05 : ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
Born in Pays Haut in Moselle to Italian parents, Vincent Gagliardi (B.1957) is a graduate of the Metz School of Fine Arts. An apostle of simplicity, he finds his truth in minimalism and, frankly, scantiness. First and foremost, he is passionate about the world of engraving, the basis of his inspiration, and learns as much as possible, even spending his summer holidays in a workshop in Barcelona. During a move in the 1980s, his attention was drawn to a familiar, decorative flooring material of asphalt-coated cardboard, which is flexible, easy to cut and tear. Balatum will then become his material of choice not only due to its understated graphic design and its intrinsic properties but also for all it generates in his imagination. Vincent likes abandoned locations, houses free from furniture and their inhabitants. Only balatum, this inexpensive product which covers the floor in modest homes, seems to retain traces of life in its areas worn by the passage of former occupants whose lives he likes to guess about and imagine. Like an epidermis, balatum tells stories and reveals the passing of time, somehow forming a link with his own personal story. It is what Vincent Gagliardi calls the skin of his thought.
He is fascinated by the night which changes everything, until a painting is perceived which, in the shadow, vibrates with other reverberations. As a child, he thought of his father who went down the mine at night. His nocturnal colour schemes are deep almost abyssal blacks with less contrasting greys expressed with the greatest sobriety. When colour is present, it manifests itself in coloured objects such as beads or tinted twine.
The dramatic and almost theatrical power of his pieces is immense. Vincent offers offbeat and unpredictable pieces with gentle derision which give way to multiple interpretations, riddles, collections and takes us into a strange universe giving insight into his thought process and the humour that characterises him. In his pieces, the raw material contrasts with whether it is a question of poetry and thought, intuition and feelings. Alongside this conceptual plastic creation, his career also involves numerous book projects with artists and literary collaborations such as this box containing prints by his hand and texts by Emily Dickinson.
Elisabeth Martin, Art historian
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