Museum Forms: Paul Clemence, Julien Spiewak

A visit to an exhibition of photographer Paul Clemence’s work in the Swiss consulate in New York led to a dialog-inspired show in Geneva, Switzerland.

Curator Luciana Solano sent a proposal and a review of the show to gallery Espace L, owned by Leticia Maciel, in Geneva. “The gallery said: ‘Oh, wonderful – we like your approach and we’ll put them in dialog with an artist,’” she says.

And they did, pairing eight of Clemence’s prints on aluminum up with artist Julien Spiewak’s works on paper.

Clemence likes the pairings. “Spiewak’s work could be said to be the complete opposite of mine,” he says. “My images are mostly exteriors, modern or contemporary structures, and devoid of people.”

Spiewak’s, on the other hand, are take in historical museums, inside with a beautifully placed human body part somewhere in the photo. “The resulting juxtaposition made for a very stimulating contrast,” he says.

The exhibition, “Museum Forms,” establishes a dialog between Clemence, a native of Brazil, and Spiewak, a native of France. It’s about the perception of space inside and outside international museums. In this context, space is visualized as incorporating both interior and exterior architectural components.

Museums have been an ongoing theme for Clemence’s and Spiewak’s work throughout their careers.

Clemence is an award-winning photographer, artist and filmmaker exploring the cross-sections of design, art and architecture. He exhibits in the international fine arts circuit, from classic black-and-white prints to cutting-edge large scale photographic urban installation, participating in events such as Fuori Salone in Milan, ArtBasel/DesignMiami and the Venice Architecture Biennale.

Spiewak graduated with a Master of photography (Paris VIII University). He lives and works in Paris, and his works are part of public and private collections in France, Switzerland, USA, South Korea, and Brazil.

The exhibition opened on Nov. 8 and closes on Dec. 22.

For more, go here.

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