Zimoun : Sound Sculptures & Installations, Sound Architectures
«Using simple and functional components, Swiss artist Zimoun builds architecturally-minded platforms of sound. Exploring mechanical rhythm and flow in prepared systems, his installations incorporate commonplace industrial objects. In an obsessive display of simple and functional materials, these works articulate a tension between the orderly patterns of Modernism and the chaotic forces of life. Carrying an emotional depth, the acoustic hum of natural phenomena in Zimoun's minimalist constructions effortlessly reverberates.» bitforms nyc
«The sound sculptures and installations of Zimoun are graceful, mechanized works of playful poetry, their structural simplicity opens like an industrial bloom to reveal a complex and intricate series of relationships, an ongoing interplay between the «artificial» and the «organic». It‘s an artistic research of simple and elegant systems to generate and study complex behaviors in sound and motion. Zimoun creates sound pieces from basic components, often using multiples of the same prepared mechanical elements to examine the creation and degeneration of patterns.» Tim Beck
«Zimoun creates complex kinetic sound sculptures by arranging industrially produced parts according to seemingly simple rules. Using motors, wires, ventilators, etc.., he creates closed systems that develop their own behavior and rules similarly to artificial creatures. Once running, they are left to themselves and go through an indeterminable process of (de)generation. These quasi autonomous creatures exist in an absolutely synthetic sphere of lifeless matter. However, within the precise, determinist systems creative categorioes suddenly reappear, such as deviation, refusal and transcience out of which complex patterns of behavior evolve.» Node10
«The clean, elegant sound sculptures combine visual, sonic, and spatial elements in an organically balanced entirely artwork. Using simple and well conceived mechanical systems, Zimouns‘s work transforms and activates the space.» Jury Prix Ars Electronica 2010
«There's a poetic and humorous absurdity we find in Zimoun’s work, which opens up a wide, refreshing and enriching space for discoveries, associations and a multitude of approaches.» Nina Terry
«The components used in Zimoun’s work are simple, functional and raw, whereas only aesthetically high-level and purposefully chosen elements and materials are used in minimalist fashion. Through radical reduction, Zimoun creates works of art which allow for a plethora of associations without being pinned down to a specific direction. Radical abstraction functions rather like a code in the background of things, thus elegantly avoiding an insinuation of direct, concrete attribution. Thanks to the abundance of mechanical activity, the range of perception, possibilities and interpretations is wide open.» Amanda Neumann
Zimoun (*1977) lives, works and runs his studio in Bern, Switzerland. His work has been presented in solo and group shows as well as performances worldwide. Zimoun has been awarded different art prizes and residencies and has served as a guest lecturer. Recent displays of Zimoun's work include exhibitions at the Nam June Paik Art Center in Korea; Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts, Taipei; Art Basel; Galerie Denise René Paris; Ringling Museum of Art, Florida; Harnett Museum of Art, Richmond; bitforms gallery New York; Kunsthalle Bern; Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein; Contemporary Art Museum MNAC Bucharest; Musée des Beaux-Arts Rennes; Museum of Fine Arts Bern; Museum of Contemporary Art MSUM, Ljubljana; Art Museum Lugano; Seoul Museum of Art; among others.
In 2003, graphic designer Marc Beekhuis and Zimoun founded Leerraum [ ] - which has become a platform for artists, designers or architects,... who explore forms and structures based on reductive principles and careful yet radical use of materials. Leerraum [ ] is publishing small editions of cds, dvds and objects, and is presenting exhibitions, performances and events in collaboration with its artists. www.leerraum.ch
Compilation video: vimeo.com/7235817
Next exhibitions: zimoun.net/events.html
Newsletter: zimoun.net/newsletter.html
Video archive on Vimeo: vimeo.com/zimoun/videos/sort:plays
Website: www.zimoun.net
