Tatiana Wolska: Les Modules
Palais de Tokyo in Paris
An economy of means and simplicity of the gesture are the foundation of the sculptural work of Tatiana Wolska (b. 1977, lives and works in Nice). Her slow and painstaking practice sublimates the simplicity of the materials—recycled waste materials, always—in order to bring out their poetry. Wood, plastic or metals are among her substances of choice and are used to make organic-looking sculptures that contradict the material’s original use. For instance, a bottle of Badoit becomes a proliferating form, or myriads of small nails turn into a cloud hung up in a corner.
For her exhibition at the Palais de Tokyo, Tatiana Wolska presents a series of recent or previously unseen works. Though very different in nature, their confrontation enters a dialogue with the architecture of the place, tailoring itself to the location’s features. A host of drawings on the walls, silent works, face a system for listening to insects. A cloud of molten plastic recalls a cluster of nails wrapped around a concrete column. With the offcuts and remainders from previous exhibitions, the artist creates a quasi-organic sculpture that cuts through walls. A line of level nails on the only wall that goes through the various exhibition areas provides the space with overall consistency.