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Céleste Boursier-Mougenot

Biography

Initially a composer of music, Céleste Boursier-Mougenot (b. 1961, Nice) has gained worldwide recognition for his acoustic installations that use nature and the rhythms of everyday life to investigate the relationship between sound, space and movement. Using domestic or natural materials, he creates installations that immerse the viewer in a multi-faceted set of sensory experiences, and invite a renewed and refined appreciation of our perceptual environment. Boursier-Mougenot represented France at the 56th Venice Biennale in 2015, and has had one-person exhibitions in international museums and galleries including the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal (2015); Centre-Pompidou Metz (2015); Barbican Centre, London (2010); Hangar Bicocca, Milan (2011); La Maison Rouge, Paris (2010); Pinacoteca do Estado, São Paulo (2009); and FRAC, Reims (2008). His work is represented in collections such as the Centre Pompidou, Paris; the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne; The Israel Museum, Jerusalem; The San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art; The Fonds National d’Art Contemporain, France; and various French national collections.

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Selected Works

Selected Works Thumbnails
Céleste Boursier-Mougenot clinamen v.2, 2015 PVC liner, water pump, heating device, porcelain bowls Installation view, Pompidou Metz, 2015.
Céleste Boursier-Mougenot  clinamen v.2, 2015  PVC liner, water pump, heating device, porcelain bowls Installation view, Pompidou Metz, 2015.
Céleste Boursier-Mougenot clinamen v.2, 2015 PVC liner, water pump, heating device, porcelain bowls Installation view, Pompidou Metz, 2015.

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot 
clinamen v.2, 2015 
PVC liner, water pump, heating device, porcelain bowls
Installation view, Pompidou Metz, 2015.

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot miner(e)ality, 2020 crushed recycled glass, 59 boulders, custom wood frame 14 x 14 m (46 x 46 feet) Installation view, West Bund Art & Design, Shanghai, Xiàn Chăng Section, Booth B316 November 12 – 15, 2020. Photo: Lawrence Lu.
Céleste Boursier-Mougenot miner(e)ality, 2020 crushed recycled glass, 59 boulders, custom wood frame 14 x 14 m (46 x 46 feet) Installation view, West Bund Art & Design, Shanghai, Xiàn Chăng Section, Booth B316 November 12 – 15, 2020. Photo: Lawrence Lu.
Céleste Boursier-Mougenot miner(e)ality, 2020 crushed recycled glass, 59 boulders, custom wood frame 14 x 14 m (46 x 46 feet) Installation view, The Tides of the Century, Ocean Flower Island Museum, Danzhou, Hainan Province ​February 8 – December 8, 2021
Céleste Boursier-Mougenot miner(e)ality, 2020 crushed recycled glass, 59 boulders, custom wood frame 14 x 14 m (46 x 46 feet) Installation view, West Bund Art & Design, Shanghai, Xiàn Chăng Section, Booth B316 November 12 – 15, 2020. Photo: Lawrence Lu.

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot
miner(e)ality, 2020
crushed recycled glass, 59 boulders, custom wood frame
14 x 14 m (46 x 46 feet)
Installation view, West Bund Art & Design, Shanghai, Xiàn Chăng Section, Booth B316
November 12 – 15, 2020. Photo: Lawrence Lu.

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot transHumUs, 2015 scotch pine, earth ball (soil, clay, natural aggregate, roots, rocks), battery operated mobile platform, Ubisense positioning system, LAAS-CNRS software program tree: approx. 177.17 x 149.61 x 149.61 in. (450 x 380 x 380 cm) base: approx. 31.5 x 66.93 x 66.93 in. (80 x 170 x 170 cm) weight: approx. 4.5 tons
Céleste Boursier-Mougenot transHumUs, 2015 scotch pine, earth ball (soil, clay, natural aggregate, roots, rocks), battery operated mobile platform, Ubisense positioning system, LAAS-CNRS software program  tree: approx. 177.17 x 149.61 x 149.61 in. (450 x 380 x 380 cm) base: approx. 31.5 x 66.93 x 66.93 in. (80 x 170 x 170 cm) weight: approx. 4.5 tons
Céleste Boursier-Mougenot transHumUs, 2015 scotch pine, earth ball (soil, clay, natural aggregate, roots, rocks), battery operated mobile platform, Ubisense positioning system, LAAS-CNRS software program tree: approx. 177.17 x 149.61 x 149.61 in. (450 x 380 x 380 cm) base: approx. 31.5 x 66.93 x 66.93 in. (80 x 170 x 170 cm) weight: approx. 4.5 tons

