Killed in Action (CSH #21, Richard NEUTRA)
Hanging vertically on the wall, the sculpture Killed in Action (CSH #21, Richard NEUTRA) appears as a bas-relief and a repertoire of structural forms. Wilfrid Almendra enhances the art of assemblage using heterogeneous materials and a surprising production process. The sculpture is made of an industrial black steel plate and an old railway fence, and is part of the Killed in Action (Case Study Houses) series created by the artist in 2009. Almendra was interested in an architectural programme launched by the magazine Art & Architecture in 1945 in the United States to design a group of thirty-seven individual houses that would be functional, economical, and replicable. The artist chose to work on those projects that were abandoned, hence the title of the series. Sculpture no. 21 resurrects the mysterious project of architect Richard Neutra. Almendra freely transposes the original plans and materials intended to build the model of the project. He deconstructs the habitat, breaks apart the solid forms, reorganizes details and materials, and introduces personal concepts to deliver a postmodern vision. He questions modernist ideals and the utopia of the suburban model of urban planning to “use rawness to create the sensitive and the poetic.”
Text written by Oriane Poret as part of the partnership between the École du Louvre and Lafayette Anticipations – Fonds de dotation Famille Moulin.
Exhibitions
CAC Passerelle, Brest (France)
from 05 Oct 2013 to 04 Jan 2014
La Galerie des Galeries, Paris (France)
from 14 Oct 2010 to 08 Jan 2011
Galerie Bugada & Cargnel, Paris (France)
from 11 Dec 2009 to 13 Mar 2010
Wilfrid Almendra
Born in 1972 in Cholet, France
Le travail de l’artiste franco-portugais Wilfrid Almendra fait autant appel à des ressources composites qu’à diverses références issues de l’histoire de l’art et de la pop culture. Sculpteur, artisan, dessinateur, il privilégie délibérément les associations inattendues et les hybridations perturbantes pour désorienter le spectateur et l’inviter à repenser sa relation au monde. Procédant par détournements et titres énigmatiques, Wilfrid Almendra s’inspire très souvent du quotidien pour remettre en question l’être humain et sa perception.
Né en 1972 à Cholet (France), Wilfrid Almendra vit et travaille entre Marseille et Casario (Portugal). Formé à l’École des Beaux-arts de Rennes, à l’Academy of Fine Arts de Manchester et à l’École des beaux-arts de Lisbonne, il a été lauréat d’un Audi Talent Award en 2008.
