Miguel Chevalier
Quick Facts
Biography
Miguel Chevalier (born 1959) is a French digital artist known internationally as one of the pioneers of digital and virtual art. Chevalier’s work is complex and multidisciplinary. His sources lie in the history of art and his work explores recurrent themes such as nature and artifice, flows and networks, virtual cities and ornate designs. Since 1978, Chevalier has focussed exclusively on the use of computer technology as an artistic means of expression, and has been exploring the question of the hybrid and generative image. He continues to be a trailblazer, and has proven himself one of the most significant digital artists on the contemporary scene.
Biography
Chevalier was born in Mexico in 1959, where he lived during his childhood whilst his father, an academic, was writing his thesis on Latin-American history. During this time, Chevalier came into contact with many influential people from creative intellectual circles in Mexico, including artists such as [David Alfaro Siqueiros], [Luis Buñuel] and [Luis Barragán] as well as many others. Chevalier's experiences during this time contributed greatly to his intellectual and artistic awakening.
In 1980, Chevalier graduated from Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux Arts in Paris before going on to study at Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs, Université de Paris Saint Charles and Université de Paris La Sorbonne, where he received a diploma in fine art and archaeology. After graduating in 1983, he was awarded the Lavoisier scholarship by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and studied at the Pratt Institute, New York.
In 1994, he served as artist in residence at the Kujoyama Villa, Kyoto, Japan.
A monograph of his works from 1985 to 2000 has been published in France by Flammarion, and features essays and interviews by Pierre Restany, Laurence Bertrand Dorléac and Patrick Imbard. The monograph is accompanied by a CD-Rom made with Christine Buci-Glucksmann of his video and virtual reality installations.
Chevalier currently lives and works in Paris.
Major exhibitions
- Musée d'Art Moderne and the ARC Gallery in Paris in 1988
- Vivita Gallery in Florence in 1989
- The 1992 Olympic Games in Albertville and Barcelona
- Muséo de artes visuales in Caracas, Venezuela in 1993
- Pompidou Center, Paris, in 1994 with "Urban visions"
- Carrillo Gil Museum in Mexico City in 1996
- Stuttgart Staatsgalerie with "The Magic of the Figure" in 1997
- "Périphérie" at the Espace Cardin, Paris, in 1998
- "Memories and Mutations" at the Fabrika in Beirut in 1999
- Kwangju Biennale, Korea, in 2000
- "Metapolis" at the Marco de Monterrey Museum in Mexico City in 2002
- "Intersecting Networks" at the Bourse de Commerce, Paris, in 2003
- Galerie Suzanne Tarasiève "Meta-City" in 2004
- "Power pixels" at Centre des Arts in Enghien-les-Bains Tourisme in 2013
- "Paradis Artificiels" at Musee d'Art Moderne de Ceret, Ceret, France March 1 - June 1, 2014
- "L'origine du Monde"at Grand Palais, Paris, Projection on facade, March, 2014
- "Miguel Chevalier at Grand Palais". Louise Alexander Gallery.