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Yann Sérandour

Biography

Presentation

The interstitial and mimetic works by Yann Sérandour originate from existing works, publications and products which he reactivates and whose issues are changed. Embracing a conceptual view of art, he extends some historical expressions in other directions through infiltration, parasiting and “hijacking” operations. On one hand, these tactics are a way to reactivate —and sometimes to modify— the latent meanings of a work and, on the other hand, to interrogate the transformations of the historical, political and aesthetic issues associated with it. He has a close relationship to books and to the literature on art history and some of his publications include Thirtysix Fire Stations (2004), in response to the books published by Edward Ruscha in the 1960s and a Supplement (2004) that may be inserted in Lawrence Weiner’s catalogue raisonné "Specific & General Works", listing his statements from 1968 to 1993.

Biography

Yann Sérandour Born in 1974 in Vannes, France. Lives and works in Paris and Rennes.

Solo exhibitions

2010

Entre-deux, Entre-deux, Nantes.

2008

Weiss, gb agency, Paris.

Inside The White Cube, Module, Palais de Tokyo, Paris.

2007

Thirtysix Fire Stations, Monopoli, Montreal.

Bien amicalement, Musée de l'Objet, collection d'art contemporain, Blois.

Pile ou face, Quatorze jours avec Julie C. Fortier et Yann Sérandour, VF galerie, Marseille.

Show-room, Florence Loewy' books by artists, Paris.

Pendant l'exposition, l'hôtel vide affichera complet, galerie Vasistas / Hôtel Les Acacias, Montpellier.

Vivement lundi !, Cneai (Centre National de l'Estampe et de l'Art Imprimé), Chatou.

Group exhibitions

2010

Sol LeWitt Artist's Books 1967-2002, Christophe Daviet Thery, Paris, France

Double Bind / Arrêtez d'essayer de me comprendre !, Villa Arson, Nice, France

Cas de figure, La Station, Nice, France

On Gaps and Silent Documents, Stuk, Leuven, Belgique

Seconde Main, Musée d'art moderne de la Ville de Paris

Chefs d'œuvres ?, Centre Pompidou-Metz, Metz

Book Show, Eastside Projects, Birmingham

2009

Nord, Nord-Ouest, gb agency, Paris.

On Second Reading, galeria Estrany de la Mota, Barcelona.

Mark Geffriaud, Dominique Petitgand, Yann Sérandour, Berlin/Paris, gb agency at Croy Nielsen, Berlin.

2008

Re-construction, Biennial of Young Artists, Third Edition, Bucarest.

Art Focus, cur. B. Blistène et A. Barak, Jerusalem.

Il faut détruire Carthage, Lieu-Commun, Toulouse.

The Store, Tulips and Roses, Vilnius.

Anachronismes et autres manipulations spatio-temporelles, 40mcube, Rennes.

P2P, Casino Luxembourg, Forum d'art contemporain, Luxembourg.

Comme le verre à travers le soleil, Autour de Raymond Hains, Domaine départemental de La Garenne-Lemot, Gétigné-Clisson.

2007

Without, cur. Adam Carr, Galerie Yvon Lambert, Paris.

Información contra información, CGAC, Santiago de Compostela.

Ironies du presque-rien, Collection du Frac Bretagne, Galerie Art & Essais, Rennes.

Table d'hôtes, Institut d'Art Contemporain, Villeurbanne.

Time Flies, gb agency, Paris.

Special Collections: Reading, Series & Narrative, Leeds University gallery, Leeds.

Les Inattendus, Frac Franche-Comté, Musée départemental, Champlitte.

Curating Degree Zero Archive, Point Éphémère, Paris.

Logiques du rêve éveillé, Les Instants Chavirés, Montreuil.

The Moment You Realise You Are Lost, cur. Adam Carr, Johann König Gallery, Berlin.

00:30, Proposition de colloque, cur. Le Bureau, Kadist Fondation, Paris.

Dematérialisation, La Box, Bourges.

2006

Incipit, cur. Charlotte Laubard, Prix 2006, Fondation d'entreprise Ricard, Paris.

Transmission dérivée (cneai=), Villa Arson, Nice.

