Tilt is a French artist born in 1973 in Toulouse, where he lives and works. His passion for skateboarding led him to discover the aesthetics and philosophy of vandal writing, and in particular its ability to transgress public space and question social norms.
His artistic language, abstract in appearance, is linked to the force of gesture, the materiality of the trace and t...he inscription in a territory and in the world. He relies on processes of destruction, disintegration and erasure. He deconstructs surfaces, plays with scale and recontextualizes elements extracted from the street into new spaces.
Beyond a frontal, sometimes brutal aspect, his work creates an expectation in the viewer. It takes time to reveal itself, to be read. Letters have become fragments, evocations, questioning the plasticity of traces and writing. Signs and references to the history of Vandal writing, its origins and evolutions, are concealed, juxtaposed, to become the synthesis of a multitude of languages.
Tilt has exhibited at the Musée d’art contemporain les Abattoirs in Toulouse and the Musée Mohamed VI d’Art Moderne et Contemporain in Rabat. His works are part of the collections of the Mucem in Marseille, the Pera Museum in Istanbul and the Montresso Foundation in Marrakech. In 2018, he won the L’art est vivant – Promesses price, during the Art Paris Art Fair at the Grand Palais, Paris / France.
2022
Loud Paintings, Hangar 107, Rouen / France
2020
Future Primitive, Fondation Montresso, Marrakech / Morocco
Until now it’s OK (with Rose Madone), Art Paris with Galerie David Pluskwa, Paris / France
2019
Fundamentals (with Craig Costello), Hangar 107, Rouen / France
AC/DC, Kolly Gallery, Zurich / Switzerland
Story Telling, Fabien Castanier Gallery, Miami / USA
2018
Something Else, Galerie David Pluskwa, Marseille / France
It hurts until it doesn’t, Art Paris with Kolly Gallery, Paris / France
2017
Don’t grow up, it’s a trap, Kolly Gallery, Zurich / Switzerland
Offshore, Kolly Gallery, Zurich / Switzerland
2016
Concrete abstract, Megumi Ogita Gallery, Tokyo / Japan
Extractions, Fondation Montresso, Marrakech / Morocco
2014
Lines & Dots (with Mist), Atelier des Bains, Geneva / Switzerland
Too many ways to die, Kolly Gallery, Zurich / Switzerland
2013
Tilt, Galerie David Pluskwa, Marseille / France
Magic & Destroy, Galerie Wallworks, Paris / France
All You Can Eat, Fabien Castanier Gallery, Los Angeles / USA
2012
Closer to God in heels, La Grille, Yverdon Les Bains / Switzerland
Agnostic Fonts, Montana Gallery, Barcelona / Spain
2011
A.B.C, Montana Gallery, Montpellier / France
2010
My love letters, Celal Gallery, Paris / France
Faux Jumeaux (with Mist), Speerstra Gallery, Bursins / Switzerland
2006
Bubble FeTiltism, Kidrobot space, New York City / USA
BubbleGirls, Aimecube, Paris / France
Worldwide Babitches, Grand OFR, London England
2005
Egodrips, Disrupt gallery, Auckland / New Zealand
FeTiltism, Refill space, Sydney / Australia
2020
New Rules, Fabien Castanier Gallery, Miami / USA
2019
Tilt X Moses and Taps, Kolly Gallery, Zurich / Switzerland
2018
Time is now, Fabien Castanier Gallery, Miami / USA
2017
From a tag to an artwork, Kolly Gallery, Zurich / Switzerland
XXL, Fondation Montresso, Marrakech / Morocco
2016
Off the wall, Gajah National Museum, Jakarta / Indonesia
Epoxy, Musée d’art contemporain les Abattoirs, Toulouse / France
Swiss Cheese, Kolly Gallery, Paris / France
Family and friends, Fabien Castanier Gallery, Los Angeles / USA
Masters: Urban & Street Art, Galerie Laurent Strouk, Paris / France
Biennale Marrakech 6, Fondation Montresso, Marrakech / Morocco
Inedites, Galerie David Pluskwa, Marseille / France
2015
Spectrum, Oi You, Christchurch / New Zealand
Who’s your daddy, Kolly gallery, Lausanne / Switzerland
Main street, Museum Mohamed VI of Modern & Contemporary Art, Rabat / Morocco
From street to art, Galerie David Pluskwa, Marseille / France
Barcu, Columbian International Art Fair, Fabien Castanier gallery, Bogota / Colombia
2014
YIA, Galerie Wallworks, Paris / France
Behind the red wall, Jardin rouge, Marrakech / Morocco
NuArt Festival, Tou Scene, Stavanger / Norway
Language of the wall, Pera Museum, Istanbul / Turkey
Neo Vol #1, Die Kunstagentin, Köln / Germany
Abnormal activity, Tres punts Galeria, Barcelona / Spain
Art Wynwood, Art Wynwood – Fabien Castanier Gallery, Miami / USA
2013
Avant Premiere, Atelier des Bains, Geneva / Switzerland
