In his most recent exhibitions at the Haus der Kunst, Munich, and Leeum Museum of Art, Seoul (2024-25), Parreno used voice—the aural phenomenon of vocal communication—as the connective tissue uniting all elements and activating the dramaturgy among them. Illuminated light is the structural leitmotif of the show, integrating the distinct objects in the presentation and creating its very ambience. Parreno has worked with light as a material for years; it is a potent genetic strand in the DNA of his work. The signature, illuminated marquees—ghostly theatrical signposts—are now synonymous with his practice, as are the videos and animations constructed from light-emitting pixels. And the specially crafted light fixtures manifest across a range of designs, from hanging to floor based, from mobile to stationary, are increasingly present in his exhibitions, functioning as glowing protagonists in the mise-en-scène that is his art.
Opening in May in New York, the exhibition features a new animation alongside recent works Gladstone presents Noor, an exhibition by Philippe Parreno that pivots to light, a long-standing medium in his practice, as the constitutive element.