The fifteenth issue of Pleased to meet you is devoted to John Armleder, who himself needs no introduction. Internationally recognized, his practice is above all an attempt to transform the status of the work of art, both in the way it is perceived and interpreted. The complex relationship that a work of art can maintain with different environments and the interactions it inspires are at the center of his research. Capable of the most stunning effects as well as meticulous attention to detail, he applies his “elegant geometry” on all sorts of objects and in a multiplicity of contexts. “I have nothing to do with it” explains one of the most daring artists of the last few decades, who has never sacrificed aesthetics or visual appeal on the altar of his conceptual approach. In taking his lack of seriousness extremely seriously, he extends an open invitation to us to accompany him in his optimistic and playful, irresistible and impertinent work.

Produced in conjunction with the John Armleder exhibition at the Musée Régional d’Art Contemporain Occitanie in Sérignan, this issue includes a portfolio of the major works on show at the exhibition, and features previously unseen archival images, which trace a career spanning more than 50 years, during which different movements and groups of artists have crossed paths, and Armleder has remained at the forefront of artistic innovation. Julien Fronsacq, head curator at the MAMCO in Geneva, encounters John Armleder in a fascinating conversation, while Jill Gasparina, art critic and independent curator, produces an essay in which she puts ChatGPT’s predictive knowledge of the artist’s future works to the test…

“When somebody buys one of my paintings, I'll give them the divan that goes with it!”