Biography
Biography

Olivier Vadrot was born in 1970. He lives and works in Beaune, Burgundy. Early on, he established his career at the intersection of several fields: architecture, design, exhibition curation and scenography, and the theatrical and musical stage. Alongside his studies at the École d’Architecture de Lyon, he embarked on the group venture of the Pluzdank theater company (1996–2001). He co-founded the contemporary art center La Salle de bains in Lyon (1999) as well as the group Cocktail Designers (2004), in which he designed several listening devices for record labels (Le kiosque émlectronique, 2004; Icosajack, 2007). His stay at Villa Medici as a scenographer (2012–13) marked an important turning point in his career.
From Circo Minimo, designed during this residency, to the Enquête Cavea, which led him to take measurements in most of the ancient performance buildings, his personal practice has recently solidified by refocusing on micro-architectures that enable gatherings (Faire c’est dire, 2017), shape group activity (Les Tribunes, 2015), and catalyze discussions (Cavea, 2016). Although some of his devices are nomadic, reproducible, and ephemeral, reduced to essential forms and made with inexpensive materials, others have been more durably installed in public space (Conversations, 2018 ; Orchestre, 2018 ; Les Fossiles, 2020). A first monographic book, entitled Mêlées, was dedicated to him in 2020, published by Catalogue Général, Paris.

Resume

Shows & Events (selection)

À soi-même, [solo show] in collaboration with Sébastien Roux, Musée des Archives Nationales, Paris (France) / Curator : Anne Rousseau / January to December 2022.
La quinzaine radieuse 13, [collective show] Piacé Le Radieux (France) / Curator : Nicolas Hérisson / September & October 2021.
Altitude 2028, [2021 summer program as part of Clermont-Ferrand’s candidacy for the title of European Capital of Culture in 2028] / Curator : Patrice Chazotte / Summer 2021.
Ensemble(s), [solo show] Le Quadrilatère, Beauvais (France) / Curator : Lucy Hofbauer / April to September 202.
Le Grand Tour, [solo show] Ravisius Textor, Nevers (France) / Curator : Thierry Chancogne / March - April 2021.
La vie dans l’espace, [collective show] Musée régional d’art contemporain Occitanie, Sérignan (France) / Curator : Jill Gasparina / September 2021- January 2022.
Children Power, [collective show] FRAC Île-de-France, Paris, Rentilly & Romainville (France) / Curator : Xavier Franceschi / May to Septembre 2021.
Le droit des objets à (se) disposer d’eux-mêmes, [collective show] Musée des Beaux-arts de Nancy (France) / Curator : Pierre Giner / September 2020 to January 2021.
Histoires Histoire, [collective show] Diagonale, Montréal (Canada) / Curator : Chloé Grondeau / January to march 2020.
Folk Assemblage, [collective show] Chapelle des Jésuites, Nîmes (France) / Curator : Olivier Vadrot / February to march 2020.
– Street Art, [collective show] Rue Louis Deglès, Paris (France) / Curators : Camila Oliveira Fairclough and Elsa Werth / November 2019.
Metaphorai - Humanity create narration, [collective show] The Art today Association - Plovdiv Ancient Bath (Bulgaria) / Curators : Katia Angelova et Alessandra Poggianti / September to October 2018.
Pressoir, [solo show] Galerie Surface, Saint-Etienne (France) / October to December 2018.
Minimo, [solo show] FRAC Franche-Comté, Besançon (France) / Curator : Sylvie Zavatta / June to September 2018.
Mai 68 Assemblée Générale, [collective show et event] Centre Pompidou, Paris (France) / Curators : Jean-Max Collard and Romain Lacroix / April - May 2018.
Make Truth Great Again, [collective show] Galerie Jousse Entreprise, Paris (France) / Curator : Martin Le Chevallier / March-April 2017.
Max Feed, œuvre et héritage de Max Neuhaus, [collective show] FRAC Franche-Comté, Besançon (France)/ Curator: Daniele Balit / October - december 2016.
Ouverture de saison, [collective show and festival] École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts de Paris (France) / Curators : Gabriel Gauthier and Elsa Michaud / July 2016.
Jeux de briques, [solo show] Centre d’art La Cuisine, Nègrepelisse (France) / Curator : Stéphanie Sagot / October 2015 to January 2016.
Le design c’est ?, [collective show] Espace culturel François Mitterrand, Périgueux (France) / Curator : Jeanne Quéheillard / October to December 2015.
Auteurs présumés, [collective show] Galerie des Étables, Bordeaux (France) / Curators: Chloé Grondeau and Émilie Roi / June - July 2015.
Les Pléiades, [collective show] Les Abattoirs, Musée – Frac Occitanie, Toulouse (France) / September 2013 to January 2014.
Buongiorno Blinky, [collective show] Cantieri Culturali Della Zisa, Palerme (Italy) / Curator : Emmanuel Van Der Meulen / February 2013.
Disegnare Oggetti Sonori, [collective show] Auditorium Parco della Musica, Rome (Italy) / Curator : Domitilla Dardi / February 2013.
Teatro delle Esposizioni [collective show] Villa Médicis, Rome (Italy) / Curator : Alessandro Rabottini / October 2012.
Design a Capella, [collective show] Musée des Beaux Arts, Agen (France) / Curator : Roseline Giusti et Marie-Dominique Nivière / June to September 2012.
Nuit bleue, [collective show and festival] Saline royale d’Arc-et-Senans (France) / July 2010.
Un Nouveau Festival, [collective show and festival] Centre Pompidou, Paris (France) / Curator : Bernard Blistène / October 2009.
Indisciplines, [collective show] Villa Arson, Nice (France) / Curators : Philippe Frank and Christian Vialard / June 2008.
Sound of music, [collective show] Musée des beaux-arts de Courtrai (Belgium) / Curator : Hilde Teerlinck / July to September 2007.
Rooms, Conversations, [collective show] Le Plateau - FRAC Ile-de-France, Paris (France) / Curator : Xavier Franceschi / December 2007 to February 2008.

