Pier & Ocean

For more than half a century, Mondrian’s Pier and Ocean series of drawings of 1914-15 has served as a key reference point for French artist François Morellet. With the installation Pier & Ocean (2022), created in collaboration with Japanese artist Tadashi Kawamata, François Morellet pays warm tribute to the Dutch painter Piet Mondrian. Morellet’s composition of neon tubes with an alternating rhythm of light flashes recreates the movement of the sea. At the same time, Kawamata’s nest structure and wooden jetty reinforce in a striking dialogue the immersive character of the work. Together the two provide a unique tension that lends a special quality to the installation as a whole.