Royal Wedding expanded, cur. Muriel Colin-Barrand et la session 13 de l'École du Magasin, Console, Paris.

Cneai x Gravelines =, Musée du dessin et de l'estampe originale de Gravelines.

Some Things Brought to Hand, Les Livres de Paris Photo 2006, Florence Loewy, Carrousel du Louvre, Paris.

Some... Time... Waiting, www.sometimewaiting.co.uk, cur. Adam Carr.

Atlas, Salon du livre, Paris, (conception and realization : Daniel Lesbaches).

2005

Editions/artists' books '05, Florence Loewy, Starrett Lehigh Building, New York.

Utopia Station : on a road to permanent demonstration, World Social Forum, Porto Alegre, cur. Molly Nesbit, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Rirkrit Tiravanija, invitation by Nico Dockx.

2004

Salon des éditeurs light, cneai, Point Éphémère, Paris, cur. Sylvie Boulanger et Pascal Yonet.

Guardare, Raccontare, Pensare, Conservare, Quatre parcours du livre d'artiste des années soixante à aujourd'hui, Casa del Mantegna, Mantoue.

Voyageur Universel, Städtische Galerie, Palais Stutterheim, Erlangen.

Artist's publications

En position, published by Fondation d'entreprise Ricard, 2006

Cahier Clairefontaine, published by Cneai, Chatou, 2006

[Supplement], published by Cneai, Chatou, 2006

Thirtysix Fire Stations, 2004

Writings and artistic contributions

Strictement référentiel, in Strictement Confidentiel. From the collection of Marc and Josée Gensollen, exhibition catalogue, éd. Centre international d'art et du paysage de l'île de Vassivière / Silvana Editoriale, Milan, 2006

Serial Readers : fortune et infortune des livres d'Edward Ruscha, Revue d'esthétique, n° 47, sous la direction d'Anne M?glin-Delcroix et Leszek Brogowski (to be published)

Notes, in Jérôme Saint-Loubert Bié. Documents, Paris, Atelier Cardenas Bellanger / École des beaux-arts de Rennes, 2006

Books do furnish a room, in Un art de lecteurs, Rennes, éd. A&E, 2005

60 grams, 1680 grams of art, Paris, M19, 2006

Pages blanches, in Cneai = neuf ans, éd. Cneai, Chatou / Hyx, Orléans, 2006

Supplement, Multitudes, n° 26, spécial Transmission, coédition Multitudes, Cneai, Villa Arson, 2006

Fellowships and residencies

Cité des Arts, Paris, 2007-2008

Galerie La Box, Bourges, janvier - mars 2007

Maison Flottante, Cneai, Chatou, hiver 2007

Aide individuelle à la création, Ministère de la culture - DRAC Bretagne, 2006

Bibliography

Bibliography

Press (selection)

2009

Artpress, Yann Sérandour by Jean-Marc Huitorel, p.88, N°353, février.

Beaux Arts Magazine, Dossier 10 jeunes artistes: Yann Sérandour, Fraîcheur conceptuelle by Emmanuelle Lequeux, p.53; Février

Artforum International, Review: Yann Sérandour by Lilain Davies, XLVII, N°6, p204-205, Feb.

2008

on line, Retours d’expositions Yann Sérandour Weiss, gb agency

Keith, N°06 annonce Yann Sérandour, gb agency

Le Monde, Yann Sérandour by Emmanuelle Lequeux, 6 décembre.

Les Inrockuptibles, ‘Yann Sérandour’ by Jean-Max Colard, 25nov-1er dec, N°678

2007

02 Revue d’art contemporain, N°44, hiver 2007-08, p. 12, Anachronismes et autres manipulations spatio-temporelles, par Anne Langlois

CatalogueInformación contra información, catalogue de l'exposition, pp. 190-191, CGAC/Xunta de Galicia, 2007.

Canadian Architect, Thirtysix Fire Stations, par Sophie Gironnay, Sept. 2007

Le Devoir, 11-12 août, Les flammes d'une ville, par Jérôme Delgado.

Les Inrockuptibles, n°602, 12 juin, p 77, Pile ou Face, par Jean-Max Colard.

Frog Magazine, n°5, printemps/été, pp 87-89, Yann Sérandour, Cneai, Chatou, par Pierre Tillet.

