“Light is not so much something that reveals, as it is itself the revelation.” These are the words of renowned artist James Turrell. In the 1960s, he was part of the Light and Space movement, a group who used light as a method to explore perception. In the past 60 years, there have been countless practitioners who have experimented with the medium. For example, Dan Flavin’s manipulation of fluorescent tubes and Jenny Holzer’s LED writing, both of which employ light as a sculptural tool. Fast forward to today, and technology has allowed the manipulation of light and motion to craft immersive environments, like the wildly popular spaces made by Japanese art collective teamLab.
Now, De Renava, non-profit institution is dedicated to the pro- motion of Corsican cultural heritage, takes light as the focus of its latest exhibition. Plein Soleil is delivered in partnership with Centre Pompidou, sharing 20 works from the Parisian gallery’s collection. The artists included in the show are household names like Judy Chicago and Laurent Grasso, as well as Robert Irwin, who was a pivotal contributor to the Light and Space movement.
Ange Leccia’s Le Baiser (1985 – 2024), made of two switched- on spotlights, placed face-to-face, is also on display. The heat and energy of the beams acts as a metaphor for the intensity of two lovers meeting. It forms part of a wider programme from De Renava. The organisation invites institutions from across the Mediterranean to present pieces from their collection to form a dialogue with Corsica’s rich cultural history. Plein Soleil speaks to the meaningful new perspectives borne out of collaboration.
Plein Soleil is at caserne Montlaur, Bonifacio from 28 June until 4 October: derenava-art.com
Image credits:
Ange Leccia, Arrangement, Le baiser 1985, Photo Marc Domage.
©Louis Maurel, Bonifacio, De Renava(3).
Audoin Dollfus, Vol 30 mars 1960, caméra horizontale, 1960.
