Marseilles, France
New York-based artist Daniel Arsham, who is currently serving as the creative director of the Cleveland Cavaliers, has reimagined the old gymnasium space at the Cité Radieuse (Unité d’ Habitation), referencing the colors of Le Corbusier’s historic residential building in Marseilles and the proportions presented in “The Modulor.”
Dubbed MAMO (Marseille Modulor), the open-air art center invites every summer an artist to exhibit their work on both the interior and exterior spaces of the historic roof.
Paying homage to the legendary architect Le Corbusier, Arsham connects his love for basketball with the iconic building of Unité d’Habitation de Marseille.
Arsham used Corbusier’s scale through showcasing the linear aspect of time, where the court floor mirrors the pastel yellows and blues, along with the original sun detail.
On the outdoor terrace is a selection of bronze sculptures inspired by Greek and Roman antiquities.
Heading outside to the MAMO roof terrace, Arsham focuses on a range of bronze sculptures depicting Greek and Roman antiquities alongside his life-sized crystal-eroded DeLorean.
In “Le Modulor du Basketball,” the artist references Le Corbusier’s work, blending themes of sport and history.
“In consonance with the history of the building, Arsham considers Corbusier’s scale through showcasing the linear aspect of time, and how scale can expand and grow. The court floor mirrors the pastel yellows and blues seen in Corbusier’s ‘Le Poeme de L’angle Droit’ (1955), along with the original sun detail, transformed into representations of basketballs found on banners, a flag, team uniforms and the court itself,” Galerie Perrotin states.
“Arsham’s signature erosion technique is applied to basketball racks referencing the silhouettes of Corbusier’s iconic lounge chairs and a basketball hoop inspired by Corbusier’s Open Hand symbol.”
Organized in partnership with Galerie Perrotin, “Le Modulor du Basketball” will be on view from June 25 to September 25, 2022.
Project: Le Modulor du Basketball
Artist: Daniel Arsham
Client: MAMO – Centre d’art de la Cité Radieuse de Marseille
Photographers: We Are Contents
