EXHIBITION DATES: April 13 - May 11, 2024
OPENING RECEPTION with the ARTIST: Saturday, April 13th @6-9pm
Laurent Marthaler Contemporary and Fabien Castanier Gallery are excited to present, “FULL METAL CRASH”, a solo exhibition for contemporary Swiss artist, Pierre-Alain Münger. This exhibition consists of a unique selection of sculptural pieces imbued with layers of meaning and intention. With a method of destruction ultimately one of a kind, the artist sends automobiles crashing into sheets of metal to create his work. The resulting pieces express a complex and spontaneous map of force, sculpted into the medium with the most unexpected paint brush.
With a long-standing fascination with cars, Pierre-Alain Münger has developed his interest in the destruction and deformation of form into an artistic practice. Having spent years researching car crashes and the practical engineering results of kinetic force on a metal body, the artist conducts crash tests in which automobiles move at up to 70 mph into painted metal. A process that requires hours of planning and preparation, the method and execution become part of the art as much as the final sculptural product. The crashes are filmed and documented and witnessed by a number of spectators who contribute to the piece’s performative nature. Every step in the creation adds dimensional weight to the work’s narrative. From planning stages to the eventual imprint, each bend and dent formed into the metal plate tells a dynamic story. The technique is controlled, such as the speed and the angle at which the car crashes, but the ultimate result is unique and impossible to reproduce. Münger says, “I provoke just enough for the work to exist and come to fruition. I provide the impetus.”