REIMAGINING CONSUMERISM: JULIEN BOUDET'S TOTEMIC ART

French artist Julien Boudet creates striking totemic art, stacking and reassembling motorcycle parts into deity-like sculptures that reimagine consumerism and the mythology of modern icons. Shown in his Paris exhibition "23:46" at Stems Gallery (18 March to 8 April 2023), these works use sculpture, installation and photography to recontextualize the symbols of capitalist desire. Here is how Boudet turns engines, tanks and logos into contemporary totems.

Who is Julien Boudet?

Julien Boudet's art exudes the aura of consumerism, employing sculpture, installation, and photography to manipulate and re-contextualize symbols of capitalist desire. The artist rearranges these symbols into minimalist compositions. His pieces magnify references to art history, sports, hip hop, and fashion, transforming them through adroit interventions. Boudet's works typically feature motorized vehicles, which he views as vessels of freedom or, more precisely, the free market.

What does the title 23:46 mean?

In his earlier works, Boudet used luxury cars and fashion labels to explore their semiotic power. He layered fashion logos over car brands, creating a captivating effect. In his new sculptures and photographs, logos continue to play a significant role, but they appear in different forms. The exhibition's title, "23:46," references two sports icons, Michael Jordan and Valentino Rossi, respectively. Despite their household name status, they are conspicuously absent from Boudet's displayed works. Instead, the numbers "23" and "46" take center stage, appearing as floating signifiers on almost every piece. Full exhibition notes are available on the official Stems Gallery exhibition page, with a review from Art Viewer.

Consumerism, sculpture and contemporary mythos

Boudet's totem-like sculptures often feature these numbers. He uses motorcycle parts, a machine with which he is intimately familiar, to create works that venerate contemporary mythos. Some of his pieces reassemble these parts into deity-like figures, while others stack motorcycle tanks atop one another, creating sculptures that reach for the sky. In "23:46," Boudet offers a unique take on the socioeconomic ascension dream through sports. Rather than criticize the mythos-building process, he suggests that it is a transhistorical facet of the human condition, obscuring the barriers between the natural and manufactured, the past and present with a light, often humorous touch.

Collect mobility-inspired art at TheArsenale

If Julien Boudet's totemic art resonates with you, TheArsenale curates a gallery of fine art that celebrates the same fusion of machinery and culture. Browse the TheArsenale gallery collection and discover standout pieces such as the IBI Carbon Mamola motorcycle art sculpture, the BROAAP by Ed Turner Label, and the Cluster Structure art piece.

Photo: Julien x Stems Gallery

18th March to 8th April 2023
11 rue Pastourelle 75003 Paris