Nicolas Chardon: 0,0,0
nicolas chardon: 0,0,0
serigraph on paper, hand monogramed and dated in pencil
published in 2025
by comptoir des arts franches montagnes (cafm)
saint-brais, switzerland
printed by SYMETRIA, saint-louis
edition of 250, 30 x 30 cm in a frame of 32 x 32 x 3.5 cm
including wooden shadow gap frame
0,0,0: a global snapshot of non-objective art in the digital age
commemorating the 110th anniversary of kazimir malevich’s groundbreaking 0,10 exhibition (petrograd, 1915), the 0,0,0 portfolio is a seminal contemporary project that explores the enduring legacy of geometric and non-representational art worldwide.
the title “0,0,0” references the pure state of the color black in programming code, symbolizing the core principle of maximum reduction and universal applicability—a direct conceptual bridge to malevich's revolutionary "zero form."
this limited-edition portfolio gathers 30 original works by international artists, showcasing the vibrant, transcultural evolution of constructivist principles across different generations and continents. it is a visual dialogue between the historical avant-garde and the logic of our networked, digital world.
nicolas chardon, who lives and works in paris, is one of the most significant figures in contemporary abstraction, known for his unique ability to deconstruct the rigid history of geometric painting with a sense of irony and physical reality. his work often begins with the most mundane of materials: the classic checkered kitchen cloth or "tissu vichy." by stretching these pre-printed fabrics over custom-made wooden frames, the inherent grid of the fabric is distorted by the physical tension of the structure, creating "faulty" geometries that challenge the perfection of classic modernism.
his importance in the contemporary art world is reflected in numerous solo exhibitions at major institutions, including the musée d'art moderne et contemporain (mamco) in geneva and the musée d'art moderne de la ville de paris. chardon’s work has been the subject of extensive critical study and is represented in significant public collections, such as the centre pompidou in paris. his practice is a constant dialogue between the legacy of the avant-garde—referencing artists like malevich and mondrian—and the irregular reality of the material world.
chardon’s contribution to the 0,0,0 portfolio perfectly captures the "re-negotiation of abstraction" mentioned at the start of our journey. by working with the tension between the ideal mathematical form and the physical resistance of the support, he breathes new life into the "zero point of painting." in his hands, the geometric grid is no longer a cold, distant concept, but a living, fluctuating form that reflects the instability and complexity of the 21st century.