Alain KIRILI

As of October 2021, Slag & RX Galleries will jointly represent the estate of Alain Kirili. In 2022, the galleries will have each a solo exhibition in Paris and New York, respectively, presenting Kirili's work.

Alain Kirili is a French American sculptor of verticality and modeling. His work emphasizes an “aesthetics of spontaneity” and seeks its formal unity through the variety of materials he employs in a quest for “ organic simplicity.” He has worked on the monumental aspects of sculpture in public spaces (at the campus of the University of Bourgogne in Dijon, in Paris and Grenoble). Alain Kirili was commissioned by the Ministère de la Culture to install the sculpture of the 20th century in the Tuileries in Paris.

Born in 1946 in Paris, France ; Died in 2021 in New York, USA. Lived and worked in Paris and New York.


PUBLIC INSTALLATIONS AND EXHIBITIONS (selection)

2024
- FAB Paris, RX&SLAG, Grand Palais, Paris, France.
- Défi de l’apesanteur, RX&SLAG, Paris, France.
- Totem, SLAG&RX, New York, USA.
2023
- Selected works, SLAG&RX, New York, USA.
2022
- Singing in Unison – Part 3, Below Grand Gallery, New York, USA.
- Singing in Unison – Part 7, Below Grand Gallery, New York, USA.
- Couvent des Franciscaines, Deauville, France.
- SLAG Gallery, New York, USA.
2019
- Susan Inglett Gallery, New York, USA.
2016
- Hionas Gallery, New York, USA.
2014
- ArtHelix Gallery, Bushwick, Brooklyn, USA.
- Caen Fine Arts Museum, Caen, France.
- Cohue Museum, Vannes, France.
- Akira Ikeda Gallery, Tokyo, Japan.
2013
- Pièce Unique Gallery, Paris, France.
2012
- Parvis Hôtel de Ville, Paris, France.
- Hartung Bergman Foundation, Antibes, France.
- Picasso Museum, Antibes, France.
- Akira Ikeda Gallery, New York, USA / Berlin, Germany.
2011
- Grenoble Museum, Grenoble, France.
- Montmajour Abbey, Arles, France.
- Caen Fine Arts Museum, Caen, France.
2010
- Jean-Luc & Takako Richard Gallery, Paris, France.
2009
- St Jean d’Orbestier Abbey, Château d’Olonne, France.
2007
- Orangerie Museum, Paris, France.
- Galerie Salander O’Reilly, New York, USA.
2006
- Orsay Museum, Paris, France.
2005
- Garden of the Palais Royal, Paris, France.
2004
- New York Studio School, New York, USA.
2003
- Valencian Institute of Modern Art - IVAM, Valencia, Spain.
2002
- Valenciennes Fine Arts Museum, Valenciennes, France.
2000
- Marlborough Gallery, Chelsea, New York, USA.
1999
- Grenoble Fine Arts Museum, Grenoble, France.
- San Francisco Fine Arts Museum, Legion of Honor Museum, San Francisco, USA.
1998
- Marlborough Gallery, Chelsea, New York, USA.
1997
- Guggenheim Museum, New York, USA.
1996
- Daniel Templon Gallery, Paris, France.
1994
- The Talbot Rice Art Gallery, Edimburg, Scotland.
1992
- Saint-Étienne Museum of Modern Art, Saint-Étienne, France.
1991
- Brooklyn Museum, New York, USA.
- Calais Fine Arts Museum, Calais, France.
- Daniel Templon Gallery, Paris, France.
1990
- Holly Solomo Gallery, New York, USA.
1989
- Daniel Templon Gallery, Paris, France.
1987
- Holly Solomon Gallery, New York, USA.
1985
- Rodin Museum, Paris, France.
- Adrien Maeght Gallery, Paris, France.
1984
- Adrien Maeght Gallery, Paris, France.
- Saint Pierre Museum, Lyon, France.
- Besançon Fine Arts Museum, Besançon, France.
1983
- Kunstmuseum, Düsseldorf, Allemagne.
1982
- Sonnabend Gallery, New York, USA.
- Frankfurter Kunstverein, Francfort, Germany.
1981
- Diane Brown Gallery, Washington, USA.
- Dallas Fine Arts Museum, Dallas, USA.
1980
- Beyeler, Bâle, Switzerland.
1978
- Sonnabend Gallery, New York, USA.
- HausLange Museum, Krefeld, Allemagne.
1976
- Sonnabend Gallery, Paris, France.
- Clocktower Institute for Art and Urban Ressources, New York PS1, New York, USA.
1972
- Sonnabend Gallery, Paris, France.


FORMER GALLERIES (selection)

2016
- Hionas Gallery, New York, USA.
2014-2012
- Akira Ikeda Gallery, New York, USA / Berlin, Germany / Tokyo, Japan.
2013
- Pièce Unique Gallery, Paris, France.
2000-1998
- Marlborough Gallery, New York, USA.
1996-1989
- Templon Gallery, Paris, France.
1990-1987
- Holly Solomon Gallery, New York, USA.
1985-1984
- Adrien Maeght Gallery, Paris, France.
1980
- Beyeler Gallery, Basel, Switzerland.
1982-1972
- Sonnabend Gallery, Paris, France / Geneva, Switzerland / New York, USA.


AWARDS
2020
- Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, France.
2019
- A Lifetime of Achievement, Vision Festival, USA.
- Art Award, American Academy of Arts and Letters, USA.
2000
- Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur, France.
1997
- Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, France.


PUBLIC COLLECTIONS (sélection)

USA
- Museum of Modern Art, New York.
- Dixon Galleries and Gardens, Memphis.
- The Morgan Library & Museum, New York.
- The Jewish Museum, New York.
- Albright, Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo.
-  Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield.
- Vogel Collection, Museum Of Art Rhode Island School of Design, Providence.
- New Mexico Museum of Art, Santa Fe.
- Dallas Museum of art, Dallas.
- Nasher Foundation, Dallas.

