Daniel Arsham: “The Passage of Time Is a Very Curious Sensation”

In the Santa Caterina Church in Canarregio, Arsham's Venice solo show was presented by the international Perrotin gallery, described as an exhibition that "blurs the boundaries between eras and creates a profound sense of dislocation." His concept of "futuristic archaeology" imagined Venice in 3024, exploring contemporary art and icons that have endured through time. The show featured sculptures made from classic plasters sourced from the Louvre’s collections, monumental paintings, and impressive bronze works, some over two meters tall.

Admired and critiqued alike, the exhibition became one of the most talked-about events at the Biennale. Unfazed by public opinion, the New York-based artist is obsessed with the passage of time. The effects of time, and its inevitable decay, are central to his work: "For me, the passage of time is a very curious sensation," Arsham confides. "A physical moment can be fleeting or last for hours, but an emotion or memory transcends the seconds, minutes, hours, and days... When I was 20, I worked for a choreographer for five years. Watching performances, I noticed how they could compress or stretch time. That made me think about how visitors experience exhibitions. It’s like a journey; you have to create a pathway. That’s when I started exploring geology and archaeology. I’ve made sculptures of clocks sinking into walls. The concept of time, or its absence, is woven into many of my works." While Arsham’s sculptures depict archaeological remains, his own meteoric career shows no signs of erosion. On the contrary, his popularity continues to grow, expanding geographically, especially in Asia. "My many trips to Japan for one of my projects have inspired me," Arsham says. "The blend of traditional culture and cutting-edge technology creates a fascinating juxtaposition, which feeds my exploration of past and future themes."

Today, Arsham is one of the most in-demand and expensive artists, exhibiting globally from Paris to Shanghai and Tokyo. He collaborates with Porsche, Kim Jones (Dior), and even the Pokémon Company, and is represented by renowned gallery owner Emmanuel Perrotin. His approach to familiar objects and symbols, eroding them to give them new meaning, captivates audiences. In a unique art-fiction approach, he creates future relics by imagining the eventual fate of significant contemporary objects. His sculptures, paintings, films, and installations are often grand in scale. What will the iconic objects of our time look like when eroded and rediscovered by future generations? Will a buried Porsche 911, camera, or Pokémon figurine provoke the same awe? His series Connecting Time and projects like Hourglass in Hong Kong aim to build bridges between generations, sparking a dialogue about the remnants of the past and the effects of time.

Arsham became known to the general public around 2010 with the rise of drop culture. When he sold his multiples directly on eBay at fixed prices, hundreds of his sculptures sold out in minutes, even crashing the platform.