Art Review, The Moment You Realise You Are Lost, par Astrid Mania.

ArtForum Critics' Picks, The Moment You Realise You Are Lost, par Eva Scharrer.

02, revue d'art contemporain, n°41, printemps, p 43, Yann Sérandour, Conteur d'Art Conceptuel, par Sammy Engramer.

Art 21, n°12, printemps, Vivement Lundi!, par Aurélien Mole.

2006

Incipit, catalogue de l'expositon, Entretien avec Yann Sérandour, par Charlotte Laubard, Fondation d'Entreprise Ricard, Paris.

Catalogues and Press articles

Click on the underlined parts to download the texts in pdf

Catalogue (selection)

2007

Informacion contra informacion, catalogue of exhibition, CGAC / Xunta de Galicia, (english).

Press (selection)

2009

Art on Paper, english, "Yann Sérandour : Weiss at gb agency, Paris", text by Chris Sharp, March/April.

Beaux Arts Magazine, french, "Yann Sérandour : Fraîcheur conceptuelle", text by Emmanuelle Lequeux, February.

Art Press, #353, french, "Yann Sérandour à gb agency", text by Jean-Marc Huitorel, February.

Artforum International, english, "Yann Sérandour at gb agency", text by Lillian Davies, February.

2008

Le Monde, french, "Yann Sérandour, gb agency", text by Emmanuelle Lequeux, December 6.

Les Inrockuptibles, #678, french, "Yann Sérandour", text by Jean-Max Colard, November 25 / December 1.

2007

Canadian Architect, english, "Thirty-Six Fire Stations", text by Sophie Gironnay, September.

Le Devoir, french, "Les flammes d'une ville", text by Jérôme Delgado, August 11-12.

Frog Magazine, #5, french, "Yann Sérandour, Cneai, Chatou", text by Pierre Tillet, Spring/Summer.

02, revue d'art contemporain, #41, french, "Yann Sérandour, Conteur d'Art Conceptuel", text by Sammy Engramer, Spring.

Works

Weiss

A selection of publications from the overflow of gb agency's archive is propped against the wall in loose stacks. Extracting the surplus material from this already superflous collection, I cut out all of the blank or nearly blank pages to create an accordion-fold leaflet. The cover of the booklet comes from the catalogue from the 2001 group show "Weiss" at the Museum für Gegenwartskunst Basel

A selection of publications from the overflow of gb agency's archive is propped against the wall in loose stacks. Extracting the surplus material from this already superflous collection, I cut out all of the blank or nearly blank pages to create an accordion-fold leaflet. The cover of the booklet comes from the catalogue from the 2001 group show "Weiss" at the Museum für Gegenwartskunst Basel

Yucatan Mirror Displacements (1-9)

Cutting out each of the mirrors Robert Smithson pictured in various mexican landscapes for his Yucatan mirror displacements series, the modified images are placed over shiny new mirrors.

Cutting out each of the mirrors Robert Smithson pictured in various mexican landscapes for his Yucatan mirror displacements series, the modified images are placed over shiny new mirrors.

Portrait of a Young Man Reading a Magazine for Men

Found photograph from the 1930s tucked into a corner of a rectangular mirror. The young man in the photograph bears a strong resemblance to me. The magazine he is reading, Esquire, is still in print.

Found photograph from the 1930s tucked into a corner of a rectangular mirror. The young man in the photograph bears a strong resemblance to me. The magazine he is reading, Esquire, is still in print.

Le Plein

The classified catalog of the contents of the reconstruction of Arman's packed gallery space is plastered onto the gallery's wall. The reconscruction was done for the exhibition Hors Limites in Centre Pompidou in 1994 while the original gesture was done in 1960 at Iris Clert Gallery in Paris. The reconstruction is permanently exhibited at the Musée de l'objet in Blois.

The classified catalog of the contents of the reconstruction of Arman's packed gallery space is plastered onto the gallery's wall. The reconscruction was done for the exhibition Hors Limites in Centre Pompidou in 1994 while the original gesture was done in 1960 at Iris Clert Gallery in Paris. The reconstruction is permanently exhibited at the Musée de l'objet in Blois.

