BRUSSELS.- MOT International is presenting an exhibition of new work by Emmanuelle Lainé. Bringing together sculpture, photography and installation, the show explores the notion of trompe-l’oeil and invites the viewer to question their relationships to the objects and images exhibited.

Over the past few years, Lainé has extended her sculptural practice to photography, which she uses as both a tool for documentation and a backdrop for her installations. From her studio, she constructs complex environments comprised of images, sculptures and found objects that are then photographed, recreated and augmented within the exhibition space. Despite their seemingly chaotic appearance, these compositions are in fact meticulously arranged. Examining the ambiguous relationships between 2D and 3D, they offer a singular experience that combines physical immersion with optical illusion.

This exhibition announces a turning point in the artist’s work. Here, the photographic medium takes on a new role and reveals itself as a sculptural element. Derived from previous installations, the images are printed on transparent materials and take the form of receptacles. From the vinyls covering the gallery’s windows to the translucent tarps filled with bibelots, residues and other hybrid objects, these impressions go beyond their surface-like quality and reach the status of recipients.

Taking over the interior, as well as the exterior spaces of the gallery, Lainé proposes a body of work that utilises the architecture of the place as the primary material. The artist therefore redefines a certain conception of the void that she presents as a dense installation, a work of art in its own right.

Emmanuelle Lainé (b. 1973, Paris) lives and works in Marseille. Recent exhibitions include Copenhagen Art Festival, Copenhagen; La Galerie, Noisy-le-Sec (both 2015); Fondation d’Entreprise Ricard, Paris; C-o-m-p-o-s-i-t-e, Brussels (both 2014); La Loge, Brussels (2013). She is currently exhibiting at Casa de Francia, Mexico and at Musée d’art contemporain de Lyon on the occasion of the 13th Biennal of Lyon.