ARCHIVE EVENT 12.
30.03.2023
LOCATION: MOLT, Tempelhofer Ufer 1A, BERLIN
FORMAT: Solo Exhibition
CURATOR: MOLT TEAM
ARTISTS: Oliver Thillaye
Pareal (ambient set)
DIFFERENT MEMORIES OF STONE, OLIVIER THILLAYE PRESENTS HIS PHOTOGRAPHIC AND ILLUSTRATED COLLECTION OF ROCKS AND STONES IN A RETROSPECTIVE. HIS RESEARCH APPROACH RECALLS AN ECHO OF COLLECTING AND ANALYZING MATTER THROUGH DIFFERENT MEDIUMS: FROM THE GATHERING OF THE ROCK ITSELF, TO HIS PHOTOGRAPHY BOTH IN SITU AND ISOLATED, TO HIS VIRTUOSO HYPER-REALISTIC TRANSPOSITION IN PENCIL ON PAPER, TO HIS LASER PRINTING ON STAINLESS STEEL PLATES.
BORN IN ANGOULÊME ON 10 AUGUST 1953, OLIVIER THILLAYE'S WORLD WAS FILLED WITH STONE EXTRACTED FROM OPEN-CAST QUARRIES AND THEN MELTED IN THE LIME KILNS RUN BY HIS FATHER. FOLLOWING IN THE FAMILY FOOTSTEPS, AT THE AGE OF FIVE HE ARRIVED IN SOUTHERN TOURAINE, ON THE BANKS OF THE VIENNE, AT ANOTHER LIMESTONE EXTRACTION SITE. THE BEAUTY OF THE NATURAL ROCK LEFT A LASTING IMPRESSION ON HIS EYES. DRAWING, STONE-CUTTING, PHOTOGRAPHY, SCULPTURE AND MODELING, HIS ARTISTIC INSPIRATIONS HAVE BEEN INVARIABLY LINKED TO MINERALS EVER SINCE.
WITH HIS DEBUT AT MOLT, THILLAYE PRESENTS A RICH COLLECTION OF IMAGES AND MEMORIES ETERNALLY SCULPTED IN PAPER, STEEL, AND, FINALLY, STONE.