In Laurent Grasso’s universe, all lines are blurred; within his exhibition, time appears suspended, with film, paintings, and architectural interventions encroaching upon a visitor’s perception of linearity. Together, these presentations will bring past and present into conversation, placing Grasso’s work in a dialogue with historical figures of American landscape painting.

Join Laurent Grasso as he discusses Metaphysical Maze, his largest exhibition to date in the United States, with MASS MoCA’s former Chief Curator, Denise Markonish. Stick around after the conversation for the opening reception of this monumental exhibition.

About the Artist

Born in France in 1972, Laurent Grasso has developed a fascination with the visual possibilities related to the science of electromagnetic energy, radio waves, and naturally occurring phenomena. Grasso is the recipient of the Meru Art*Science Award in Bergamo, Italy, the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, and the Marcel Duchamp Prize. He is the subject of a major monograph, Time Travel, published by Rizzoli in 2024. Grasso’s work has been shown in solo exhibitions at international institutions including the Abbaye of Jumièges in France; Tao Art in Taiwan; the Collège des Bernardins and the Musée d’Orsay in Paris; the Centre Pompidou x West Bund Museum in Shanghai; the Jeonnam Museum of Art in Gwangyang, South Korea;  the Palais Fesch, Musée des Beaux-Arts in Ajaccio, France; the Hermès Foundation in Tokyo; the Kunsthaus Baselland in Switzerland; the Musée d’art Contemporain de Montréal; the Jeu de Paume and Palais de Tokyo in Paris; the Bass Museum of Art in Miami; and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington D.C., amongst others. Grasso has been included in many international biennials including the 21st Sydney Biennale, Australia (2018); EVA International, Limerick, Ireland (2018); Kochi, India (2014); Gwangju 9th, South Korea (2012); Manifesta 8, Cartagena/Murcia, Spain (2010); Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (2009); Moscow, Russia (2009); and Busan, South Korea (2004 and 2006). Laurent Grasso has recently created several permanent installations in public spaces, including Solar Wind on the Paris ring road and a group of sculptures entitled Roots of the Future, which was installed for the 2024 Paris Olympic Village. Grasso was also commissioned to create a permanent site-specific installation for the ceiling of the new train station in Châtillon-Montrouge, as part of the Grand Paris project. He is represented by Perrotin and Sean Kelly.

^{Major support for Metaphysical Maze has been provided by Anne and Greg Avis, Etant donnés, a program of Villa Albertine, and Wolf Gordon.}

^{MASS MoCA’s Building 5 exhibitions are made possible in part by the support of the MASS MoCA Ambassadors.}