François Morellet, les mathématiques et l’humour pour guides
The article reports on the national centenary celebration of French artist François Morellet (1926–2016), titled "100 x Morellet," which includes exhibitions, conferences, and symposia across France. The centerpiece is the exhibition "100 pour cent" at the Centre Pompidou-Metz, curated by Michel Gauthier, featuring 100 works spanning Morellet's entire career from 1941 to 2016. The show extends beyond the museum onto a wall of a nearby SNCF technical center, reflecting Morellet's affinity for public space. The exhibition is structured around the artist's dual nature—oscillating between the rigorous geometric order inherited from Piet Mondrian and the irrational, humorous spirit of Francis Picabia—showcasing his evolution from self-taught adolescent paintings to concrete art, Op Art, monochromes, and neon works.
This celebration matters because François Morellet is a pivotal figure in post-war French abstraction and concrete art, whose systematic use of mathematics and chance, combined with irony and humor, has had a lasting influence on contemporary art. The centenary program, anchored by this major retrospective at a leading institution, reaffirms his legacy and introduces his playful yet rigorous approach to new audiences. The exhibition's emphasis on Morellet's ambivalence—between order and disorder—highlights how his work challenges the perceived austerity of geometric abstraction, making it relevant to current discussions about the intersection of art, science, and public engagement.