Bernar Venet

In 2016, Venet was awarded the International Sculpture Center's Lifetime Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award.

Venet was represented by BlainSouthern from 2016 until the gallery went into administration in early 2020. In November 2020, it was announced that Venet had joined the roster of Waddington Custot in London. In 2021 he joined KÖNIG GALERIE and exhibited at the Ceysson & Bénétière Gallery in Paris.

In 2012, Venet was commissioned by Alan Gibbs, an art collector based in New Zealand; His newest and largest sculpture stands in the Gibbs Farm sculpture park.

In 2012, luxury car maker Bugatti invited Venet to create a one-off artwork to be applied to a Veyron Grand Sport. The finished work, described as "the fastest artwork ever", was revealed at the Rubell Family Collection in Miami during Art Basel Miami Beach.

Venet’s work has become known internationally, with sculptures exhibited in Belgium, America, Japan, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Canada and more recently New Zealand. In 2005, Venet received the title of Chevalier de La Legion d’Honneur, France’s highest honour.

His 1994 piece Four Indeterminate Lines is exhibited at the Skulpturen Park Köln.

During the 1980s, Venet continued to develop his art along logical lines. He also composed, choreographed and imagined the costumes and designs for Jean-Louis Martinoty’s production of the ballet Graduation. In the 1990s, he created his Indeterminate Lines series and subsequently his Arcs, which have been exhibited at various locations, including Versailles and internationally.

From 1971 to 1976, Venet did not create any art, entering a period of retrospection. He took up teaching Art and Art Theory at the Paris-Sorbonne University, and frequented lectures in England, Italy, Poland and Belgium. He resumed his artistic activity in 1976, exhibiting works at "Documenta VI" in Kassel in 1977. In 1979, he created a series of wood reliefs, entitling them Arcs, Angels, Diagonals.

In 1966, during a two-month visit to New York City, Venet was influenced by Minimalism, consequently incorporating this style into his art (cfr. Tubes). In 1967, Venet moved to New York and shared fellow artist Arman's studio, at 84 Walker Street (formerly Jean Tinguely's).

After several attempts at gaining a formal education in the arts, he worked as a stage designer at the Nice Opera in 1959. In 1961, Venet joined the French Army whilst also starting to establish his style as an artist. During this period, he painted with tar, creating his art with his feet in a gestural style. This work eventually developed into black monochromatic paintings which eschewed all forms of action painting.

Bernar Venet (born 20 April 1941) is a French conceptual artist.