Philippe Parreno Marquee, 2009
Philippe Parreno's Marquee belongs to an ongoing body of work started in 2006 that consists of more than 60 existing marquees to date.
The work consists of a body made of translucent acrylic glass with flickering light bulbs. It is one of the smallest Marquees and Parreno's first vertical Marquee to be hung similar to a picture parallel to the wall.
Parreno’s Marquees are unique pieces, individual in their form, light effect and construction. The artist’s Marquees combine lighting techniques that are almost a thing of the past (such as incandescent bulbs and neon tubes) with modern acrylics that are milled, shaped and formed according to the latest fabrication methods. Marquees first appeared at the beginning of the 20th century. The glowing, flickering porch roofs in front of entrances to cinemas and theaters were announcing movie titles and names of actors. Placed over the entrance of a gallery a Marquee by Philippe Parreno usually announces an exhibition event or a performance that takes place at the venue. The light-lit planes of the Marquees carry no text, thus the works play with a level of abstraction and acquire a different meaning according to the context of an exhibition and imagination of the viewer.