\\\: Oliver Kosta-Théfaine

Symphony (Detail view of the solo exhibition "W")

Flame of the lighter on ceilling & video documentation, 2009

Born in 1972, Oliver Kosta-Théfaine lives and works in Paris, France. In each of his interventions, Olivier Kosta-Théfaine plays with the codes and clichés of popular culture. He uses the languages and codes of the city and its suburbs, changing or modifying their original meaning so it can be understood by a broader public. His reflection is essentially based in rehabilitating the, often deconsidered, elements that belong to the city. His fascination for the suburbs has switched to a passion that is essential to his everyday work. The city is his muse, the drive for his artistic inspiration. He tries to decipher a discredited world through simple and ironic little mechanisms which he then transposes into galleries. By introducing the language of popular culture into the white cube, Olivier Kosta-Théfaine uses the suburb’s many clichés, plays with the truth and distorts the elements of pop culture.