Fabrice Gygi

Fabrice Gygi comes from the Geneva squat movement and his life and work are marked by a general rejection of the existing social order. Gygi first became known for his performances in which he explored the limits of his own body. From the 1990s onwards, gradually shifting from a discourse linked to the private sphere to one involving the society as a whole, Gygi developed a body of sculptures and installations that encompass a potential for constraint and control over individuals. Using a minimalist formal vocabulary borrowed from urban infrastructure and everyday, nomadic objects, Gigy strips his structures from their primary functions, thus highlighting ambiguity as a source of tension. Gigy’s practice addresses the issue of civil obedience and raises questions about the Western ideal of freedom. In 2009, he was invited to represent Switzerland at the 53rd Venice International Art Biennale.