Sphère-trames
This suspended spherical sculpture by François Morellet is composed of multiple overlapping layers of steel wire grid panels arranged to form a three dimensional globe. The interplay of the stacked mesh layers creates a dense optical moiré effect at the center while the protruding wire ends at the perimeter give the sphere a dynamic, almost explosive quality. The work hangs from a single cable point and is installed above a bed of white gravel, with raw concrete and dark tiled walls forming a stark architectural backdrop that amplifies the geometric precision of the piece. Morellet was a pioneering French artist associated with Geometric Abstraction and Systematic Art, and this work exemplifies his lifelong investigation into the visual and spatial logic of repetitive grid structures.
- Medium
- Steel wire mesh sculpture
Notes
Post shared by Instagram account galerie.oh, posted 12 minutes before screenshot. Caption: 'Francois Morellet, "Sphère-trames", dans la collection du Hakone Museum.' Photo credit: Hervé Bize. Hashtags: #francoismorellet #françoismorellet #morellet #hakoneopenairmuseum #hakone. 13 likes at time of screenshot.
More by François Morellet
Collectors of François Morellet
Artists in conversation
Gyula Kosice
Argentine · b. 1924
Kosice constructed suspended geometric sculptures using industrial materials including wire and metal mesh that generate optical complexity through layered transparent structures, closely mirroring Morellet's spherical grid work in both material language and perceptual depth.
Dadamaino
Italian · b. 1930
Dadamaino created systematic grid and mesh based works using transparent and metallic surfaces that produce strong optical interference patterns, sharing Morellet's precise geometric methodology and the moire visual phenomenon central to this spherical wire sculpture.
Hartmut Böhm
German · b. 1938
Böhm constructs three dimensional geometric structures using layered grid systems that generate dense optical interference and spatial ambiguity, directly paralleling the visual logic of Morellet's overlapping steel mesh sphere with its systematic accumulation of repeated linear modules.
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