A tale of two exhibitions: the first examination of the complementary practices of lifelong friends Yves Klein and Arman

In 1958, Yves Klein (1928-62) held an exhibition in Paris' Iris Clert Gallery titled Le Vide ("The Void") in which he removed all of the art from the walls and display cabinets and repainted the white space. Two years later, Klein's close friend and colleague Arman (1928-2005) occupied the same gallery space with an exhibition titled Le Plein ("The Full-Up") in which he stuffed the rooms with enough trash to be seen from outside. Klein aimed to override the notion of art as synonymous with the material production of works, while Arman made clear the industrial essence of modern humanity. Using these two contrasting exhibitions as a starting point, Le Vide et Le Plein explores the diametrically opposed poetics of Klein and Arman, two lifelong friends both from Nice. Highlighting 60 works, this publication synthesizes their divergent practices as two compatible tenets of Nouveau realisme.