Contemporary Art Exhibition > Jules de Balincourt (b. 1972)
Contemporary Art Exhibition > Japan > Tokyo > Mori Art Museum
MAM Project 011: Jules de Balincourt
Mori Art Museum, Tokyo
Through July 4, 2010
© JULES DE BALINCOURT, Feast of Fools, 2004
Oil and enamel on panel, 121,9 x 203,2 cm
Collection of Jeffrey Deitch
Courtesy Mori Art Museum, Tokyo
Grant from Ambassade de France au Japon
Since participating in the exhibition "Notre histoire" at Palais de Tokyo (Paris), the Whitney Biennale (New York) and "USA Today" at the Royal Academy of Arts (London), all of which were held in 2006, Jules de Balincourt (born in Paris, 1972) has established his international reputation and his work is in demand around the world. This exhibition includes brand new artworks as well as important pieces dating back to 2003.
Jules de Balincourt works predominantly in the medium of painting, but he also makes sculptures and installations. His paintings are characterized by their free use of bright colors and bold lines to depict scenes from everyday life, adventures, romances, politics, economics, the environment, utopian visions and even purely psychological landscapes. These diverse vistas demonstrate how de Balincourt's conception of reality extends not only to the news and media but also to what we now call cyberspace.
© JULES DE BALINCOURT, Untitled (Billboard), 2006
Oil on panel 121.9 x 142.2 cm
Private Collection, USA
Courtesy Mori Art Museum, Tokyo
Grant from Ambassade de France au Japon
As his perspective is dynamic and grows outwards in the form of a network, his subjects are naturally diverse. His paintings are at once figurative and abstract, and at times are reminiscent of photography, maps or even video. Likewise, his artworks are diverse in their depth, with some subjects depicted in close-range and others at a distance. The actual sizes of his paintings vary greatly, too. When viewed together, his artworks can appear to be in dialogue with each other, and they are open and accessible enough for each viewer to be able to incorporate them into his or her own story. The artist calls this effect "free association painting."
Jules de Balincourt incorporates the strategies of graphic design and advertising into his paintings, occasionally including their titles or other slogan-like phrases within the works themselves. At the same time, his artworks exhibit a distinctly post-9/11 world view, including critical stances on the capitalist system and the overly-controlled nature of present day society. This tendency is due in part to his own strong interest in theories of utopia, social systems and community. He even contributes directly to community-building in Brooklyn, New York, where he operates an alternative art and event venue called Starr Space.
This exhibition of Jules de Balincourt’s paintings was curated by Tsubaki Reiko, Assistant Curator, Mori Art Museum.
Organizer: Mori Art Museum
Grant from Ambassade de France au Japon
MAM Project 011: Jules de Balincourt
March 20 - July 4, 2010
Mori Art Museum - Gallery 1
53F Roppongi Hills Mori Tower
6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku
Tokyo 106-6150 – Japan
MAM Project is a series by the Mori Art Museum to support the activities of promising young artists
Next MAM Projects
MAM project 012: Tromarama, July 24 - November 7, 2010
MAM project 013: Katarina Seda, November 27, 2010 - February 27, 2011
Next Mori Art Museum Exhibitions
Sensing Nature: Perceiving Nature in Japan
Yoshioka Tokujin - Shinoda Taro - Kuribayashi Takashi, July 24 - November 7, 2010
Odani Motohiko, November 27, 2010 - 27 February, 2011
