Bad Timing @ Villa Medici
A decade after his pivotal residency at Villa Medici during 2013-2014, artist and director Théo Mercier makes a seminal return to this influential milieu to unveil his solo exhibition, BAD TIMING. The exposition, which commenced on the 10th of June 2023, is an expansive display that seamlessly integrates with the architectural grandeur of Villa Medici's inner and outer precincts. Additionally, a performative crescendo is scheduled to punctuate the exhibition in September 2023, further enriching the experiential tapestry of the showcase.
Théo Mercier, BAD TIMING, at Villa Medici, Roma, 2023.
In the heart of Rome, where ancient history and contemporary culture converge, Villa Medici has once again opened its doors to host an extraordinary exhibition that challenges perceptions and ignites contemplation. Titled Bad Timing, the exhibition has garnered attention for its intriguing blend of artistic forms and thought-provoking take on the concept of time.
Théo Mercier, BAD TIMING, at Villa Medici, Roma, 2023.
At the heart of Théo Mercier's exhibition concept, Bad Timing represents a dystopian vision of reality, a medley of past, present, and future, life and death, craft and industry, sacred and profane. It is where Mercier's thought process is embodied in bronze chairs melting in the sun, and vehicles suspended as if in flight, their radios breathing out their last. An avalanche of automobiles appears suspended mid-air above the Piazzale of Villa Medici, resembling avian creatures with battered chassis, emitting the faint strains of radio music as if exhaling their final breaths. As visitors’ gazes wander, they capture glimpses of bronze chair sculptures, which, having been spread across the space, dissolve under the light entering from the window. These sculptures, manifesting in various states of abandonment, distortion, and conflict - some compressed by gravity, others tugged skyward by the tension of a helium balloon - seem to chart a cryptic trajectory that culminates within the walls of Villa Medici.
Théo Mercier, BAD TIMING, at Villa Medici, Roma, 2023.
Clarifying the resolution behind this dystopian setting Mercier says: “What is important to me, is to be present in a place and to try to understand its dynamics, the light, the smells. For each installation, I try to stage an architecture with fundamental respect for my design approach. Everything displayed here at Villa Medici was created in the studio but with the intention of having a tangible impact. I have created installations that originate from the everyday world. In this case, I used appliances that we recovered from an open-air dump and juxtaposed them with pieces from the Villa Medici collection. My interest here was to bring together objects relegated to the outskirts of the city, hidden away, with those that are at the centre of our cities, and for which one pays to see.”
Beneath the sombre expanse of the sky, which acts as the primary interlude before delving into the exhibition, it is then within the gallery halls that Mercier orchestrates the clandestine unravelling of this dystopic tableau, drawing on the venerable Palaces of Memory tradition. Here, he assembles an array of hybrid constructions, an intersection of domestic appliances and truncated marble effigies, from the family collections. These sculptures, entwined in various tying forms, represent a novel anthology of works that articulate the artist’s predilection for intertwining the ostentatious remnants of antiquity with the fragmented detritus of modern turmoil.
Théo Mercier, BAD TIMING, at Villa Medici, Roma, 2023.
Thus, in this way, Mercier emphasises – once again - the importance of engaging with the exhibition space's dynamics, light, and scents. The installations, derived from everyday objects such as discarded appliances paired with Villa Medici's artifacts, highlight a dialogue between items traditionally hidden and those at the centre of urban life.
Then he continues by saying: “In these creations, there is a meeting, a sort of relationship, between diametrically opposed objects. And I want to emphasize that, at the end of the exhibition, everything will return to its place. The appliances will go back to the landfill, the sculptures to the Villa Medici collection, and the cars to their automotive houses. These are sculptures that represent the moment with respect for the sculptural performance. I am also a director, so a figure that belongs to the moment, that relates to the instant. The particularity of this exhibition is that these sculptures are visible only here and only in this span of time. The installations express a here and now that lasts for the duration of the exhibition.”
Théo Mercier, BAD TIMING, at Villa Medici, Roma, 2023.
Hence, with the exhibition Bad Timing, visitors have been presented with a poignant reminder of the transience of artistic experiences. The impermanence of the exhibition serves as a reflection of the very concept it seeks to explore – the ephemeral nature of time and its impact on our lives.
Théo Mercier, BAD TIMING, at Villa Medici, Roma, 2023.