Residencies and Fellowships

Adata Air, [residency] Plovdiv (Bulgaria), in collaboration with Laura Drouet and Olivier Lacrouts / July 2018.
Les Ateliers - Marseillle Provence 2018, [residency] Logirem Foundation and Mécènes du Sud, Marseille (France) / January to June 2018.
– Programme Hors les Murs - Institut Français, [residency] Greece and Turkey / Summer 2016.
– Centre d’art contemporain La Cuisine, [residency] Nègrepelisse (France) / August 2014 to avril 2015.
– Farpath Foundation, [residency] New York (USA) / November 2013.
– Fondation Nationale des Arts Graphiques et Plastiques (FNAGP), [fellowship] Paris (France)/ november 2012.
– Académie de France à Rome - Villa Médicis, [fellowship] Rome (Italy) / April 2012 - march 2013.
– Aide individuelle à la création, [grant] Direction régionale des affaires culturelles de Bourgogne, Dijon (France) / 2003.
– Fondation Bullukian, [grant] Lyon (France) / 1993.

Public Collections

– Centre National des Arts Plastiques - CNAP, Paris (France).
– Collection départementale d’art contemporain de la Seine-Saint-Denis (France).
– Ville de Puteaux (France).
– FRAC Franche-Comté, Besançon (France).
– FRAC Nouvelle-Aquitaine Méca, Bordeaux (France).
– Musée régional d’art contemporain Occitanie / Pyrénées-Méditérranée, Sérignan (France).
– FRAC Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Marseille (France).
– FRAC Ile-de-France, Paris (France).

Lectures

Qui veut prendre la parole? , [lecture] La Panacée, Montpellier (France) / April 2022.
Mêlées, [lecture] Università IUAV di Venezia (Italy) / April 2022.
Assis ensemble, [lecture] École nationale supérieure de création industrielle, Paris (France) / May 2021.
Les Mercredis de l’Anthropocène - Saison 4, [lecture] École Urbaine de Lyon - Université de Lyon (France) / December 2020.
Une heure avec Olivier Vadrot , [lecture] Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nancy (France) // November 2020.
Qui veut prendre la parole? , [lecture] La Panacée, Montpellier (France) / April 2022.
Les mondes de l’art, [round table] École supérieure d’art de Aix-en-Provence (France) / March 2019.
Qui veut prendre la parole? , [table ronde] École supérieure d’art et de design d’Orléans (France) / November 2019.
Design des instances , [scientific conference] Saint-Etienne International Design Biennal (France) / Avril 2019.
Les Mondes de 68, [colloque] Centre Pompidou, Paris (France) / Moderators : Philippe Artières et Jean-Max Collard / May 2018.
Qui veut prendre la parole? , [lecture] École supérieure des beaux-arts de Nîmes (France) / April 2018.
Qui veut prendre la parole? , [lecture] École régionale des beaux-arts de Rennes (France) / October 2017.
Border Lines – frontières, limites et échelles dans l’espace urbain, [conférence] with the writer and essayist Olivier Mongin / FRAC Provence Alpes Côtes d’Azur, Marseille (France) / November 2016.
Créateurs et commissaires, [lecture] Musée d’art moderne et contemporain de Strasbourg (France) / January 2014.
École du Magasin, [seminar] Centre d’art Le Magasin, Grenoble (France) / December 2013.
Une histoire des espaces de diffusion de la musique, [course] École nationale supérieure d’architecture de Lyon / October 2010, February 2011.
Heureuses Coïncidences 5 - Architecture à petite échelle, [colloque] Domaine de Lezigno (France) / May 2010.
Le Paris Lounge?, [round table] Platform 21, Amsterdam (Netherlands) / Moderator : Robert Stadler / March 2007.
Architecte comme artiste, [round table] CAUE du Rhône, Lyon (France) / Moderator : Catherine Grandin / March 2006.

