Steel Life is a solo exhibition by Belgian artist Arnaud Rivieren based in Dubai that is on display at Custot Gallery. It follows his previous show, Natural Sublime (2022), also hosted by Custot Gallery. The current exhibition presents new organic forms created by the artist using new production techniques, thus adding a new layer of complexity and depth to his work. The show will be open to the public the 19th of July, 2024.
On view are14 sculptures by Rivieren, including both new and existing pieces, all crafted from stainless steel, his preferred medium. They invite visitors to explore the thematic evolution in Rivieren’s work. With recognisable organic shapes, the pieces evoke a sense of distorted and dissonant memory, creating a dialogue with inert nature. The development of material complexity in Rivieren’s art is highlighted in works such as Acorn (2023) or Pine Cone (2023). Created utilising new treatments of steel, they boast interlocking textures, bringing life to the industrial material.
Rivieren’s work in Steel Life shifts focus from the fading sublime of nature to an exploration of life in stillness. His sculptures shaped by natural forms grow out of their steel origins to symbolise individuality.
About the artist
Arnaud Rivieren (b. 1966, Brussels, Belgium), who has been living and working in Dubai since 2002, is a contemporary self-taught sculptor described as an expert in spatial and dynamic sciences. To produce minimal works, he repurposes discarded industrial scrap. His experience in the oil and gas field (Rivieren has worked as a general manager in this industry) deeply informs his art practice, teaching him the various properties of metals and alloys as well as industrial finishing techniques.
Having set up his foundry near a scrapyard in Jebel Ali, it is where Rivieren looks for source material: tubular steel, aluminium, iron beams, and barrels. He employs different steel crafting techniques, such as bending, contorting, and twisting, to transform them into large-scale outdoor sculptures. The resulting pieces reveal new shapes, forms, and purposes that contradict the rigid function of the initial materials.
Rivieren, who draws his inspiration from the world of nature, is famous for his series of giant fruits and vegetables; he also monumentalises stones and trees. His work creates a dialogue between organic natural elements and recycled industrial materials.
The artist has displayed his creations in a number of solo and collective exhibitions held at La Galerie Nationale (Dubai, 2017 and 2014); Gallery Isabelle van den Eynde (Dubai, 2017 and 2016); LKFF (Brussels, 2011); Gallery Leila Heller (New York, USA, 2009); and B21 Gallery (Dubai, 2008 and 2006), among others. In 2012, Rivieren’s installation Paper Plane was part of the Art in the City programme by Art Brussels. His artworks were also showcased in the Belgian Pavilion at Shanghai World Expo (2010) and featured in the 1st and 2nd iterations of Bastakiya Art Fair (Sikka Art Fair).
Rivieren’s art pieces have been acquired by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, Masdar (UAE), Fondation Herpain (Brussels), Randolph Hearst Collection (USA), and the Abu Dhabi Executive Office.
To get more information about Steel Life, please visit Custot Gallery’s official website.
In addition, you might be interested in visiting the open-air Sculpture Museum in Jeddah. We also recommend that you have a look at Formation III: The Dappled Light of the Sun by Conrad Shawcross.
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