Daniel Buren

Daniel Buren is a French conceptual artist known for his use of contrasting stripes to integrate visual art with the environment. His work often involves site-specific installations that challenge the traditional boundaries of art spaces. Buren's signature motif, 8.7 cm wide vertical stripes, has been a consistent element in his oeuvre since the 1960s. One of his notable works is Les Deux Plateaux (1985-1986), commonly referred to as the "Colonnes de Buren," located in the courtyard of the Palais Royal in Paris. This installation consists of striped columns of varying heights, disrupting the classical architecture of the site. Buren has participated in numerous international exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale, where he was awarded the Golden Lion for best pavilion in 1986. His work has been featured in institutions such as the Guggenheim Museum in New York and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Buren's practice often involves a critical examination of the institutional frameworks of art, as seen in his Excentrique(s) installation for Monumenta 2012 at the Grand Palais in Paris. His contributions to conceptual art have influenced subsequent generations of artists and continue to be a subject of scholarly interest.