This autumn, Château La Coste presents a new exhibition by the Danish artist, Jeppe Hein.
Hein is widely known for interactive, experiential art that draws on minimal aesthetics, technology and a witty sense of humor.
After spending some time at Château La Coste in 2016 and again in the spring of 2017, Hein has proposed to re-organise the gallery space, designed by French architect, Jean-Michel Wilmotte. Partly inspired by the different routes and options that visitors find around La Coste, Hein has broken up this volumous, “white cube” space into a series of smaller spaces. In doing so, it presents visitors with various choices and experiences along the way, as is suggested by the exhibition title.
Throughout this journey, visitors encounter different works by Hein, including new pieces fabricated for this exhibition. At first glance, these works appears playful, while various art historical references indicate Hein’s knowledge of the wider discourse in which he participates. How- ever, at the heart of Hein’s practice is an overwhelmingly positive outlook on human nature.
Some works appeal to our senses, such as “Smells like ... Stillhet”, a scent developed by the artist to be diffused in the exhibition space. Oth- er works demand physical interaction, as in the maze entitled “Your Way”. In each instance, the visitor not only activates the work, but finds himself as the actual subject. There are also clear influences from Eastern cultures, including references to yoga and Zen Buddhism.
Overall, the exhibition offers a moment to reflect on the function of art in relation to both a shared, social moment and our individual health in the broadest sense. This epicurean focus on pleasure and the senses, and the parcour of the exhibition create an interesting dialogue with the environment at Château La Coste.
Born in Copenhagen in 1974, Jeppe Hein lives and works in Berlin. He studied at both the Royal Danish Academy of Arts and the Städel Hochschule für Bildende Künste in Frankfurt am Main. Recent major solo exhibitions include the Kistefos-Museet, Jevnaker, Norway (2016), the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia (2016 ); the Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, Germany (2015) and Brooklyn Bridge Park, New York, USA (2015). In France, Hein has had solo shows at the LiFE, Saint-Nazaire (2014), Atelier Calder, Saché (2009), FRAC Île-de-France / Théâtre National de Chaillot, Paris (2009) and Carré d’Art de Nîmes (2007). He has also made notable collaborations with artists such as Dan Graham (Rüdiger Schöttle Gallery, Munich, 2008) and Larry Bell (Galerie Daniel Templon, Paris, 2010).
Curated by Luise Faurschou