NYC’s Kasmin Gallery Hosts Les Lalanne Menagerie Curated by Louis Benech
The Chelsea outpost of the Kasmin galleries is a staple in New York City’s contemporary art scene. Its most recently-opened exhibition is a collaboration between renowned landscape architect and designer Louis Benech and the ever-imaginative sculptor duo Les Lalanne.
More than 30 sculptures from François-Xavier and Claude Lalanne were hand-picked by Benech for the exhibition, the installation of which is evocative of the artists’ home studio garden in Ury, France. It’s a whimsical scene to take in: a cast-iron baboon (Babouin) perches stoically while monkeys entangle themselves in the branches of a bronze chandelier (Structure Vegetale avec Singes). Nearby, the duo’s signature sheep seem to observe both gallery-goers and the rest of the sculptural menagerie.
“Claude Lalanne, Louis Benech, and Paul [Kasmin] have all known one another for a long time, and have a deep respect for each other’s practices,” said Edith Dicconson, director of the Kasmin gallery. “When it came to this project, Louis was a natural fit—the gallery’s first and last choice. We couldn’t be more delighted with the outcome of the exhibition.”
The Les Lalanne exhibition opened on January 24 and will be on view until March 9, 2019.
