Marius Steiger
Monsieur Hulot

26 April — 6 June 2025

Marius Steiger’s second solo exhibition Monsieur Hulot at Blue Velvet in Zurich explores the aesthetics of corporate landscapes, alienation, and the absurdity of modern life through shaped paintings that blur the line between object and image.

Steiger constructs an immersive office-like environment with bookcase-shaped paintings filled with abstract books and folders, a desk-shaped painting, potted plants, and human relics such as fruits, cigarettes, or memorabilia. Painted surfaces resembling wood paneling interrupt the space like bureaucratic dividers, evoking labor, confinement, and control. 

Referencing Jacques Tati’s PlayTime and the rigid systems of bureaucracy, the exhibition transforms modernist efficiency into a staged setting where subtle traces of life emerge in the smallest details and perception is quietly steered by design. Between decoration and critique, Steiger questions how spaces shape behavior and perception.