Claude Viallat was born in Nîmes in 1936, where he lives and works. He studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Montpellier (1955-59) and in Paris (1962-63). He was among the founders of the “Support/Surfaces” movement (1969) which in France gave rise to a new concept of Painting, characterized by the abandonment of the mounted canvas and the rejection of the traditional and industrial practice of painting. Since the 1960s Claude Viallat has identified a basic pictorial element which is still today his peculiar and distinctive feature, linked to anti-form. This primitive and essential element gets rid of the subjective pictorial experience: printed in series on different supports, the pattern achieves the neutrality and the anonymity of serial production. His canvases scattered with imprints establish an intense dialogue with color and endow themselves with an unusual lightness given by the mobile and uncommon support. Over the years Claude Viallat has been teaching in art schools in Nice, Limoges, Marseille, Nimes (where he has been also head of the school for several years), and finally at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Paris.

Claude Viallat has been exhibiting in numerous institutions all over the world both with the “Supports/Surfaces” group and in personal projects, among the solo: Musée Matisse, Nice (2018), Casa França – Brasil, Rio de Janeiro and Palais des archevêques, Narbonne (2017), Musée Fabre, Montpellier (2014), Institut français, Tanger (2013), La Verrière – Fondation d’entreprise Hermès, Brussels (2010), Musée des Beaux Arts, Nîmes (2008), Fondation Van Gogh, Arles and Musée de la Poste, Paris (2007), Centre européen d’actions artistsques contemporaines, Strasbourg (2006), Musée Matisse, Le Cateau-Cambresis (2005), Galerie Nationale de Bosnia-Herzégovine, Sarajevo (2001), Musée d’Art Moderne, Saint-Etienne (2000), Institut Français, Florence (1998), Museum moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig, Vienna and Institut Français, Tel Aviv (1995), Académie Libanaise des Beaux Arts, Beirut (1994), National Museum of Fine Arts, Ankara (1992), Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris and Institut français, Athens (1991), Centre culturel français, Séoul (1990), Institut français, Cologne (1988), Mücsarnok, Budapest (1987), Kunsthalle, Düsseldorf (1983), Musée des Beaux-Arts, Montréal (1982), Palais des Beaux Arts, Brussels and Van der Heydt-Museum, Wuppertal (1976).

Among the most recent group exhibitions in institutions: Palais des Beaux-Arts, Paris (2018), Carré d’Art, Nîmes (2017), Centre Georges Pompidou, Metz (2014), MAMAC, Nice (2013), Museum im Kulturspeicher, Würzburg (2012), Musée Matisse, Le Cateau-Cambresis (2009), Civic Gallery of Modern Art, Spoleto (2007), Musée d’Art et d’Industrie, Saint Etienne (2006), CAPC, Bordeaux (2005), Musée de Marrakech (2004), Musée de Valence (2003), FRAC Bretagne, Rennes (2002), Palazzo Rospigliosi, Rome (2001). A personal room was also dedicated to Claude Viallat at Venice Biennale in 1988. His collaboration with Galleria Fumagalli began in 2003, when the artist exhibited a wide selection of recent works. On the occasion the Fumagalli published a monographic book (co-edition Edizioni Galleria Fumagalli / Charta) with texts by Luca Massimo Barbero and Annamaria Maggi. In 2009 the gallery inaugurated in Bergamo the second solo show “Toiles, objets, cordes et filets” and in 2014 the exhibition “La semplicitè evidénte”, in collaboration with Pecci Museum, at Spazioborgogno in Milan.

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SOLO EXHIBITIONS

CLAUDE VIALLAT
La simplicité évidente 

Opening 4 March 2014
5 March to 5 April 2014

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CLAUDE VIALLAT
Toiles, Objets, Cordes et Filets

Opening 28 February 2009
2 March to 11 April 2009

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CLAUDE VIALLAT

Opening 5 April 2003
8 April to 17 May 2003

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GROUP EXHIBITIONS

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Opening 4 October 2012
5 October to 15 November 2012

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Visioni. 20 artisti a Sant’Agostino

Opening 8 April 2005
9 April to 11 June 2005

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AAVV:30

Opening 27 November 2004
30 November 2004 to 20 January 2005

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