Arman × Modern Art Gallery — Sculptural Legacy in Asia

Sculpture, Myth, and the Stacked Memory of Cities: Arman and the Cultural Vision of Modern Art Gallery

A Bronze Monument Amid the Urban Flow

In the heart of Taichung’s Calligraphy Greenway, between Civic Square and Park Lane by CMP, stands a striking bronze sculpture over 3.6 meters tall. Entitled DHL (1988), this unique work by French sculptor Arman (1928–2005) fuses mythological themes with modern mechanics. Mercury, the Roman god of speed and communication, is reimagined in a whirlwind of tires and motorbike parts—an embodiment of divine velocity and the logistical revolution of our times.

While casual passersby might view it as urban ornamentation, art historians recognize DHL as a seminal work of Arman's signature style: accumulation sculpture. For Taiwan’s public, it also represents a decades-long cultural effort—spearheaded by curator and gallerist Shih Li-ren—to introduce and embed postwar European art into the fabric of Asian cities.

Arman: From Everyday Objects to Mythological Assemblage

Born in Nice in 1928, Armand Pierre Fernandez—known simply as Arman—was a founding member of the Nouveau Réalisme (New Realism) movement in 1960, alongside Yves Klein, César, and Jean Tinguely. His works are internationally acclaimed for transforming everyday objects into poetic, symbolic forms.

Arman's practice involved cutting, burning, compressing, and stacking found objects: violins, bicycles, clocks, utensils—fragments of modern life, reassembled as layered memories. As he once remarked, “I don’t make objects. I sculpt the traces of memory and history.”

In DHL, Arman fuses the classical figure of Mercury with the dynamic silhouette of a modern courier. The contrast between oxidized bronze and blackened mechanical forms creates a tension between speed and weight, myth and machine—capturing Arman’s unique ability to sculpt time itself.

Arman Around the World: Public Art and Legacy

Arman’s monumental works are featured in public spaces and major museums worldwide:

L’Heure de tous (The Time for All), a wall of stacked clocks outside Gare Saint-Lazare, Paris
Consigne à vie, another stacked installation at the same site, symbolizing the anxiety of industrial time
Permanent collections at the Centre Pompidou, MoMA, Guggenheim Museum, Hirshhorn Museum, and the Palais de l’Élysée

Shih Li-Jen and Modern Art Gallery: A Vision for Asia

In the early 1990s, Taiwanese gallerist Shih Li-Jen personally met Arman in Paris, initiating one of the first Asian collaborations with the sculptor. Through his gallery—Modern Art Gallery, founded in 1982—Shih became a key agent in introducing Arman’s works to the Chinese-speaking world.

In 1995, the gallery held Taiwan’s first solo sculpture exhibition of Arman. Over the next decades, Shih expanded this cultural bridge: presenting Arman alongside Dalí, César, and Hiquily; organizing sculpture castings and installations; and managing collection preservation and documentation.

Public Sculptures in Asia: Arman’s Urban Legacy

Thanks to the ongoing efforts of Modern Art Gallery, Arman's sculptural language has not only been exhibited across Asia but also integrated into the urban fabric of major cities through landmark public installations. These works transform everyday cityscapes into places of cultural memory, symbolizing the intersection of art, mythology, and contemporary life.

Civic Square, Taichung – DHL (1988), Bronze, 360 × 150 × 110 cm
Artwork: DHL (1988, Bronze, 360 × 150 × 110 cm)
Location: In front of Modern Art Gallery, along the Calligraphy Greenway
Standing at 3.6 meters tall, this iconic bronze sculpture combines the classical figure of Mercury—the Roman god of speed and communication—with motorcycle parts and wheels. It embodies divine velocity and the spirit of modern global logistics. As a unique original piece by Arman, DHL is one of the rare full-scale bronzes directly cast from his Paris studio.

Shanghai, China — Youyi Hall, Nanjing West Road
Artwork: Cavalcade
Year: 2004
Dimensions: Over 6 meters tall, 3 tons in weight
This monumental sculpture features a dynamic accumulation of galloping horses. It is one of Arman’s most ambitious large-scale bronze works and remains a cultural landmark in Shanghai’s central business district.

Shanghai Concert Hall
Artwork: Music Power
This piece combines stacked musical instruments and a human silhouette, conveying the rhythmic flow and emotional energy of music. Arman’s unique fusion of form and sound transforms public space into a poetic reflection on the power of performance.

Shanghai Grand Theatre
Artwork: Double Brass Players
Inspired by musicians and movement, this sculpture integrates dynamic posture with horn instruments, making it a tribute to the dialogue between sound and sculpture.

Taipei, Taiwan — National Concert Hall
Artwork: Music Power
Another variation of the Music Power series appears at Taiwan’s most prestigious concert venue. Here, violins are piled vertically like a tower, creating a sculptural celebration of sonic resonance and spiritual elevation.

Asia University Museum of Modern Art (Taichung, Taiwan)
The Asia University Museum hosts a collection of Arman’s bronze sculptures and regularly features curated exhibitions. Through these educational initiatives, Arman’s work is brought into dialogue with new generations of students and scholars, reinforcing his legacy within academic and curatorial contexts.

Family Visit and Cultural Continuity
In 2009, Arman’s family visited Taiwan and Shanghai to experience firsthand how his works have taken root in Asian cities. Accompanied by Shih Li-Jen, the artist's family explored key public collections and installations. These moments of cultural exchange serve as testimony to Arman’s enduring presence in the East and to Modern Art Gallery’s pivotal role in extending his influence beyond Europe.

Gallerists as Curators, Agents as Cultural Translators

Sculpture as Memory and the Layers of Civilization