Hypergraphia, BC Gallery, Berlin / Germany
Inédite(s), Galerie David Pluskwa, Marseille / France
La Dernière Vague, Friche de la Belle de Mai, Marseille / France
Artstübli, Schleifferei, Basel /Switzerland
Wider than a postcard, Breeze Block Gallery, Portland / USA
Write & Repeat, Stolen Space, Londres / United Kingdom
M.T.A., Galerie At Down, Montpellier / France
2012
Graffiti Therapy, Openspace, Paris / France
Leave the beef on the BBQ, Guerrero Gallery, San Francisco / USA
Suspect, Galerie Schöneck, Basel / Switzerland
French Invasion, Fabien Castanier Gallery, Los Angeles / USA
2011
Christmas Show, Pictures On Walls, London / United Kingdom
Thrilla Manila, Secret Fresh Gallery, Manila / Philippines
Off The Wall, Artspace Helutrans, Singapore / Singapore
Infamous, The Space, Hong-Kong / Hong-Kong
Bad Painting, Galerie 208, Paris / France
UrbanArt – Graffiti 21, Völklinger Hütte, Saarbrücken / Germany
2010
Tribute to Dare, K31 gallery, Lahr / Germany
Street Art, Espace Croix Baragnon, Toulouse / France
Encounters, AE studios LIC, Long Island city / USA
2009
Roots & buds, GHP Galerie, Toulouse / France
The Generations, 2nd Floor gallery, New York / USA
2008
Fresh air smells funny, Dominikanerkriche museum, Osnabrueck / Germany
Call it what you like, Silkeborg Bad center of Art, Silkeborg / Denmark
Explicit Fantastic, Keep Six Contemporary gallery, Toronto / Canada
Urban Art, Museum of Modern Art, Bremen / Germany
2007
Still on and non the wiser, Kunsthalle Barmen museum, Wuppertal / Germany
Waking up nights, De Pury & Luxembourg gallery, Zürich / Switzerland
We are the people darker than blue, Stilwerk, Hambourg / Germany
Hinter den Sieben Bergen, Patricia Low, Gstaad / Germany
Coming soon, Von-der-Heydt Museum, Berlin / Germany
2006
Overdose, Mc Caig and Welles gallery, New York city / USA
Retour de Chine, Musée d’art contemporain les Abattoirs, Toulouse / France
Art Berlin, Reinking Projekte, Berlin / Germany
Art Cologne, Revolver, Rik and René, Cologne / Germany
2005
Modern Graffitis, Tank loft, Art institute, Chongqin / China
2004
A change of direction…, Galerie St Ravy, Montpellier / France
Yone Love, Thunderbirds, Tokyo / Japan
Je m’installe aux Abattoirs, Musée d’art contemporain les Abattoirs Agnès B collection, Toulouse / France
2003
Style Heritage, Palais de Tokyo, Paris / France
Alive Paintings, Phat Cat space, Tokyo / Japan
2002
Graffiti Totems et tabous, Chateau Malromé, Bordeaux / France
Graffiti dans tous ces états, Taxie Gallery, Paris / France
2001
Post Graffiti, Centre national, musée Jean Jaurès, Castres / France
2000
Visions, Logoscope galerie, Monaco / France
1999
Graffiti Art, Contemporary art museum, Vienna / Austria
Mucem, Marseille / France
Pera Museum, Istambul / Turkey
Musée d’art contemporain les Abattoirs, Toulouse / France
2014 – 2023
Montresso Fondation, Jardin Rouge Artists Residency, Marrakech / Marocco
2016
Empreintes, Le chien à plumes, Langres / France
2015
Spectrum, Oi You, Christchurch / New Zealand
Outdoor, Nufactory, Roma / Italia
2014
NuArt Festival, Tou Scene, Stavanger / Norway
2013
Graff me Lebanon, Beirut / Lebanon
Histoire d’un mur, Pick Up Production, Nantes / France
2012
Elevate, Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs, Atlanta / USA
2011
Christmas Show, Pictures On Walls, London / United Kingdom
2009
Artotale, Leuphana Urban Art Project, Luneberg / Germany
2000
Visions, Logoscope galerie, Monaco / France
1998
Biennale d’Art Contemporain, Place Belcourt, Lyon / France
SOUVENANCES - A collective exhibition with Tilt17/11/2023 - 28/02/2024Institut français de MarrakechRoute de Targa, Jbel Guéliz, 40 010 Marrakech
NEW TERRITORIES - A solo presentation by TILT at Art Genève with Fondation Montresso24/01/2024 - 27/01/2024GenèvePalexpo
Les Bons Enfants - An exhibition by Tilt06/06/2024 - 29/06/2024Avant-propos32, rue des Bons Enfants, 76000 RouenTilt and Craig Costello have both marked the history of graffiti. The first one with a throw-up that will stun many other graffiti artists. For how can one choose the name Tilt and its letters so abrupt and rectilinear to make them round and so smooth. The second one by developing the dripping as a style in its own right, whereas it was considered as a fault, a lack of mastery. These artists quickly distinguished themselves by affirming their ambition to push back the limits of this clandestine practice, which quickly spread throughout the world.
