Fabrice Gygi

Flip casually through this monograph by Fabrice Gygi, a rising art star, and it seems that he makes attractively simple designs for contemporary mass living. His installations contain structures made of industrial materials such as metal tubing, tarps, inflatable cushioning and steel sheeting, and appear to be easily erected (and deconstructed) for meetings, parties, sports activities or other gatherings. A closer gaze reveals a sly political dimension and a certain creepy ambiguity. A polling booth looks efficient in its crowd-control mechanisms, but is it too controlling? And in another piece, ominous loudspeakers, too large for the space allotted, hover over a step-up podium that rises above orange gymnastic matting: Is it a bully pulpit for a benign religious leader or a bullying pulpit for a portable demagogue?