For the first time in France, the works of Canadian artist David Altmejd will be exhibited at “Le Magasin”, with an installation originally conceived for the Denver Contemporary Art Museum (October 28 2007 – May 11 2008), which was then added to the collection of Walter Vanhaerents in Brussels.

The installation consists of six sculptures, each several meters in height. Each sculpture has a schematic base composed of geometric forms, culminating in a biomorphic composite of a werewolf; the legendary half-man, half-beast, emblematic of the oxymoron with which Altmejd’s work plays. The giant sculptures are also symbolic in the materials used. Cold glass and metal, the artist’s favored materials, contrast with natural elements or residues from living materials. The sculptures will be installed in the central gallery, with a labyrinthine hallway covered in mirrors leading to and from the installation.

As a Visual Arts student at the University of Quebec in Montreal, David Altmejd is interested in the biological sciences. His works reflect this, as well as many references to cinema and science fiction. He developed his own “personal mythology” from these references which he displays. “From the beginning, I wanted to do something completely different, completely bizarre, and at the same time very seductive, at a time when being seductive isn’t really in fashion. Some say that it isn’t art’s role to be seductive. But why can films be visually magnificent, and not sculpture?” – David Altmejd.

Born in 1974 in Montreal, David Altmejd lives and works in London and New York City. In 2007 he exhibited at the Biennial in Venise in the Canadian Pavillion, and at the UQAM Gallery in Montreal. He also exhibits at the Gallery of Modern Art in London and thee Andrea Rosen Gallery in New York City.

Selected bibliography:
- David Altmejd, “A Brillant Idea”, -Cristallized-, New York, Vol.2005, n°6, printemps-été 2005, p.15.
- Louise Déry, Catalogue de l’exposition David Altmejd,Métamorphose/Métamorphosis, Galerie de
l'UQAM, Montréal, 2007.