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot
transHumUs, 2015
scotch pine, earth ball (soil, clay, natural aggregate, roots, rocks), battery operated mobile platform, Ubisense positioning system, LAAS-CNRS software program 
tree: approx. 177.17 x 149.61 x 149.61 in. (450 x 380 x 380 cm)
base: approx. 31.5 x 66.93 x 66.93 in. (80 x 170 x 170 cm)
weight: approx. 4.5 tons

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot harmonichaos 2.1, 2006 13 vacuum cleaners, each outfitted with one tuner, one harmonica and one lightbulb overall dimensions variable; dimensions of one vacuum cleaner: 49 x 18 x 17 inches

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot
harmonichaos 2.1, 2006
13 vacuum cleaners, each outfitted with one tuner, one harmonica and one lightbulb
overall dimensions variable; dimensions of one vacuum cleaner: 49 x 18 x 17 inches 

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot fluides, 2018 HAB GALERIE, Nantes, France, for LE VOYAGE À NANTES Photo © Laurent Lecat, 2018.
Céleste Boursier-Mougenot fluides, 2018 HAB GALERIE, Nantes, France, for LE VOYAGE À NANTES Photo © Laurent Lecat, 2018.  
Céleste Boursier-Mougenot fluides, 2018 HAB GALERIE, Nantes, France, for LE VOYAGE À NANTES Photo © Laurent Lecat, 2018.  
Céleste Boursier-Mougenot fluides, 2018 HAB GALERIE, Nantes, France, for LE VOYAGE À NANTES Photo © Laurent Lecat, 2018.

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot
fluides, 2018
HAB GALERIE, Nantes, France, for LE VOYAGE À NANTES
Photo © Laurent Lecat, 2018.

 

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot Videodrones, 2001 DVD, dimensions variable Installation view, Paula Cooper Gallery, 2001

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot
Videodrones, 2001
DVD, dimensions variable
Installation view, Paula Cooper Gallery, 2001

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot aura, La Sucrière - La 13ème Biennale de Lyon 2015 curated by Ralph Rugoff, maple acoustic drum set, electromagnetic radiation detector, DMX relay pack, mac mini, cherry pits, drum set installed within a 7m diameter (23 foot diameter) circle demarcated by a wooden ring. Photo by Blaise Adilon.
Céleste Boursier-Mougenot aura, La Sucrière - La 13ème Biennale de Lyon 2015 curated by Ralph Rugoff, maple acoustic drum set, electromagnetic radiation detector, DMX relay pack, mac mini, cherry pits, drum set installed within a 7m diameter (23 foot diameter) circle demarcated by a wooden ring.  Photo by Blaise Adilon.
Céleste Boursier-Mougenot aura, La Sucrière - La 13ème Biennale de Lyon 2015 curated by Ralph Rugoff, maple acoustic drum set, electromagnetic radiation detector, DMX relay pack, mac mini, cherry pits, drum set installed within a 7m diameter (23 foot diameter) circle demarcated by a wooden ring. Photo by Blaise Adilon.

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot
aura, La Sucrière - La 13ème Biennale de Lyon 2015
curated by Ralph Rugoff, maple acoustic drum set, electromagnetic radiation detector, DMX relay pack, mac mini, cherry pits, drum set installed within a 7m diameter (23 foot diameter) circle demarcated by a wooden ring.
Photo by Blaise Adilon.

