Philippe Parreno is a conceptual and multimedia artist currently based in Paris. The artist was originally born in Oran, Algeria. Parreno’s practice often revolves around the creation of narratives and complete exhibitions, rather than objects in an of themselves. As such, the artist’s studio space is frequently used for writing, drawing, and planning -- not exclusively creating artworks.

Parreno’s studio looks very busy in this image. The space looks a little bit dark, but I suspect it may be due to what looks like a video projection being shown on the far wall. I wonder if the artist regularly uses that wall for projections as he’s working on them, or if this was just a design choice for this photograph.

The piano that Parreno is pictured sitting at invites parallels to the studio of Douglas Gordon, with whom Parreno has collaborated with previously -- though of course, Parreno’s piano lacks the lupine figure atop it. There are at least two other people in this photograph with Parreno -- I wonder if these are friends, or studio assistants. They seem hard at work, perhaps on archival tasks, or writing.

Parreno is known for a number of recent site-specific works, including recent projects in Paris, London, and Basel. In many cases, the artist uses a combination of film, sound, and physical construction to transform both a space and his audience’s interaction with that space.

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