À ciel ouvert, Open-Air

With three red and yellow pieces offering three different viewpoints, French-Swiss artist Felice Varini goes face-to-face with Le Corbusier’s roof terrace of Cité Radieuse in Marseille.

Following in the footsteps of Xavier Veilhan, Daniel Buren and Dan Graham, Felice Varini goes face-to-face with Le Corbusier’s architecture at MAMO, the art centre created by Ora Ito on the roof terrace of Cité Radieuse in Marseille (France) until 2 October.

Felice Varini, *Triangles percés*, Marseille 2016 “A ciel ouvert”, MAMO – Centre d’Art de la Cité Radieuse, Marseille. Photo André Morin

The French-Swiss artist living in Paris finds himself in a unique situation, “This is the first time that I have exhibited on, in and with architecture designed by Le Corbusier. This place is a landmark, a huge influence. It is a true microcosm, designed as a small city with its range of complex volumes, a small city with a view over the large city of Marseille. It is extremely exciting!”

Felice Varini will span the whole terrace with three pieces (red and yellow) offering three different viewpoints. This is a logical choice made by Ora Ito for whom Felice Varini is one of few great contemporary artists “able to use, underline and highlight a single architecture equally as well as a whole city. The space is his natural medium, I am very proud to have introduced him to this roof terrace that he had only previously seen in a photo.”

The viewpoint will function like a point of interpretation, that is, like a potential starting point to approach the painting and the space. The painted form makes sense when the spectator is in this spot. When the spectator leaves the viewpoint, the work encounters the space generating an infinite number of views of the shape. Therefore I do not see the accomplished work through this first point; this is encompassed in all the views that the spectator may have of it.”

Felice Varini was born in 1952 in Locarno, Switzerland. He now lives in Paris. He operates in situ in a different place each time and as a result his work evolves in relation to it. “I generally scour the venue taking in its architecture, materials, history and function. Based on its varying spatial data, I define a viewpoint around which my initiative takes shape. For me a viewpoint is a point in the space that I choose carefully: it is usually situated at my eye level and preferably located in a key passageway, for example where one room leads to another, a landing, etc. I don’t make a rule of it, as spaces don’t all systematically have an obvious path. The choice is often arbitrary.

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"Rebonds par les pôles" Marseille 2016

Felice Varini, Triangles percés, Marseille 2016 “A ciel ouvert”, MAMO – Centre d’Art de la Cité Radieuse, Marseille. Photo André Morin

Felice Varini, Triangles percés, Marseille 2016 “A ciel ouvert”, MAMO – Centre d’Art de la Cité Radieuse, Marseille. Photo André Morin

"Quatre droites aus trois croisements" Marseille 2016

Felice Varini, Triangles percés, Marseille 2016 “A ciel ouvert”, MAMO – Centre d’Art de la Cité Radieuse, Marseille. Photo André Morin

"Triangles percés" Marseille 2016

Felice Varini, Triangles percés, Marseille 2016 “A ciel ouvert”, MAMO – Centre d’Art de la Cité Radieuse, Marseille. Photo André Morin

until 2 October 2016
A ciel ouvert (Open-air) Felice Varini at MAMO
MAMO – Centre d’art de la Cité Radieuse
280 Boulevard Michelet, Marseille

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À ciel ouvert, Open-Air

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