PIERRE VIVANT: The Space of Use

Artist Biography

Born in Paris in 1952 Pierre Vivant has been commuting between his Oxford and Paris studios since 1973, producing and exhibiting works on both sides of the Channel.

From 1984 he has exclusively undertaken commissioned work, mainly temporary, conceived and made for specific places and events in a wide variety of urban or rural settings, and occasionally in galleries or museums. Most of these works are collected as series into books and/or films. 1990 Sculptor in Residence at the University of Warwick.

Selected commissioned works

Ocean Way roundabout,
Cardiff, 1992.
Standard road signs on
aluminium structures,
topiary.

Looking in and out of
Oxfordshire woodlands.
Made in 1994 as part of a
commission for Fuji TV,
Japan.
Published in 1998 as a
limited edition of offset
litho prints 504 x 615mm.
Price £90 for a set of two.

Extracts from Observations,
la Terre vue de Provence.
To be published 1998.

Extracts from
Les Caractères de La
Verrière, a book on
interventions in a high rise
housing estate near Paris,
published in 1998.
Price £45.

1984
South Hill Park Arts Centre, BRACKNELL
Centre Culturel de la Villedieu, ELANCOURT

1985
Biennale de Sculpture, BELFORT
Clifftop Sculpture Park, PORTLAND
Centre d'Action Culturelle, MALAKOFF
Mutuelle Complémentaire, PARIS

1986
National Garden Festival, STOKE on TRENT. Major award.
Woodlands Art Gallery. LONDON
Direction Régionale des Affaires Culturelles. NANTES

1987/9
Contemporain Temporaire. SAINT-QUENTIN EN YVELINES

1988
The Winchester Gallery. WINCHESTER
Nuits Blanches de la Danse. MONTIGNY LE BRETONNEUX

1989
Square de la Commune. TRAPPES

1990
Sculpture Court, Arts Centre. UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK

1991
Ocean Way Roundabout. CARDIFF
International Festival. BOURNEMOUTH

1992
Zone Gallery. NEWCASTLE

1993/5
Cité du Bois de l'Etang. LA VERRIERE

1994
Fuji TV, TOKYO

1995
Groupe Scolaire Jean Monnet. ELANCOURT

1996/8
Heron Quays Roundabout. LONDON DOCKLANDS

1998
Théâtre de SAINT- QUENTIN EN YVELINES
Millais Gallery. Southampton Institute. SOUTHAMPTON
Nitra'98 International Festival. SLOVAKIA

Publications / Travelling exhibitions

MOONLIGHT by permission. Published by University of Warwick, 1990. 8pp, 300mmx215.

MOnuMENTS, published by Ville de Trappes, 1990. 54pp, 120x185mm./ Exhibition at the Galerie Le Corbusier, Trappes and the Mead Gallery, University of Warwick.

MADE IN ENGLAND, published by South Hill Park Arts Centre in 1993. 40pp, 210x150mm./ First show in 1990 at the Mead Gallery and the Royal Show in Stoneleigh. Subsequently curated and toured by the Southern Arts Touring Exhibitions Service to venues in Oxford, Gosport, Poole, Isle of Wight, Bournemouth, Eastleigh, Bracknell. A piece made in-situ during a short residency has been commissioned for each of the venues.

EN PASSANT Residencies 1991/2, published 1993. 56pp, 215x270mm. Co-production Northern Arts, Southern Arts, ZONE Gallery, Northumberland County Council and the artist. / The exhibition toured the ZONE Gallery, Newcastle, the Brewery Arts Centre, Kendall, and the Queen's Hall, Hexham.

LES CARACTERES DE LA VERRIERE Published by Ville de La Verrière in 1993 (22pp 305x240mm), 1997 (72pp 120x215mm) and 1998 (90pp 305x256mm). Original multimedia show at Le Scarabé 1997 and Théâtre de Saint Quentin en Yvelines 1998. A new tour is now organised by the Southern Arts Touring Exhibitions Service.

LE PORTE-MANTEAU Published by S.A.N de Saint-Quentin en Yvelines and the artist in 1998. 20pp, 120x100mm.

Exhibition Information
View of installation in the Millais Gallery
Visitor Comments
Nitra Installation
Technical Information

The Millais Gallery is part of Southampton Institute
East Park Terrace, Southampton, England, SO14 0YN. T: 01703 319916, F: 01703 319940,
E: millais.gallery@solent.ac.uk