Stéphane Thidet Challenges Physics and Social Norms in His Site-Specific Installations

water rains down from a classical style building with columns out front

“Rideau” (2020), in situ installation at Théâtre Graslin, Nantes, France, water, pumps, pond installation in situ. Photo © Martin Argyroglo, courtesy of the artist and Galerie Aline Vidal. All images shared with permission

Paris-based artist Stéphane Thidet invites viewers into wondrous worlds that skew perceptions and distort the laws of physics: a small wooden boat appears to arise from hard planks, flat stones nest inside a bookcase where paper tomes once stood, and water cascades from a Nantes theater making it impossible to enter without being drenched. Crafted with familiar materials and subject matter, Thidet’s site-specific installations and sculptures twist common scenes into unexpected territories.

Explore an archive of the artist’s work on his website.

two wooden chairs sitting side by side with their inner leg sawed down to spindly bits

“Chair” (2009), chairs, wood shavings, and sawdust, variable dimensions. Photo © Stéphane Thidet, courtesy of the artist and Galerie Aline Vidal

the edges of a small boat emerge from a wooden floor installation in a brick cavern

“La Crue” (2010), poplar wood, nails, variable dimensions. Photo © Galerie Aline Vidal courtesy of the artist and Galerie Aline Vidal Collection MAC VAL

“Rideau” (2020), in situ installation at Théâtre Graslin, Nantes, France, water, pumps, pond installation in situ. Photo © Martin Argyroglo, courtesy of the artist and Galerie Aline Vidal

a wooden bookcase with flat white stones slotted in like books

“Sans titre (Je crois qu’il y avait une maison, il me semble y avoir vécu)” (2010), bookcase and white stones, 239 x 187 centimeters. Photo © Stéphane Thidet, courtesy of the artist and Galerie Aline Vidal Collection CNAP

a wooden house stands atop a scaffolding with a tall staircase

“Il n’est pas de nouveau monde” (2023), wood and steel, 300 x 550 x 400 centimeters. Photo © Cité internationale de la langue Française, courtesy of the artist and Galerie Aline Vidal

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