France
- Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris.
- National Contemporary Art Fund, Paris.
- National Contemporary Art Fund, Franche-Comté, Besançon.
- National Contemporary Art Fund, Basse-Normandie, Caen.
- National Contemporary Art Fund, Bretagne, Châteaugiron.
- Angers Fine Arts Museum Musée des Beaux-Arts, Angers.
- Picasso Museum, Antibes.
- Caen Fine Arts Museum, Caen.
- Grenoble Museum, Grenoble.
- Contempory Art Museum, Lyon.
- Museum of Modern Art, Saint-Etienne.
- Fine Arts Museum, Valenciennes.

Germany
- Lehmbruck Museum, Duisburg.
- Ludwig Museum, Cologne.

Spain
- Valencian Institute of Modern Art - IVAM, Valencia.


PUBLICATIONS

Monographss :
2012
- Kirili à Grenoble, Dubbeld Sabrina, editions Ereme.
2002
- Alain Kirili, Morgan Robert C., Paris, editions Flammarion.

Exhibition catalogues :
2019
- Alain Kirili: Who’s Afraid of Verticality?, Susan Inglett Gallery, New York, USA.
2016
- Alain Kirili «In the Round», Hionas Gallery, New York, USA.
2014
- Suite Musicale, La Cohue Museum of Fine Arts in Vannes, France.
- Alain Kirili : Lévitations, Kristell Loquet, editions Marcel Le Poney.
- Alain Kirili: Drawing in Space, ArtHelix Gallery, Brooklyn, USA.
- Embodiment and Language: Alain Kirili’s Calligraphy in the Round, David Cohen.
- Parcours croisés, Caen Fine Arts Museum, France.
- Duo Absolu, Barry Schwabsky.
- Surgissement à deux, Yannick Haenel, Translated by Philip Barnard.
- Parcours croisés, Patrick Ramade.
- Alain Kirili Sculptures 1976-2014, Akira Ikeda Gallery, Berlin, Germany and Tokyo, Japan.
2013
- Alain Kirili, Pièce Unique Gallery, Paris, France.
- One place, one work: Kirili at Pièce Unique, Thierry Dufrêne.
2012
- Rythmes d’automne, Parvis de l’Hôtel de Ville de Paris, France.
- Rythmes d’automne à Paris, Thierry Dufrêne, editions Akira Ikeda Gallery.
2011
- Alain Kirili, Geste de Résistance, Caen Museum, France.
- The Eye of Hitler, Robert Paxton.
2007
- Kirili et les Nymphéas, Orangerie Museum, Paris, France.
- Alain Kirili & Gaston Lachaise, Salander O’Reilly Gallery, New York, USA.
- Gaston Lachaise, a french American, Alain Kirili.
- Flesh In Ecstasy, Paula Rand Hornbostel.
2006
- Kirili - Steichen, Correspondances, Orsay Museum, Paris.
- A Game for Two or More Players : Kirili, Steichen, Mallarmé, Raphael Rubinstein.
2004
- Alain Kirili, New York Studio School, USA.
- In the name of creation, Paul Audi.
- Sarah Lewis, Bambara Raphsodies.
2003
- David Smith’s Drawings, ENSBA, Paris, France.
- David Smith : the probity of his art, Robert Storr.
2002
- Kirili dialogue avec Carpeaux, Valenciennes Museum, France.
1999
- Alain Kirili, Grenoble Museum, France.
- The Commandments Mystical fonts by Alain Kirili, Edmund White.
- Alain Kirili : a dialog with Rodin, Fine arts Museum of San Francisco, USA.
- Alain Kirili : A Dialog with Rodin, Steven A. Nash.
1994
- Open Form Sculpture, Sainsbury Center for Visiual Arts, Norwich, Royaume-Uni.
- Open Form Sculpture, Jeffett William.
1993
- Alain Kirili et Roy Haynes, Regional School of Fine Arts, Nantes, France.
1992
- Alain Kirili, Museum of Modern Art, Saint-Étienne, France.
- Constructed Morality, Philippe Dagen.
- Alain Kirili at Nuits-Saint-Georges, Martine Dancer.
- Letter to my Translator, Barry Schwabsky.
- Alain Kirili, Le Baiser, Carrée Gallery, Villa Arson, Nice, France.
1991
- Kirili, Commandement XI, Daniel Templon Gallery, Paris, France.
- Commandement, Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, New York, USA.
1990
- Alain Kirili et l’abstraction du modelé, Calais Fine Arts Museum, Calais, France.
1989
- Alain Kirili, Daniel Templon Gallery, Paris, France.
- Alain Kirili,“Lighting the Fuse” after the Appropriation.
1987
- Alain Kirili, Holly Solomon Gallery, New York, USA.
1985
- Alain Kirili, Rodin Museum, Paris, France.
- Alain Kirili au Musée Rodin, Kirk Varnedoe.
- Alain Kirili, Adrien Maegth Gallery, Paris, France.
- Alain Kirili, Terres cuites 1972-1984, Contemporary Art Centre, Châteauroux, France.
1984
- Alain Kirili, Adrien Maegth Gallery, Paris, France.
1982
- Alain Kirili, Frankfurter Kunstverein, Frankfurt, Germany.
- Robert Rosenblum, Essay.
1981
- A.Kirili : Recent Sculpture, Art Museum, Dallas, USA.
1974
- Alain Kirili : peintures, dessins, sculptures, gravures, Sonnabend Gallery, Paris, France.
1972
- Alain Kirili, From One Line, Sonnabend Gallery, Paris, France.
- The Paradox of the Painter, Marcel Pleynet.