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot indexes, 2005/2011 Pleyel piano P190 with PianoDisc system, carpet, teleprompter, computer and software dimensions variable; piano: 74 1/2 x 59 1/2 x 40 1/2 in. (189.2 x 151.1 x 102.9 cm)

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot
indexes, 2005/2011
Pleyel piano P190 with PianoDisc system, carpet, teleprompter, computer and software
dimensions variable; piano: 74 1/2 x 59 1/2 x 40 1/2 in. (189.2 x 151.1 x 102.9 cm)

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot clinamen v.2, 2015 PVC liner, water pump, heating device, porcelain bowls Installation view, Pompidou Metz, 2015.

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot 
clinamen v.2, 2015 
PVC liner, water pump, heating device, porcelain bowls
Installation view, Pompidou Metz, 2015.

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot miner(e)ality, 2020 crushed recycled glass, 59 boulders, custom wood frame 14 x 14 m (46 x 46 feet) Installation view, West Bund Art & Design, Shanghai, Xiàn Chăng Section, Booth B316 November 12 – 15, 2020. Photo: Lawrence Lu.

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot
miner(e)ality, 2020
crushed recycled glass, 59 boulders, custom wood frame
14 x 14 m (46 x 46 feet)
Installation view, West Bund Art & Design, Shanghai, Xiàn Chăng Section, Booth B316
November 12 – 15, 2020. Photo: Lawrence Lu.

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot transHumUs, 2015 scotch pine, earth ball (soil, clay, natural aggregate, roots, rocks), battery operated mobile platform, Ubisense positioning system, LAAS-CNRS software program tree: approx. 177.17 x 149.61 x 149.61 in. (450 x 380 x 380 cm) base: approx. 31.5 x 66.93 x 66.93 in. (80 x 170 x 170 cm) weight: approx. 4.5 tons

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot
transHumUs, 2015
scotch pine, earth ball (soil, clay, natural aggregate, roots, rocks), battery operated mobile platform, Ubisense positioning system, LAAS-CNRS software program 
tree: approx. 177.17 x 149.61 x 149.61 in. (450 x 380 x 380 cm)
base: approx. 31.5 x 66.93 x 66.93 in. (80 x 170 x 170 cm)
weight: approx. 4.5 tons

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot harmonichaos 2.1, 2006 13 vacuum cleaners, each outfitted with one tuner, one harmonica and one lightbulb overall dimensions variable; dimensions of one vacuum cleaner: 49 x 18 x 17 inches

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot
harmonichaos 2.1, 2006
13 vacuum cleaners, each outfitted with one tuner, one harmonica and one lightbulb
overall dimensions variable; dimensions of one vacuum cleaner: 49 x 18 x 17 inches 

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot fluides, 2018 HAB GALERIE, Nantes, France, for LE VOYAGE À NANTES Photo © Laurent Lecat, 2018.

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot
fluides, 2018
HAB GALERIE, Nantes, France, for LE VOYAGE À NANTES
Photo © Laurent Lecat, 2018.

 

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot Videodrones, 2001 DVD, dimensions variable Installation view, Paula Cooper Gallery, 2001

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot
Videodrones, 2001
DVD, dimensions variable
Installation view, Paula Cooper Gallery, 2001

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot aura, La Sucrière - La 13ème Biennale de Lyon 2015 curated by Ralph Rugoff, maple acoustic drum set, electromagnetic radiation detector, DMX relay pack, mac mini, cherry pits, drum set installed within a 7m diameter (23 foot diameter) circle demarcated by a wooden ring. Photo by Blaise Adilon.

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot
aura, La Sucrière - La 13ème Biennale de Lyon 2015
curated by Ralph Rugoff, maple acoustic drum set, electromagnetic radiation detector, DMX relay pack, mac mini, cherry pits, drum set installed within a 7m diameter (23 foot diameter) circle demarcated by a wooden ring.
Photo by Blaise Adilon.

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot indexes, 2005/2011 Pleyel piano P190 with PianoDisc system, carpet, teleprompter, computer and software dimensions variable; piano: 74 1/2 x 59 1/2 x 40 1/2 in. (189.2 x 151.1 x 102.9 cm)

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot
indexes, 2005/2011
Pleyel piano P190 with PianoDisc system, carpet, teleprompter, computer and software
dimensions variable; piano: 74 1/2 x 59 1/2 x 40 1/2 in. (189.2 x 151.1 x 102.9 cm)