Dan Rawlings at Chenu Longhi gallery

An avid urbex enthusiast, Dan Rawlings regularly scours abandoned industrial sites in search of forgotten metal objects, particularly related to the automotive industry (advertising plates, barrels, jerrycans, vehicles...), which he transforms into poetic works of art, hand-drawing and cutting plant motifs. Beyond his technical mastery - notably his monumental installations, a tanker truck, a van, an airplane or, most recently, the R5 eTech for Renault - and the incredible finesse of his work - a veritable lacework - this long-time committed ecologist reflects on our relationship with the world and the industrialized, globalized society in which we live.

Food for thought
In this new exhibition at Galerie Chenu Longhi, Dan highlights a troubling truth: just because something is invisible doesn't mean it doesn't exist, and making a problem invisible doesn't solve it! Through his work, he questions industrial policies and the practice of burying or piling up waste in isolated sites. The exhibition brings together some twenty works in cut metal: advertising plaques from the automotive world, fire extinguishers, gasoline jerrycans, an emblematic series of free-standing road signs that have marked the artist's career, and some previously unseen surprises. "A Better Way Forward" takes up Michelin's slogan, highlighting the ecological doublespeak of the major industrial players. The image of abandoned tires, a recurring element in the exhibition that evokes the famous Michelin Man, is a call to awareness of the relationship between the visible and the invisible.

To see
"A Better Way Forward"
March 13 to April 12, 2025
Tuesday to Saturday, 2 to 7:30 p.m.
Galerie Chenus Longhi
116 boulevard Richard Lenoir 75011 Paris
chenuslonghi.com
Instagram : @chenuslonghi