15 artists you should keep an eye on in 2018

At Artsper, we are forward-thinking and we like our readers to be precursors! As such, we want to show you the artists to follow in 2018 and why. You can find a more comprehensive list in “The Hazan guide to contemporary art”.

#1 Stéphane Thidet

His slight distortions of reality, his challenging of the laws of gravity, his re-use of everyday objects, and his strange world have all won us over!

#2 Gilles Barbier

The insolent art of Gilles Barbier is made up of wacky and surprising compositions that blend distant worlds. His works have been displayed at the Friche de la Belle de Mai art complex in Marseille and the Carré d’Art museum in Nîmes. They are also part of collections belonging to the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris and Antoine de Galbert, the managing director of the Maison Rouge art foundation.

#3 Tatiana Trouvé

Her psychedelic but organised works are surprising and mysterious. She manages to imbue her spaces with an intimidating atmosphere despite the vivid colours she uses. Her works are part of collections belonging to the Centre Georges Pompidou and the Pinault Collection. They are also displayed in the most prestigious art galleries in the world.

#4 Mona Hatoum

Using minimalist and fragile forms, the Palestinian artist explores the themes of war and exile. Her works are part of collections belonging to the Centre Georges Pompidou and Tate Britain.

#5 Hicham Berrada

Hicham Berrada uses physics and chemistry to transform natural processes into works of art and thereby reveals to us a world not yet known, filled with new images and new landscapes. His works have been displayed at the Cent Quatre cultural centre and the Palais de Tokyo art centre, both in Paris. They are also part of collections belonging to the Centre Georges Pompidou, the MAC/VAL contemporary art museum, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Lyon.

#6 Farah Atassi

Using a mix of abstract and figurative art, Atassi recreates interiors inspired by photographs and offers perspectives that need deciphering. Her works have been displayed at the Salon de Montrouge contemporary art fair and have earned her a nomination for the Marcel Duchamp prize. They are part of collections belonging to the Centre Georges Pompidou and the MAC/VAL contemporary art museum.

#7 Tomás Saraceno

A huge success at the International Contemporary Art Fair (FIAC) in 2017, Tomás Saraceno conveys political and environmental messages and takes visitors to worlds that are almost futuristic. Saraceno will hold an exhibit at the Palais de Tokyo art centre in 2018, but his works have also been displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. How artworks are part of collections belonging to the MoMA in New York and MUDAM in Luxembourg.

#8 Laurent Grasso

Laurent Grasso‘s works hover between the past and the future; they destabilise the beholder with their disruptive elements incorporated into the paintings. This miraculous and transcending side of his art has seduced many collectors. His works are part of collections belonging to the Centre Georges Pompidou and the Olbricht Foundation in Berlin.

#9 Helena Almeida

A painter and photographer, Helena Almeida has represented Portugal twice at the Venice Biennale. Using black-and-white self-portraits into which she incorporates painting, she explores the notions of medium and surface. Her works are part of collections belonging to MUDAM in Luxembourg and the Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon. They are also displayed in the Jeu de Paume arts centre in Paris and the Gulbenkian Foundation.

#10 Mark Dion

Between art and archaeology, Mark Dion collects curious objects in his small cabinets: plastic animals, stuffed animals, etc. It is his way of expressing his environmental concerns. His works are part of collections belonging to the Tate Modern and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They are displayed at the Victoria and Albert Museum, at the FRAC PACA regional fund for contemporary art in Marseille, and the Carré d’Art museum Nîmes.

#11 Kader Attia

This African artist makes use of several disciplines to depict society from every angle: philosophy, sociology, etc. His very rich art explores history, geopolitics, and all the resulting philosophical implications. His works are part of collections belonging to the Centre Georges Pompidou and the MoMA in New York. They have also been displayed at the Documenta in Kassel and the MMK (Museum of Modern Art) in Frankfurt.

#12 Elmgreen & Dragset

Contemporary art has many critics. Elmgreen & Dragset are two rascals who have infiltrated it and are always ready to create parodies about and perform dirty tricks on the world of art and art collectors: fake exhibitions, parody stands at Biennales and art fairs… we have not heard the last of them. Their works have been displayed at the Venice Biennale and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. They are part of collections belonging to Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin, the Astrup Fearnley Museum, and the Margulies Collection.

#13 Francis Alÿs

Did you know that there is a revolutionary in the world who moves mountains and you may not have heard of him? Francis Alÿs expresses his ideas in a very discreet manner. He protests on his own, hires fives students to move a mountain, and pushes a block of ice in Mexico. His works are part of collections belonging to the City of Paris Museum of Modern Art and the Guggenheim Museum in New York. They are also displayed at the MoMA in New York and the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles.

#14 Rirkrit Tiravanija 

According to Rirkrit Tiravanija, art lies first and foremost in the exchange of ideas. This is why his exhibitions always begin with a meal. His art falls into these intermediate moments during which we engage in discussion. It is a conceptual art, but one that is perfectly achieved through drawing and sculpture. His works are part of collections belonging to the Centre Georges Pompidou and the Guggenheim Museum in New York. They have also been displayed at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, the Tate Modern in London, and the City of Paris Museum of Modern Art.

#15 Michel Blazy

The Artist Michel Blazy tackles consumerism through progressive works. He uses mainly living materials that he incorporates into industrial objects. The rotting of these materials shows that within our society some things escape our control. His works are accompanied by instructions and are entirely collectible. As a matter of fact, they are part of collections belonging to the Centre Georges Pompidou and the New National Museum of Monaco. They are also displayed at Plateau and the Collège des Bernardins.