Jean-Marie Appriou’s artwork “Horizons” is a monumental project conceived by Jean-Marie Appriou in 2022, a large-scale aluminum boat carrying two ‘austronauts.’ The boat, and more broadly the theme of navigation, is central in Appriou’s work, imbued with the idea of passage and elevated consciousness. According to the artist, these two characters, their eyes fixed on the distance, are ‘exo-humans’ in search of an advanced humanity. Horizons also echoes two historical paintings which he references in his work as a sculptor: La barque de Dante by Eugène Delacroix (1822) and Die Toteninsel by Arnold Böcklin (1880). The influence of ancient Egyptian sculpture is also evident throughout his work, which has been presented in the Villa Medici, Rome (2022), Lafayette Anticipations (2021), and the Louis Vuitton Foundation (2019) in Paris.

Jean-Marie Appriou (born 1986 in Brest, France) employs aluminum, bronze, glass, clay, and wax to create fantastic worlds. His work has been exhibited at the Palais de Tokyo, the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, and the Fondation Vincent van Gogh, Arles. In 2019, he was part of the Biennale de Lyon. Appriou lives and works in Paris. (official description)

Jean-Marie Appriou: Horizons, 2023 / Art Basel 2023 Unlimited. Basel (Switzerland), June 14, 2023.