daniel arsham investigates classical objects with 'paris, 3020' at perrotin

paris’ galerie perrotin debuts daniel arsham’s latest body of work entitled ‘paris, 3020.’ the new suite of large-scale sculptures express influence from iconic classical busts, friezes, and sculptures derived from antiquity. over the past year, the artist has been granted unprecedented access to the réunion des musées nationaux — grand palais, a 200-year-old french molding atelier that reproduces masterpieces for several of europe’s major encyclopedic museums. arsham made use of molds and scans of iconic works of the collections of the musée du louvre in paris, acropolis museum in athens, the kunsthistorisches museum in vienna and the san pietro in vincoli. coinciding with the spring edition of maison et objet in paris, ‘paris, 3020’ will show at perrotin until march 21, 2020.

view of the exhibition ‘paris, 3020’ at perrotin paris | © all images courtesy of the artist and perrotin

with paris, 3020, artist and architectural designer daniel arsham investigates the temporal nature of objects, or how they move through time. each selected work shown at galerie perrotin in paris has proven to be so iconic that it surpasses the status of mere art object, and has instead embedded itself into our collective memory and identity. from michelangelo’s moses to the vénus de milo, each form was cast in hydrostone to produce a perfect to scale replica of the original sculpture. the result of this process shares formal qualities with that of historic wax casting.

rose quartz eroded hamadryade | image by tanguy beurdeley

arsham makes use of natural pigments — similar to those used by classical sculptors — including volcanic ash, blue calcite, selenite, quartz, and rose quartz. from that, individual erosions are chiseled into the surface of the hydrostone, subtly recalling the technique of renaissance sculptors. finally, arsham applies his signature tactic of crystallization.

blue calcite eroded moses | image by claire dorn

for paris, 3020, arsham displays the selected works with strategies borrowed from the modern museum type — including elevated plinths, dimmed lights, and a series of nested exhibition spaces. by appropriating the visual language of the encyclopedic museum, arsham deliberately references the methods in which museums showcase and shape object history, specifically as a vehicle that canonizes objects within a greater narrative of progress.

blue calcite eroded venus of milo | image by guillaume ziccarelli