with concerts of Riotbutt (Berlin) + Eliott Jean-Dit-Pannel (Paris) and a performance from the artist.
Curated by Clément Couderc 


In an era of mass production and rapid consumption, Thomas Couderc creates art that delves into the remnants of the world we often discard. Working with found materials and natural processes of decay, Sediment Deposits, Couderc’s inaugural show in Berlin, offers a reinterpretation of modern mythologies, produced through a variety of procedures ranging from ancient printing techniques to harnessing the corrosive nature of time.

Originally from Marseille and resident of Citée International des Art of Paris before settling in Brussels, Couderc's artistic journey began with drawing but has since developed into a more tactile engagement with the physical world. He works primarily with found materials such as wood, plastic sheets, and even car parts, exploring their potential to convey narratives of metamorphosis, survival, and power. After studying as the master student of Anita Molinero, his sculptural practice evolved into playing with the tension between permanence and ephemerality, as seen in his use of rusted tarpaulins or the casting of aluminum plates. Couderc’s narrative works are often imprinted on a rolling stamp—a method from Mesopotamian and Sumerian cultures that he adopted into his practice during a residency in upstate New York. He transforms everyday objects like tree trunks into cylindrical stamps, carving into them in order to create prints in earthen materials that evoke deeper mythological connections.

One such work in this exhibition is an abstraction of Wonder Woman’s origin story. The carving on the active surface of the stamp reimagines her discovery of flight, imprinting a narrative about feminine power, blending ancient methods with the tale of a modern-day superheroine. The rolling motion of the stamp suggests the cyclical nature of myth-making, where stories are passed down, re-contextualized and retold across generations. In another body of work, Couderc explores the passage of time and the forces of nature through rust impressions on plastic sheeting. The rust that forms on the indelible plastic surface highlights both the fragility and persistence of materials as these works engage with the tension between human-made materials and natural forces. In contrast to the precision of the stamp roll, Couderc’s rust impressions reveal a less constructed process. By placing pocked-metal pools of water over plastic sheets for months, he allows the metal to corrode, forming intricate, ghostly patterns of rust. As Couderc describes, “It’s like a science experiment,” juxtaposing the durability of plastic with the slow-build of rust, a natural agent of change, leaving behind a lasting impression of impermanence on an indelible substance. 

A consistent theme in Couderc’s practice is his playful approach to found objects —“you take everything”—challenging the original function of discarded items like car parts or tarps until they take on the opposite characteristics than they embodied in their first life. Hammering the once durable and secure exo-skelton of the car door until it is rendered slender and flexible, he pushes his materials towards the edge of permanence. His work resonates with the influence of Mike Kelley, reviving ‘useless’ materials and re-contextualizing these objects invites viewers to consider beauty and potential in the unwanted. This exhibition, held in a former Rossmann store now managed by Culterim | Gesundbrunnen, marks Couderc’s first solo show in Berlin. The works on display span seven years of Couderc’s sculptural exploration, with pieces that have traveled from upstate New York to the MUCEM in Marseille. Originally built in 1997 as a commercial hub, the mall that contains the exhibition space has since fallen into obsolescence within our lifetimes. The half-occupancy of penny shops and commuters rather than shoppers that the mall was intended to serve leaves the eerie feeling of a space already left behind and awaiting its next transfiguration. This tension between past and present mirrors Couderc’s approach to myth-making—where stories and objects are continuously reassembled, reshaped, and given new life.

ZUM HANK

Halle Frost Berlin, August 2024