AroundSpace is proud to present Crystal Empire, a solo exhibition of new works by Geneva-based artist Alexandre Joly.

"I love to find myself in the middle of a landscape without a path, and freely walk from one point to another,” says the artist. “It’s the image that I have of my work process -- one idea influences a direction which produces new ideas in return." Thus, a single piece begins a process of weaving concepts back and forth until the fabric of the entire series is laid out before him. The feather carpet Le Repos du Guerrier (or, The Warrior’s Repose) is an invitation for contemplation and to forget oneself. The long process of carefully arranging over 2500 feathers served as a form of meditation during which Joly conceptualized much of the exhibition’s content, including sound sculpture, installation works, and paintings.

Crystal Empire is a continuation of Joly’s dissertation on how sound can be used as medium, object, and performance; he presents new configurations on the diffusion and reception of sound. In the sound installation Flying Wood, movement of sound is choreographed between three sculptures made of redwood -- commonly used in antique Chinese furniture design. Carefully sanding and smoothing only certain sections, the artist draws out the raw wood’s distinct and natural beauty.

Finally, rather than regarding the wood dust from the sound sculptures and feathers left over from The Warrior’s Repose, the artist sought to fully engage every bit of the materials. Joly employs an ancient ink painting technique to achieve a set of works on paper that beautifully capture the symbiotic nature of the show.

About the Artist

Alexandre Joly was born in 1977 in St. Julien Genevois, France and currently lives and works in Geneva where he studied fine art and industrial design. His solo exhibitions have been held at the Museum of Fine Art (Locle, Switzerland), the Museum of Ethnography (Geneva, Switzerland), the Halle Nord space for interactive art sponsored by Geneva’s Department of Cultural Affairs, and Athénée Palace where the Society of Art resides in Geneva. He has also participated in shows at The Grand Palais in Paris, Lausanne’s Cantonal Museum of Fine Arts, and Geneva’s Center for Contemporary Art, as well as a solo presentation at Volta Art Fair in New York City. He is the recipient of numerous awards, grants, and residency programs including the Prix de la Fondation Irène Reymond (2010), two-time winner of the Kiefer Hablitzel Grant for artists under 30 (2006 & 2007), the Swiss Art Prize for artists under 35 (2007), and the Simon I. Patino Foundation Scholarship, which funded his residence at the prestigious Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris (2006).

The artist first collaborated with AroundSpace in 2010 for the group show Shanshui - Both Ways, following a three-month residency in Sichuan Province sponsored by the Swiss Artists-in-Labs program. During a six-month residency program at Shanghai’s Swatch Peace Art Hotel, Joly completed a series of works for Crystal Empire that connect sound, landscape, and conservation.