• Michel Blazy, E133, 2023. Colorant alimentaire E133, eau, sur carton plume / Food coloring E133, water, on cardboard. 100 × 140 cm (39 ⅜ × 55 ⅛ inches). Photo Romain Darnaud. Courtesy the Artist and Art : Concept, Paris.
  • View of the exhibition organized by Michel Blazy and the MAE master’s program at the Art & Essai gallery, 2023. Photo : Zélia Bajaj
  • Vue d’exposition / Installation view, « Le palais de mémoire – Focus sur la scène française avec le prix Marcel Duchamp », Art Safari 11, Bucarest, 09.02 – 14.05.2023. Crédit photo : Andrei Mărgulescu
  • Vue d’exposition / Installation view, Michel Blazy, Six Pieds sur terre. Une exposition pour les pieds, Le Portique, Le Havre, 2022. Photo © Le Portique, Le Havre
  • Vue d’exposition / Installation view Lignes de fuite, CIAP Vassivière, 2022. Photo : © Aurélien Mole
  • Vue d’exposition / Installation view Lignes de fuite, CIAP Vassivière, 2022. Photo : © Aurélien Mole
  • Vue d’exposition / Installation view, Michel Blazy, Mur de double concentré de tomates, 2009-2022, FRUITING BODIES, 2022, TANYA BONAKDAR GALLERY, NEW YORK/US
  • Michel Blazy, Tapis d’accueil, 2021, organic coconut rope, glass, water, plants, Variable dimensions. Courtesy of the artist and Art : Concept, Paris
  • Exhibition view Nothing is lost. Art and Matter in Transformation, GAMeC, Bergamo, 2021. Photo: Antonio Maniscalco. Courtesy GAMeC – Galleria d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Bergamo
  • Exhibition view Children Power. Frac Ile-de-France, Le Plateau, 2021. Photo Martin Argyroglo. Courtesy of the artist and Art : Concept, Paris
  • Installation view, Michel Blazy & Enzo Mianes, On loop, Curator: Pietro Della Giustina, In extenso, Clermont-Ferrand/FR, 2021. Courtesy In extenso © Ludovic Combe
  • Décanalisation, 2019. Metal, plants, soil, water, 23 5/8 x 27 1/2 x 9 1/2 in.
  • Installation View, We Were the Robots, Moody Center for Contemporary Arts, Houston, TX, 25 janvier – 18 mai, 2019 © Nash Baker
  • Sans titre, 2018, chaussure de sport, plantes, terre, eau, 13 3/8 x 5 1/2 x 9 1/2 in
  • Installation View, Timeline, galerie des ponchettes, MAMAC, Nice, 2018, © MAMAC, ADAGP.
  • Installation View Detail, Timeline, galerie des Ponchettes, MAMAC, Nice, 2018 © ADAGP
  • Installation View, Timeline, galerie des ponchettes, MAMAC, Nice, 2018, © MAMAC, ADAGP.
  • Installation View, Timeline, galerie des Ponchettes, MAMAC, Nice, 2018 © ADAGP
  • Installation View, Last Garden, Temple du Goût, Nantes, 2018 (part of Le Voyage à Nantes). Photo: Martin Argyroglo
  • E133-7, 2018, Food coloring E133, salt, water, mortadella, on cardboard, 19 5/8 x 25 3/8 in. Photo: Claire Dorn
  • E133-5, 2018
    Food coloring E133, food preservative, salt, water, on cardboard
    25 3/8 x 19 5/8 in.
    Photo: Claire Dorn
  • Installation View, The God Trick, PAV Parco Arte Vivente, Turin, 2018. © PAV
  • Installation View, Michel Blazy, Art : Concept, Paris, 2017. Photo: Claire Dorn
  • Installation View, Michel Blazy, Art : Concept, Paris, 2017. Photo: Claire Dorn
  • Acqua Alta, exhibited in Viva Arte Viva, 57th International Art Exhibition – La biennale di Venezia, Venice, 2017. Photo: Andrea Avezzù
  • Acqua Alta (details), exhibited in Viva Arte Viva, 57th International Art Exhibition – La biennale di Venezia, Venice, 2017. Photo: Andrea Avezzù
  • Installation View, Michel Blazy: Living Room, Museo d’Arte Provincia di Nuoro, Nuoro, 2016. Photo: Ivan Capra
  • Havainitas 1, 2016, plastic, moss, glass,11 x 15 x 8 1/4 in. Photo: Claire Dorn
  • Living Sculpture, 2014, Tree, gold leaf, dimensions variable. Photo: Rebecca Fanuele
  • Installation View, La Force de l’Art 02, Grand Palais, Paris, 2009. Photo: Didier Plowy/CNAP
  • Installation View, Falling Garden, Kunstraum, Dornbirn, 2007. Photo: Adolf Bereuter
  • Installation View, Post Patman, Palais de Tokyo, Paris, 2006. Photo: Marc Domage.
  • Installation View, Post Patman, Palais de Tokyo, Paris, 2006. Photo: Marc Domage.
  • Installation View, Instant Mashed Potatoïd, Cimaise & Portique, Albi, 2002. Photo: Marc Boyer
  • Installation View, Instant Mashed Potatoïd, Cimaise & Portique, Albi, 2002. Photo: Marc Boyer

Biography

Born in 1966 in Monaco, Michel Blazy lives and works in Saint-Denis (Ile-de-France/FR).

Since his studies at the Villa Arson in the ‘90s, the artist has worked on the use of unusual materials as well as living matter. Showing preference for humble materials, generally issued from his everyday life, objects and substances that can be found in kitchens (plastic-cups, papertowels, food colorings, detergent products, etc.)
or live organisms extracted from his own garden, Michel Blazy’s use of materials concurs to show the evolution and freedom of projects aiming to underline the passage of time. From his very first experiences with lentils, to his “peeling walls” and all the way to his foam-fountains, Michel Blazy’s pieces spotlight transformations of matter and leave a prominent place to chance and unpredictability. The artist gives the first impulse, and matter takes over, evolving and transforming during the space-and-time of the exhibition, according to its intrinsic properties as well as the showing conditions. Often criticizing nowadays consumerism, but always making use of poetry and humor, his work not only questions the status of artwork but also proposes alternatives to reconcile artificiality and nature, the world of technology and the world of living organisms.*

His work has been purchased by numerous public collections among which: The National Museum of Modern Art – Centre Pompidou; the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), Tasmania; the Museum of Modern Art of the City of Paris, France; the New Museum of Monaco; the National Contemporary Art fund, Paris, France; and several regional funds for contemporary art (FRAC).

Several personal exhibitions have been consecrated to his work in the last years, among them: Six pieds sur terre, Le portique, Le Havre (2022); Multiverse, La Loge, Brussels (2019); We Were The Robots, Moody Center for the Arts, Houston, TX (2019); Living Room II, Maison Hermès, Tokyo (2016); Pull Over Time, Art : Concept, Paris (2015); Bouquet Final 3, National Gallery of Victoria; Melbourne White Night (2013); Le Grand Restaurant, Frac Île-de-France, Paris (2012); Post Patman, Palais de Tokyo, Paris (2007). Michel Blazy’s work was part of the exhibition Viva Arte Viva, curated by Christine Macel during the 57th Venice Biennale.

*Text by the Victoria National Gallery/AU

At the gallery

Video

Downloads

CV (pdf)
Press (pdf)