In this episode of A brush with..., Ben Luke talks to Pierre Huyghe about his influences—including writers, musicians and, of course, other artists—and the cultural experiences that have shaped his life and work.
Pierre Huyghe, After ALife Ahead, 2017
Courtesy of the artist; Marian Goodman Gallery, New York; Esther Schipper, Berlin; Hauser & Wirth, London; Galerie Chantal Crousel. Photo: Ola Rindal © Pierre Huyghe
Huyghe was born in 1962 in Paris and today lives and works in New York. He has experimented over more than 30 years with the form of exhibitions and the very nature of art. His works are complex systems involving a host of elements, from lifeforms including plants, animals and microorganisms, to inanimate objects and technologies.
He pays particular attention to the spaces in which these disparate factors come together and bleed into each other, leading to constantly evolving, strange and often spellbinding experiences.
Pierre Huyghe's Untilled (2011–2012)
© Pierre Huyghe
He discusses his early interest in the “multiplicity of things” in Yves Tanguy and Hieronymus Bosch; his admiration for artists today, including Daniel Buren and three previous guests on A brush with…, Mark Leckey, Philippe Parreno and Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster; his response to the musical works of John Cage; and his 1990s projects exploring the cinema of Pasolini and Hitchcock, among others. Plus, he gives insights into his daily studio life and answers the ultimate question: what is art for?
Pierre Huyghe's Variants (2021-ongoing)
Courtesy of the artist; Kistefos Museum; Hauser and Wirth, London. Photo: Ola Rindal © Pierre Huyghe
• Variants, Kistefos, Jevnaker, Norway, permanent
• Pierre Huyghe: Offspring, Kunsten Museum of Modern Art, Aalborg, Denmark, until 30 October
• Une seconde d’éternité, Bourse de Commerce, Paris, until 26 September
Series 11 of A brush with... runs from 3-24 August, with episodes released on Wednesdays. You can download and subscribe to the podcast here. This podcast is sponsored by Bloomberg Connects.