MAMO
Centre d'art de la Cité Radieuse
280 Boulevard Michelet, 13008 Marseille, France
Heures d'ouverture
Ouvert du mercredi au dimanche de 11h à 18h.
Fermé le lundi et mardi.
Entrée gratuite.
New York based artist Daniel Arsham is known for concepts which explore history and time. Iconic figures and pop-culture objects are presented in a state of seeming geological erosion; compounding what is ancient, modern, or from a potential future.
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Within the historic cité d’Habitation Arsham pays homage to Le Corbusier in both style and design, blending themes of sport and history and returning the space to its original function as a gymnasium. Iconic imagery from the building is reimagined by Arsham within the playful context of a basketball court.
The entire presentation incorporates reds, yellows and blues found in Corbusier’s Le Poème de L’angle Droit (1955). Le Corbusier’s sun graphic is transformed to a basketball with rays which form the three-point line of the court floor. The iconic Modular Man found on the exterior of the building is altered here to hold a basketball. The figure appears on the details of custom Jordan sneakers and championship banners and in this context becomes reminiscent of the Michael Jordan Jumpman, an iconic silhouette in itself.
Arsham’s signature erosion technique is applied to basketball racks the design of which nods to Corbusier’s iconic lounge chairs and a basketball hoop inspired by Corbusier’s Open Hand symbol.
On the outdoor terrace are three bronze sculptures. Two Classical female figures are derived from Greek and Roman antiquities while a Delorean conjures associations with the slightly more recent past of the 1980s. Treated in the same green patina with crystalized erosions the content of these works evokes different eras but the sculptures seem to have aged at the same rate thus rendering them as equally ancient and creating a further confusion of time and history.
Le Modulor du Basketball is on view from June 25 – September 25, 2022.
The exhibition was made possible in partnership with Perrotin Gallery.
Photos © Stéphane Aboudaram | We Are Content(s)