Rien n'est Rien

Pursuing her research on the vacuum, Chiara Capellini continues her series with the exhibition RIEN N'EST RIEN — The Quantity of the Void, focusing on the concept of vacuum in theoretical mathematics. Organised by Zuecca Projects in collaboration with Rupture Arts & Books, the exhibition was held at Le Corbusier's Cité Radieuse in Marseille from 18 July to 24 August 2024.

Emptiness has always been a central theme in the artist's practice, which seeks to remove as much as possible from her paintings, even if something must remain on the canvas in order to exist. From this initial observation and methodology, she has found parallels in other fields such as quantum physics, mathematics, meditation or religion.

In each exhibition on the subject of emptiness, Chiara interviews a researcher or scholar from these fields, transcribes the conversation in a book and creates the artworks in response to this confrontation. The first exhibition in Venice was dedicated to the exploration of emptiness in quantum physics, with an interview with theoretical physicist John Ellis. This second chapter in Marseille explores the theme in theoretical mathematics, focusing on the concepts of zero, set theory and the Planck constant, through a confrontation with Gian Francesco Giudice, Head of the Theoretical Physics Department of CERN.

On show, the neon work 'RIEN N'EST RIEN' is about how emptiness is represented in mathematics by the empty set. Because in order to speak of emptiness in mathematics it is necessary to circumscribe it in paragraphs, to contain it in order to observe it, emptiness is no longer empty. The glass decal 'WITHOUT END' presents a selection of numbers before and after zero. As we approach zero, both before and after, the numbers become infinite. As if, as we approach or move away from zero, everything expands into infinity; as if there is no beginning and no end.

The glass decal is also in dialogue with the large windows that characterise Le Corbusier's architecture. Le Corbusier himself was very much concerned in his practice with the concept of emptiness, mathematics and the search for the essential. His ribbon windows were designed to provide depth of vision in an attempt to eliminate boundaries. A selection of new paintings from the series 'ALMOST NOTHING', about the feeling of 'almost emptiness', completes the exhibition.