DIRECTORY 2025

Nicolas Vionnet | Sculpture, Painting

Nicolas Vionnet (born 1976 in Basel, Switzerland) lives and works in Zurich. He has finished his studies at the Academy of Art and Design in Basel. In 2009, he graduated from the Bauhaus-University Weimar with a Master's degree in Public Art and New Artistic Strategies. He has exhibited his work internationally, such as at the 5th Odessa Biennale of Contemporary Art (UA), III Moscow International Biennale for Young Art (RU), 4th Biennial Exhibition "Sculpture by the Sea," Aarhus (DK), The Wilson - Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum (GB), Städtische Galerie Kubus Hannover (DE), Alpines Museum der Schweiz Bern (CH).

Nicolas Vionnet's sculptures and installations are perplexing and uncanny. His practice lies at the intersection between irritation and integration. His works are subtle, often ironic, and inspire curiosity through their seamless integration with the landscape or readymade object of his choosing. From installing a plane of real grass turf in the center of an artificial pond to reclaiming what was lost or fashioning a walker with a floor lamp, Vionnet's interventions are continually captivating. Vionnet also plays with the existing artistic expectations in the field of painting. His large-format paintings in the series «Untitled» and «Behind the Curtain» are devoted to drapery, a significant motif in art history that, if executed convincingly, underscores the painter's mastery. Vionnet dedicates himself to the topic in a completely different way through a direct and conceptual approach. The raw fabric of each canvas is draped with layer after layer of transparent, black paint via a spray can, leading to different parts becoming loaded with compacted paint. Wherever the fabric of the canvas is raised, the paint sticks, leaving other areas white. After this painting process, the fabric is stretched and drawn onto the canvas. So simple, so convincing.

www.nicolasvionnet.ch
@nicolasvionnet