A spatial installation where a figure statue perfectly merges into white waves, 2007.

Dramatic figure installations filled with tension and imaginative space—figures falling from the sky, 2007.

Surreal sketch works, 2007. Daniel Arsham's "Playground" solo exhibition: On view at Emmanuel Perrotin Gallery from December 15 to January 12, 2008. Born in 1980, Daniel Arsham is a contemporary American artist of the new generation, living and working in Miami and New York. Having been born in Miami, he moves through various major US cities, naturally maintaining an intimate relationship with modern architecture. The concept of "architecture" naturally surrounds his exploration; he views architecture as synonymous with eternity, power, and weight. His early works leaned toward the mystery of architecture itself, placing modern buildings in inexplicable scenes such as barren mountains, caves, cliffs, and icebergs, constructing a unique world often presented through painting and sculptural installations. For this Paris solo exhibition, Arsham specifically adopted the theme of "Playground," expanding the architectural concept into an extraordinary scene presented in two main types of works: sculptural environmental installations and sketch series. The artist here considers surface as a means to dissolve space: floors, ceilings, and walls. Particularly innovative, through white environmental spatial installations, he creates an extraordinary architectural difference. White waves fold upon white walls; these undulating or swelling white forms resemble curtains. Figure statues perfectly merge into these waves, much like folds in clothing. In the center of the gallery, a figure wrapped in white wave-like folds reveals only dark brown pants and shoes. More dramatically, on the ceiling, a sleeping figure with limbs spread out is wrapped in a white sheet, creating the sensation of falling from above when viewed from the floor. The white wave folds on the clean white walls resemble exquisite evening gowns, blending into the wall within the monochrome palette, providing an illusion of transitional space and constructing a fluid and mobile architectural feast. The new series of pen-and-ink sketches titled "Natural Architecture" draws inspiration from classical engravings. Using line drawing techniques, the artist constructs architectural structures within nature, juxtaposing human limbs or natural architectural objects against grand landscapes or rigorous built environments, forming absurd scenes. Notably, many are presented as pairs of identical images, exploring possibilities of replication through varying techniques, full of magic and poetry.