Download the complete resume

Press review

08.07.2021
L’Obs / Weekly magazine (printed supplement), Paris
[Download PDF]

24.03.2021
URBANUM / Blog, Budapest / Should I Dare To Use It? by Balázs Csizik
[Read onligne]

30.10.2019
Le Moniteur Architecture AMC / Monthly magazine, Paris (digital edition) / Back from the FIAC: nomadic furniture at the Grand Palais by Laure Carsalade
[Lire en ligne]

07.08.2019
Design Milk / Online magazine, Pickerington, Ohio / Orchestre : a serie of 26 outdoor seating sculptures by Kelly Beall
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06.05.2019
AD USA / Monthly magazine, New York (digital edition) / We Should All Take a Cue from Playground Designers by Evan Nicole Brown
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03.04.2019
AD Russia / Monthly magazine, Moscow (digital edition) / Vse dlja detej: Olivier Vadrot pišet stihi na asfalte by Tatiana Filippova
[Lire en ligne]

29.03.2019
Design Milk / Online magazine, Pickerington, Ohio / Conversations Is a Sculptural Playground That Invites Kids to Play & Chat by Caroline Williamson
[Lire en ligne]

21.03.2019
Étapes / Bimonthly magazine, Paris (printed edition) / L’homme orchestre by Jeanne Quéheillard
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08.03.2019
Home & Design TRENDS / Monthly magazine, New Delhi (printed edition) / Orchestre by Olivier Vadrot by Tina Thakrar
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05.03.2019
DOMUS / Monthly magazine, Milan (printed edition) / Tre sculture dove i bambini possono giocare e conversare by Elena Sommariva
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11.02.2019
Dezeen / Online magazine, Londres / Olivier Vadrot designs sculptural outdoor playground for children by Gunseli Yalcinkaya
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25.01.2019
Designboom / Daily web magazine, Milan / Olivier Vadrot’s lava stone and marble seats are shaped like latin alphabet letters by Sofia Lekka Angelopoulou
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16.01.2019
DOMUS / Monthly magazine, Milan (digital edition) / 26 lava stone seats represent the Latin alphabet by Salvatore Peluso
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02.01.2019
ATRIUM / Monthly magazine, Bratislava (printed edition) / HRA NACÚVANIA. Roissy-en-France: Kamenné ihrisko
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17.10.2018
Connaissances des arts / Monthly magazine, Paris (digital edition) / LDeux commandes du Centre national des arts plastiques recréées pendant la FIAC
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28.07.2018
DOMUS / Monthly magazine, Milan (digital edition) / France. An exhibition celebrates the ephemeral architecture of Olivier Vadrot by Laura Drouet et Olivier Lacrouts
[Lire en ligne]

18.12.2017
Télérama / Weekly magazine, Paris (digital edition) / Avec la “Flash Collection“, les œuvres d’art entrent dans les lycées by Lorraine Rossignol
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20.11.2017
Artribune / Bi-monthly magazine, Rome (digital edition) / The Art Book Shop Project. Arte e editoria indipendente nel nuovo spazio alla Fabbrica del Vapore by Mariacristina Ferraioli
[Lire en ligne]

12.05.2017
Slash-Paris / Web magazine, Paris / 1977 — Centre d’art de l’Onde, Vélizy by Guillaume Benoit
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13.06.2016
Ideas and projects for thinking spaces / Blog, Milan / Cavea. Allestire lo spazio della conversazione pubblica by Chiara Rubessi
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24.11.2013
Le Bien Public / Regional daily newspaper, Dijon (printed edtion) / Une parenthèse romaine by Marie Vindy
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16.10.2013
Les Inrocks / Weekly magazine, Paris (printed edition) / Déstockage massif by Judicaël Lavrador
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04.10.2013
Pause / Quarterly magazine, Le Mans (printed edition) / Imaginer des concerts en toutes circonstances, interview with Ruddy Guilmin
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03.01.2011
Mouvement / Quarterly magazine, Paris (printed edition) / La diagonale du signe by Pierre Tillet
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