Takesada Matsutani: Shifting Boundaries

Takesada Matsutani, a leading figure of the Japanese Gutai avant-garde, transforms vinyl adhesive into a striking sensory experience. Since his installation in Paris in 1966, this artist manipulates this industrial material to create organic forms that appear to breathe. At Hauser & Wirth, his paintings and sculptures challenge gravity: the adhesive is poured, stretched, and then blown, creating glossy surfaces with inflated reliefs evoking living cells or cosmic landscapes. This selection of works highlights decades of experimentation, from the artist’s radical early research to his most recent creations. It’s a privileged opportunity to observe how an ordinary material becomes the vehicle for a visual poetry between fluidity and movement. The works inhabit space with a nearly biological presence, testifying to Matsutani’s major influence on contemporary art. On view from February 5 to April 18, 2026.