Catalogue released following the exhibitions:
François Curlet, IAC (Villeurbanne), 26 janvier – 18 mars 2007
François Curlet : Architecture fainéante (dessins et maquettes) , Centre culturel français (Turin), 5 mars – 7 avril 2007
François Curlet, Galerie Micheline Szwajcer (Anvers), 31 mai – 7 juillet 2007
Dr Curlet reçoit Jos de Gruyter et Harald Thys, frac île-de-france / le plateau (Paris), 13 septembre – 18 novembre 2007
François Curlet : French Farce, Galerie Commune (Tourcoing), 16 novembre – 14 décembre 2007
Presenting of the piece Architecture fainéante in the exhibition Air de Paris, Musée National d’Art Moderne, Centre Pompidou (Paris), 25 avril – 15 août 2007
An heir to the artists John Knight and Jef Geys, François Curlet creates a unique fusion between conceptual art, Dada actions, pop imagery and Situationist daydreams. Utilizing a large variety of tools and materials, his work takes its inspiration from fairy tales, television, economic exchanges, and communication systems (contemporary media networks that he willingly manipulates). These different elements (objects, signs, and messages) are subjected to various transformations that either diversify or invalidate their regular functioning. François Curlet works as if with a magnifying glass, deforming the ordinary until the unlikely emerges. Master of distortion of cultural codes, he manages to extract the playful, poetic, narrative, and caustically humorous nature out of all things he touches.
François Curlet produces visual worlds where fiction and reality collide, “remixing” objects and images with his very own brand of humor, and creating a parallel universe of his own.
At the Plateau, François Curlet has decided to invite the Belgian duo of Jos De Gruyter & Harald Thys to join in on his exhibition, during which he will be presenting two new works: the installation Rocking Chair, and the film French Farce.
Co-edition: Éditions des Beaux-Arts, Paris ; Institut d’Art Contemporain, Villeurbanne ; frac île-de-france, Paris, 2008
With the support of: Galerie Micheline Szwajcer, Anvers ; Galerie Air, Paris ; Galerie commune ERSEP, Tourcoing
Book – 216p., (ill. colors, ill. cov. b&w), 20×26,5 cm
Texts in french and english
Translation: Simon Barnard et Bernard Hoepffner
Graphic design: Donuts (Bruxelles)
ISBN: 978-2-84056-274-X