Page 68 - ART GIANTS issue of World of Art (WOA) Contemporary Art Magazine

JULIEN CECCALDI:
ADULT THEATER

MoMA PS1 is proud to present the first solo museum exhibition
in the United States of Julien Ceccaldi (French/Canadian, b.
1987), an artist based in New York City. This showcase features
a newly commissioned, large-scale painting that reshapes
the museum’s first-floor galleries, immersing visitors in a
fragmented narrative of digital excess and hyperconsumerism.
Ceccaldi’s work combines techniques from animation and
classical Renaissance artistry, trompe l’oeil, overlay, and freeze
frame, to craft visually striking compositions. His distinct style,
shaped by early exposure to anime on France Télévisions in
the 1990s, transgressive shöjo manga, and autobiographical
comics, blends melodrama, discomfort, and romance in a way
that reflects contemporary social life. Despite the seamless
polish of digital media, Ceccaldi’s works retain a handmade
aesthetic, capturing the emotional complexities of his
characters.
Organized by Kari Rittenbach, Assistant Curator at MoMA PS1,
this exhibition presents a deeply immersive experience into
Ceccaldi’s artistic universe.
Julien Ceccaldi. Hay’dée. 2024. Acrylic on OHP sheets and watercolor
on art paper. Courtesy Galerie Tenko Presents, Tokyo. Photo: Yohei
Watanabe

Julien Ceccaldi. Excerpt from the comic Simon’s Thumb. 2024. Courtesy the artist.

68 WORLD of ART