Titled (Art as Idea as Idea) [Kosuth]

This expansion of the biographical note consecrated to Joseph Kosuth in an art dictionary was produced according to the model of his Photostats at the end of the 1960s, turning the reflexivity of the initial proposition back against its author.

This expansion of the biographical note consecrated to Joseph Kosuth in an art dictionary was produced according to the model of his Photostats at the end of the 1960s, turning the reflexivity of the initial proposition back against its author.

This expansion of the biographical note consecrated to Joseph Kosuth in an art dictionary was produced according to the model of his Photostats at the end of the 1960s, turning the reflexivity of the initial proposition back against its author.

This expansion of the biographical note consecrated to Joseph Kosuth in an art dictionary was produced according to the model of his Photostats at the end of the 1960s, turning the reflexivity of the initial proposition back against its author.

This expansion of the biographical note consecrated to Joseph Kosuth in an art dictionary was produced according to the model of his Photostats at the end of the 1960s, turning the reflexivity of the initial proposition back against its author.

This expansion of the biographical note consecrated to Joseph Kosuth in an art dictionary was produced according to the model of his Photostats at the end of the 1960s, turning the reflexivity of the initial proposition back against its author.

This expansion of the biographical note consecrated to Joseph Kosuth in an art dictionary was produced according to the model of his Photostats at the end of the 1960s, turning the reflexivity of the initial proposition back against its author.

Perfect Lovers

A clockwork mechanism is installed behind the poster of the show Felix Gonzalez-Torres in the CGAC (Santiago de Compostela) in 1995/1996, showing the current time on the right clock.

A clockwork mechanism is installed behind the poster of the show Felix Gonzalez-Torres in the CGAC (Santiago de Compostela) in 1995/1996, showing the current time on the right clock.

Inside the White Cube

Eighteen copies of Inside the White Cube by Brian O’Doherty inserted in a cubic slipcase.

Eighteen copies of Inside the White Cube by Brian O’Doherty inserted in a cubic slipcase.

Fantômes (écrits d'artistes)

This sign has been engraved from the handwritten sign COMPLET (no vacancy) taped to the front door of the hotel Les Acacias (Montpellier), even though it was empty. Multiple published on the occasion of the exhibition Pendant l’exposition, l’hôtel vide affichera complet [During the Exhibition, the Empty Hotel Will Display ‘No Vacancy’] at the galerie Vasistas, Montpellier (March 16 – April 28, 2007).

Complet

Neon sign created from the handwritten sign COMPLET (no vacancy) taped to the front door of the hotel Les Acacias (Montpellier), even though it was empty. It was made on the occasion of the exhibition Pendant l’exposition, l’hôtel vide affichera complet [During the Exhibition, the Empty Hotel Will Display ‘No Vacancy’] at the galerie Vasistas, Montpellier (March 16 – April 28, 2007).

Neon sign created from the handwritten sign COMPLET (no vacancy) taped to the front door of the hotel Les Acacias (Montpellier), even though it was empty. It was made on the occasion of the exhibition Pendant l’exposition, l’hôtel vide affichera complet [During the Exhibition, the Empty Hotel Will Display ‘No Vacancy’] at the galerie Vasistas, Montpellier (March 16 – April 28, 2007).

Untitled (Daniel Buren essay on John Knight's Leetsoii exhibition)

Wallpaper made from a 90° counter-clockwise rotation of Daniel Buren’s essay published on the occasion of the John Knight’s Leetsoii exhibition (Hoshour Gallery, Albuquerque Dec. 1988). Essay republished in: Daniel Buren, Les Écrits, vol. III (Bordeaux: CAPC Musée d’art contemporain de Bordeaux, 1991), p. 309-21

Wallpaper made from a 90° counter-clockwise rotation of Daniel Buren's essay published on the occasion of the John Knight's Leetsoii exhibition (Hoshour Gallery, Albuquerque, Dec. 1988). Essay republished in Daniel Buren, Les Ecrits, vol. III (Bordeaux: CAPC Musée d'art contemporain de Bordeaux, 1991), pp. 309-321.

