The precipitous staircase leading to Galerie Xippas is certainly one of the most astounding bits of architecture among the Marais galleries. From the bottom of the steps, one cannot see the top. Only the light indicates where the landing must be; one could otherwise imagine the staircase to be infinite. On every step, Céleste Boursier-Mougenot had placed large stones—slowing down the visitor’s ascent, prohibiting a direct path or easy balance, calling attention to each footstep. This stairwell, transformed into a mountain path or riverbed and titled chorégraphie (all works 2012), was really

When visiting the exhibition “Oborot,” one is quickly struck by the coherence of the ensemble composed by eight works, all executed this past summer in the gallery itself. Black, white, and gray provide the dominant color scheme and produce a first distancing. The forms and their presentation devices are intriguing, even while seeming familiar; the titles add to the perplexity, whether they sound poetic—for instance Maillon de repli (Pearled Maillon) (all works 2012)—or just strange, like Qotrob or Oborot. If those two works are linked by their sound—and seem to echo the artist’s