Xavier Veilhan "Furtivo" Solo Exhibition

Lithophanie White Clouds series. Each piece 164x122x47 cm, 2008. Xavier Veilhan's solo exhibition "Furtivo" is on display at Emmanuel Perrotin Gallery from March 15 to April 26. Born in 1963, Xavier Veilhan is one of France's most representative contemporary artists. His innovative art, which directly incorporates everyday objects or symbols, aligns with peers such as Pierre Bismuth, Pierre Huyghe, Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster, Franck Scurti, and Alain Sechas. His extensive imagery of objects is built upon diverse encyclopedic images, processed through unusual modern technology (3D digital imaging techniques), updating traditional materials and colors to form new sculptural-objects. He attempts to establish a holistic perception of images as narrators of possibilities, questioning the manifestation of different systems and perceptions of reality. The artist often states he is a traditional artist because all his works fall under the category of "sculptural-objects," mastering the era's perception and extraordinary poetry within the most advanced techniques. As Christine Macel notes, "His works are simultaneously outdated and technical, echoing between tradition and the ultra-contemporary."

Titled "Furtivo," meaning "stealthy" or equivalent to the English word "Stealth"—which is also the name of a ship recently featured in a film by Xavier Veilhan—the exhibition connects to this cinematic world. It cites an innovative dream journey across land and sea, conveyed through his favored photography, sculptural-objects, and installations. In the first gallery space stands a rectangular gray "Air Hockey Table," an arcade installation where the table sways left and right, and the internal pucks roll accordingly, operating within the logic of the object. Beside it, a large photograph titled "Marey" presents the silhouette of a kendo practitioner without a sword, backlit. Another small sculpture, "Vibrqtion Amish," clearly appropriates the image of a covered wagon from American Western films, presenting a new perception through vibrating curves.

In another gallery space, a monumental shark (5 meters long) appears in smooth white bronze and three-dimensional forms, echoing a shared imagination reaching deep into consciousness. Most striking is the new Lithophanie series, featuring silkscreened clouds on transparent glass, illuminated from behind by a series of candles, revealing an extraordinary spiritual or dreamlike landscape under solemn and sacred lighting. Finally, a unique pendant lamp hangs in mid-air, with a giant wooden wagon wheel lit by a series of candles, evoking scenes or plots from the film Stealth, guiding viewers into an extraordinary imaginative space and dramatic narrative.