Wallpaper made from a 90° counter-clockwise rotation of Daniel Buren's essay published on the occasion of the John Knight's Leetsoii exhibition (Hoshour Gallery, Albuquerque, Dec. 1988). Essay republished in Daniel Buren, Les Ecrits, vol. III (Bordeaux: CAPC Musée d'art contemporain de Bordeaux, 1991), pp. 309-321.

Appendix to “One and Two Chairs” 

Joseph Kosuth's work One and three Chairs (1965, coll. MNAM, Paris), reproduced on page 551 of an encyclopaedia of art was cropped and wrongly captioned "One and Two Chairs". An appendix to the edge of this page has been glued, which replaces to the missing definition of the word Chair, an empty space that may be mentally filled.

Jospeh Kosuth's work One and Three Chairs (1965, coll. MNAM, Paris), reproduced on page 551 of an encyclopaedia of art was cropped and wrongly captioned "One and Two Chairs". An appendix to the edge of this page has been glued, which replaces to the missing definition of the word Chair, an empty space that may be mentally filled.

Jospeh Kosuth's work One and Three Chairs (1965, coll. MNAM, Paris), reproduced on page 551 of an encyclopaedia of art was cropped and wrongly captioned "One and Two Chairs". An appendix to the edge of this page has been glued, which replaces to the missing definition of the word Chair, an empty space that may be mentally filled.

Feux Pâles

The dust jacket of the catalogue of the exhibition Feux Pâles kept at the Bibliothèque Kandinsky of the Musée National d’Art Moderne (Centre Pompidou, Paris) has faded from exposure to sunlight and shows the shadowy presence of other books stacked on it.

The dust jacket of the catalogue of the exhibition Feux Pâles kept at the Bibliothèque Kandinsky of the Musée National d’Art Moderne (Centre Pompidou, Paris) has faded from exposure to sunlight and shows the shadowy presence of other books stacked on it.

L'Espace, lui-même

Enlargement of the space reproduced on the first page of Dimanche, the newspaper of a single day published by Yves Klein on Sunday, November 27, 1960.

Enlargement of the space reproduced on the first page of Dimanche, the newspaper of a single day published by Yves Klein on Sunday, November 27, 1960.

Helvetica as Metallica

The inversion of two radically opposed visual identities. Helvetica is a font created in 1957 by the Swiss graphic designer Max Miedinger (1910–1980) for the Haas Type Foundry in Basel. Metallica is an American heavy metal group formed in 1981 in Los Angeles.

The inversion of two radically opposed visual identities. Helvetica is a font created in 1957 by the Swiss graphic designer Max Miedinger (1910–1980) for the Haas Type Foundry in Basel. Metallica is an American heavy metal group formed in 1981 in Los Angeles.

Le Code du petit beurre LU, relu

Bookstack

A pile of found books whose titles play with the common phrase “A Needle in a Haystack”. The stack grows when a new title is found and takes its place on the top of the pile.

A pile of found books whose titles play with the common phrase “A Needle in a Haystack”. The stack grows when a new title is found and takes its place on the top of the pile.

Tableau suisse

After having bought three of the 1000 "Made in China" red monochroms by Raphaël Julliard during the Fiac 2005 at Art & Public – Cabinet PH, Geneva, I asked a Swiss Studio to cover them with a white cross to get three "Made in Switzerland" paintings.

After having bought three of the 1000 "Made in China" red monochroms by Raphaël Julliard during the Fiac 2005 at Art & Public – Cabinet PH, Geneva, I asked a Swiss Studio to cover them with a white cross to get three "Made in Switzerland" paintings.

I Will Not Make Any More Boring Art

Low

Publication

Inside the White Cube - Overprinted Edition

This publication functions as a palimpsest: constructed on the reprint of the first French translation of Brian O'Doherty's influential book "Inside the White Cube" (published by JRP|Ringier in the series Lectures Maison Rouge), it superimposes reproductions and commentaries of Yann Sérandour's work.

Yann Sérandour's interstitial and mimetic proposals stem from pre-existing works or publications, whose meaning and problematics are thus reactivated. Inscribing himself in a conceptual heritage, the artist is prolonging historical gestures or manifestations by infiltrating and parasiting them. This practice of "détournement" is a way of reviving the (sometimes latent) stakes and significations of appropriated elements, as well as a way to interrogate their historical, political, and aesthetic dimensions.