APRIL 26, 2024 GRACE EBERT

“Rideau” (2020), in situ installation at Théâtre Graslin, Nantes, France, water, pumps, pond installation in situ. Photo © Martin Argyroglo, courtesy of the artist and Galerie Aline Vidal.

Paris-based artist Stéphane Thidet invites viewers into wondrous worlds that skew perceptions and distort the laws of physics.

Paris-based artist Stéphane Thidet invites viewers into wondrous worlds that skew perceptions and distort the laws of physics: a small wooden boat appears to arise from hard planks, flat stones nest inside a bookcase where paper tomes once stood, and water cascades from a Nantes theater making it impossible to enter without being drenched. Crafted with familiar materials and subject matter, Thidet’s site-specific installations and sculptures twist common scenes into unexpected territories.

Explore an archive of the artist’s work on his website.

“La Crue” (2010), poplar wood, nails, variable dimensions. Photo © Galerie Aline Vidal courtesy of the artist and Galerie Aline Vidal Collection MAC VAL

“Il n’est pas de nouveau monde” (2023), wood and steel, 300 x 550 x 400 centimeters. Photo © Cité internationale de la langue Française, courtesy of the artist and Galerie Aline Vidal

More: Stéphane Thidet Challenges Physics and Social Norms in His Site-Specific Installations — Colossal