Naturally attracted to studio work, the two artists gradually confronted the white cube. In this context, they both abandoned the letter to focus on the more plastic and conceptual aspects of their art. To make "classic" graffiti on canvas did not make sense. It was a betrayal of its origins, the very spirit of a vandal practice.
Fundamentals is a landmark exhibition. A radical statement taking graffiti to unknown lands, because thought by two artists who tell us, but without showing it, the purity of the artist's gesture in front of the support.
The radicalness and brutality of the exhibition Loud Paintings is the synthesis of many years of research. Those of an artist who has never ceased to explore the perfect plastic translation of one of his personal reflections: how to tell everything that is not seen by the public, when approaching the question of graffiti and its clandestine way of life?
In order to bring a first answer to this question, Tilt puts the visitor in an immersive installation, a faithful and detailed reproduction of places not well known by the general public. These are the abandoned factories and offices, these dark and sad places, reflections of a rapid and ineluctable march towards the fall, the end of a cycle. We ignore these forbidden places, absorbed as we are by a consumerist life, which does not care about the dramatic and destructive consequences of the capitalist way of life.
Tilt then presents a series of monumental canvases that appear, at first, perfectly abstract to the visitor. This is the second response of the artist, who blends in here in the role of a landscape painter. Each work brings together several hyper-realistic reproductions of wall details that conceal slices of life. These testimonies that we do not see, because they seem dirty and ugly. Yet these prints tell many stories, including the absurd and poetic one of the fight against graffiti vandalism.
Future Primitive (détail de l'exposition), Fondation Montresso, Marrakech / Maroc (2019) Photo : Cyril Boixel
Future Primitive (détail de l'exposition), Fondation Montresso, Marrakech / Maroc (2019) Photo : Cyril Boixel
Future Primitive (détail de l'exposition), Fondation Montresso, Marrakech / Maroc (2019) Photo : Cyril Boixel
Future Primitive (détail de l'exposition), Fondation Montresso, Marrakech / Maroc (2019) Photo : Cyril Boixel
Loud Paintings (détail de l'exposition), Hangar 107, Rouen / France (2022) Photo : Benjamin Roudet, Juan Cruz
Loud Paintings (détail de l'exposition), Hangar 107, Rouen / France (2022) Photo : Benjamin Roudet, Juan Cruz
Loud Paintings (détail de l'exposition), Hangar 107, Rouen / France (2022) Photo : Benjamin Roudet, Juan Cruz
Loud Paintings (détail de l'exposition), Hangar 107, Rouen / France (2022) Photo : Benjamin Roudet, Juan Cruz
Loud Paintings (détail de l'exposition), Hangar 107, Rouen / France (2022) Photo : Benjamin Roudet, Juan Cruz
Loud Paintings (détail de l'exposition), Hangar 107, Rouen / France (2022) Photo : Benjamin Roudet, Juan Cruz
Loud Paintings (détail de l'exposition), Hangar 107, Rouen / France (2022) Photo : Benjamin Roudet, Juan Cruz
Loud Paintings (détail de l'exposition), Hangar 107, Rouen / France (2022) Photo : Benjamin Roudet, Juan Cruz
In the studio