Michel François (BELGIAN, B. 1956)

Michel François uses a range of materials and methods, combining industrial and natural objects in his installations and videos. He refers to everyday customs and habits in an associative manner without detracting from their general validity. According to François, we can become poetically acquainted with the world around us through our aesthetic experiences. He shares the Arte Povera mentality for materials devoid of artistic meaning, revealing their inherent sculptural and aesthetic qualities without negating their original functions. Franois' video work is often based on the isolation of interludes, tiny events and movements, and the engraving of tiny sculptures in real time. His work was show in the exhibition Manure, Nettles, and Dandelions, Witte de With, Rotterdam (1997). More recently he has had solo exhibitions at SMAK, Ghent (2009); Thomas Dane, London (2008); MC Project, Los Angeles (2008); Gallery Bortolami, New York (2008) and Witte de With IFFR, Rotterdam (2005). Group exhibitions include Documenta IX, Kassel (1992); and the XXII São Paulo Biennial, São Paulo (1994). Since January 1996, Michel Franç ois has been a guest instructor at the Rijksakademie voor Beeldende Kunst in Amsterdam.