or films that were created without a camera. DECRAUZAT's work, which encompasses painting, film and sculpture, is situated in the field of tension of artistic abstraction. He uses Russian Constructivism, Op Art or the geometries of Minimalism as a starting point in order to connect them with pop culture, as shown in science fiction or cinematography, and in this way finds a form that is valid today. supported by pro helvetia and the Deutsch-Schweizerische Wirtschaftsvereinigung zu Düsseldorf e.V.

Philippe Decrauzat, Installation view, Bonner Kunstverein, 2008. Photo: Alistair Overbruck

Philippe Decrauzat, Installation view, Bonner Kunstverein, 2008. Photo: Alistair Overbruck

Philippe Decrauzat, Installation view, Bonner Kunstverein, 2008. Photo: Alistair Overbruck

Philippe Decrauzat, Installation view, Bonner Kunstverein, 2008. Photo: Alistair Overbruck