OLIVIER MOSSET

Exploring conceptual abstraction within the realm of painting, Olivier Mosset’s minimalist approach is a profound inquiry into the fundamental concepts of creation, minimalism, and authorship. A pivotal figure in post-war abstraction, Mosset embarked on his artistic journey in 1960s Paris. After collaborating with Jean Tinguely and Daniel Spoerri, he formed close ties with fellow artists Daniel Buren, Michel Parmentier, and Niele Toroni. Together, they orchestrated a series of five groundbreaking artistic interventions that challenged the conventions of the art world, later coalescing into the influential BMPT group.

Mosset’s iconic black circle paintings, comprising 200 identical 1m x 1m canvases created between 1966 and 1974, solidified his position as a trailblazer in the quest for creative neutrality. Upon relocating to New York City, his practice underwent a decisive shift, focusing on the exploration of colour and size in his paintings, exclusively producing monochromes until 1986. In subsequent years, Mosset delved into experimenting with the fundamental building blocks of painting itself.

Mosset’s work is in the permanent collections of MOMA, New York; Rubell Family Collection, Miami; Kunstmuseum Bern, Bern; Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Paris; MAC - Musée d’Art Contemporain, Lyon; Le Consortium, Dijon among others. Olivier Mosset represented Switzerland at the 44th Venice Biennale.

Courtesy MASSIMODECARLO