Jean-François Briant cuts sheets of steel into more or less identifiable natural forms, leaves with veins incised into openings, ears of corn, vegetable silhouettes which slide imperceptibly towards representations of objects as if at every fold and cut the metal allowed one to read into it fragments of history, of a previous life. The young French artist’s sculptures have a seeming fragility. They are to be seen at Di Meo until mid-March and until 20 March together with the paintings of Christian Henry in the Salle Saint-Jean of the Hôtel de Ville.
Also on until 20 March is sculpture at Gilles Peyroulet. These are the latest assemblages of Bernard Lallemand who continues to use objects and materials taken from the world of industry, with a particular preference for effects of milky transparency juxtaposed with steel. Research into colour has led Marthe Wery towards an interest in the effects of light and the role of architecture in an exhibition space. Her monochromes, obtained through the superimposition of differing and at times contradictory tonalities, take on their full significance when they are placed, either hung up or leaning on the ground, in a pre-chosen space with controlled lighting. The Belgian artist is at Claire Burrus until 17 April. The trading ports of Europe photographed by Emmanuelle Danoy in sepia remain at Isabelle Bongard until mid-April. The four Senegalese artists on show at le Monde de l’Art (mentioned last month) continue until 24 March. At Piece Unique, Christian Boltanski presents a pile of cassettes bearing labels of powerful intensity.
Drawings by Alberto Giacometti mainly from the Fondation Giacometti and the New York gallery Pierre Matisse are on show at Lelong until 20 March. Closing on the same day is the confrontation between the work of Carmelo Arden and Roger Desserprit made during the years of the association with the Madi group in the 1950s. Anne-Marie Jugnet’s neon sentences remain at Froment and Putman until 24 April. At Samia Saouma the chilly irony of Glen Baxter makes way for the recent disconcerting images of Pierre and Gilles, on until the end of the month. Recent pictures by Jorg Immendorf are at Templon; Jean-Jacques Rullier and Nina Childress are at Jennifer Flay; Philippe Cognée is on show until mid-month at Laage Salomon, landscapes in oil on canvas and panel as well as large monochrome and charcoal drawings. Reproducing his own handwriting, Bernard Faucon makes large words of wood placed alongside each other then coats the sentences with a reflecting substance and places them in landscapes, from the island of Elba to Vietnam. His photographs of these installations reconstitute the memory of a place. At Yvon Lambert until 6 April. Patrick Corillon tells absurd stories using drawing or objects drawn from the city: a street sign, a shop window, museum tickets, placed next to short texts which guide the visitor in the footsteps of the imaginary adventurer Oscar Serti, at Galerie des Archives from 13 March to 24 April.
At galerie Beaubourg Dado examines the illustrious figure of the Cardinal de Retz (until 20 March) while at Leif Stahle Pierre Lafoucrière presents oils and watercolours until the 27th, and Delsol-Innocenzi welcomes Jean-Michel Othonial, David Renaud and Matthew Weinstein during March and April. Five plinths, the bed, the Murano glass parapet, the bookshop, a chimney, the floor and the decorated walls made in 1985 by the architect Gaetano Pesce for the “Maison Hubin” are on show with Catherine and Stephane de Beyrie until 30 April. At Darthea Speyer until the end of next month the recent drawings of Lionel Guibout are on show. In collaboration with the Museum of Modern Art at Saint-Etienne, Vidal-Saint Phalle have brought together some recent works by Vincent Bioules. Sculpture by Peter Briggs and drawings and watercolours by Martin Barré are on until mid-April at Barbier-Beltz. Patrick Everaert presents his latest pieces at Meteo until 13 March, followed for the rest of the month by “Une Zone de sensibilité”, an exhibition dedicated to Yves Klein at Renn. Finally Anne de Villepoix continues her wander round the human body: after last month’s corsets hung in the air, John Coplans has fragmented self-portraits: ten busts, arms and black and white photographs laid out like architectural structures.
Originally appeared in The Art Newspaper as 'Boltanski and Alberto Giacometti'