Claudia Comte (b. 1983) is a Swiss artist based in Basel. Her work centres on the memory of materials and a careful observation of how the hand relates to different technologies.

Did you know that permanently frozen wood preserves itself for 2–4000 years; that wood “remembers” the climate conditions of the planet? Not even stones are what they seem: marble contains the oceans. It is underwater life crystallized, hence, it would be inaccurate to see this material as hard; it is liquid at its core. Carving by hand, or scanning, or 3D printing are all functions of a knowledge that sculpture possesses and shares every time a new piece comes to life. What we need to learn is how to see —in every pattern, and, object— an environment, oxygen, the way the conditions of our planet modify the materials.

Comte, who is best known for her site-specific installations, studied at the Ecole Cantonale d’Art de Lausanne, ECAL (2004-2007) and obtained a Masters of Art in Science of Education at Haute Ecole Pédagogique, Visual Arts, Lausanne, Switzerland (2008-2010).  Her practice is guided by a distinct system of her own creation, wherein each artwork specifically relates to another. Comte’s minimalist approach to art making is equal parts methodical and dynamic. Ranging from sculpture to painting, to multimedia installation, her works are infused with a distinct sense of playfulness.

Comte’s work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions, including How to Grow and Still Stay the Same Shape, Castello di Rivoli (2019), Fruits and Jungle, König Galerie, London (2019), I have Grown Taller from Standing with Trees, Copenhagen Contemporary (2019), The Morphing Scallops, Gladstone Gallery, 24th St, New York City (2019), Zigzags and Diagonals, MOCA Cleveland (2018), Swiss Performance Now, Kunsthalle Basel (2018), KölnSkulpture #9, Köln (2017), La Ligne Claire, Basement Roma (2017), NOW I WON, Messeplatz, Art Basel (2017), 10 Rooms, 40 Walls, 1059 m2, Kunstmuseum Luzern (2017), DesertX, Palm Springs, The Language of Things, with the Public Art Fund, New York (2016), NO MELON NO LEMON, Gladstone Gallery, New York (2015), Easy Heavy III, Haus Konstruktiv, Zurich (2014), Sharp Sharp at David Dale Gallery, Glasgow (2014), and Elevation 1049, Gstaad (2013).

Image credits: Roman Maerz