French Exit by Tadao Cern is an Ode to Ghosting.

Tadao Cern has used dried grass in his suspended art installation entitled, French Exit. The Lithuanian artist has utilised the most basic and accessible material to create a fully immersive, visually arresting viewing experience, transporting visitors into another world through his artwork.

Cern explains the meaning behind the title of his work, outlining – “French exit is a term that describes the act of leaving a social gathering or bad date without saying goodbye. It is the same as ghosting – Irish goodbye, and Dutch leave. The French exit is often performed by people who don’t want to take the time to say goodbye to others.”

The artist’s work is largely influenced by his previous time as an architect. Lighting, scale, and composition, once used when designing buildings, have now allowed him to create such a successful piece. Warm light floods into the otherwise darkened room illuminating the suspended grass pieces, making them look as though they were on fire. The brightness of the light diminishes with each step, causing the warm orange tones to slowly fade to a gradient of soft beige.

Related: Selected Works by Lithuanian Artist Tadao Cern.

Each strand of grass when looked upon in isolation is fragile and incredibly delicate, its beauty extremely transient. However, when grouped on mass their identity changes, and all of a sudden, a large homogenous cloud appears to hang weightlessly above.

Appearing almost entirely different from every angle, the work can be interpreted in many different ways. Standing on the ground looking up, the installation can be likened to walking through an upside-down field of gold. However, if looked at when laying down, the piece can be likened to watching soft clouds gently drift across the blue sky.

To become the collector of Tadao Cern’s work on Patreon, visit patreon.com/tadaocern.

[Images courtesy of Tadao Cern.]