Damien Bénéteau's RELIEF series invites viewers to experience a serene interplay of light, shadow, and form. With Relief 34 (outside) and Relief 34 (inside), Bénéteau masterfully distills minimal geometry into a poetic exploration of presence and absence. The subtle convex and concave surfaces crafted from anodized aluminum and stainless steel seem to shift between dimensions, creating a meditative balance between materiality and perception.
In Outside, light radiates outward from the surface, forming a soft halo that suggests a void. In contrast, Inside draws the light inward, amplifying its depth through a gentle curvature. Together, these works engage the viewer in a contemplative dialogue, revealing how light interacts with volume and transforms the perception of space.
Influenced by movements such as Kinetic Art and Op Art, Bénéteau's practice reduces form to its essentials. The simplicity of the works belies their complexity; the subtle gradients of light and shadow continuously animate the surfaces, offering new visual discoveries from every angle. These dualities-inside and outside, convex and concave, presence and absence-create a profound sense of stillness and movement in tandem.
Through this series, Bénéteau bridges the worlds of precision and philosophy, demonstrating how sculpture can transcend physical form to engage with time, space, and perception. RELIEF is not just a visual experience; it is an invitation to pause, reflect, and reconsider how we engage with the material and immaterial aspects of the world around us.
