Golden Cage

Belgian conceptual artist Michel Francois has a varied body of work that includes painting, sculpture, video, photography and installation. His works often explore cause and effect, and though much of it is simple and gestural on the surface, the work speaks to deeper meanings and ideas.

Untitled, concrete, plaster, electric  lamp

Recent sculptures have functioned as explorations of incompleteness and double meaning. These works are akin to Jose Davila's tenuous large-scale installations, and exist in a central location in the gallery. In one such piece, a cage composed of thin, fibrous golden bars is presented in several different iterations. I particularly enjoy the piece wherein the cage is presented with scraps of clothing attached to it in places. This presents a mystery, and could be interpreted as a metaphor for escape or confinements, depending on the views of the individual viewer. This sort of ambiguity is present in many of Francois’ works, which adds to the fun of deciphering them. 

Pavillion, glass, metal