Subjected to a multitude of social, environmental and economic tensions, urban space is metamorphosing into a defensive space. The artist explores the inherent contradictions in protective mechanisms, manifesting through various mediums such as sculptures, paintings, drawings, and videos.

This reflection is strikingly illustrated by two ambitious installations presented at the ALB gallery in spring 2021: On the walls, a new ensemble from the ‘Sprayed’ series, composed of 69 chrome paintings, occupies and redefines the space. These works unravel a nuanced interplay of layered imprints (trains, architecture, etc.), with the reinterpretation delivering a distinctive and singular perspective on the original image. The urban space becomes ghostly under the influence of the chrome paint, reminiscent of both the processes involved in silver photography and the utilization of silver salts.

In the second proposal, an ordinary anti-parking bollard, akin to the thousands found in Paris, is mystified by a change in materiality and status. Transitioning from cast iron to bronze with a mirror-polish finish—crafted by the Bocquel foundry in Normandy—the sculpture probes our relationship with monuments, the monumental presence of sculptures in public spaces. The contrast between the sophistication of the work and the simplicity of the employed means elicits a captivating tension enriched with a nuanced sense of humor. This approach is conceived as a device that invites viewers to redefine their perception of public space. The public space thus transitions from a territory evoking repression to an almost inexhaustible source of forms.