The French contemporary artist Jean-Michel Othoniel is the subject of a major solo exhibition titled The Narcissus Theorem, which runs from September 28, 2021, through January 2, 2022, at the Petit Palais in Paris, France. Othoniel’s largest exhibition held in Paris since his retrospective My Way at the Pompidou Centre in 2011, the comprehensive presentation introduces a collection of approximately 70 new works across the historical museum and its gardens. For the show, the artist demonstrates a magical interpretation of reality that exists in harmony with the culturally enriching venue’s natural surroundings, displaying works within the pools of the museum gardens and suspending them from tree branches. 

Blue River (2021), one of the exhibition’s most stunning installations installed at the entrance of the stairway to the museum, evokes the glistening surface of a river. Comprised of bricks created in collaboration with Indian glass artisans, the aquamarine and gold-toned work exudes a mystical and spiritual atmosphere. Meanwhile, Othoniel explores the infinite possibilities of the glass bead as a medium and highlights its versatility in both size and form through works including his Wild Knots series, rooted in the reflection theory developed by the Mexican mathematician Aubin Arroyo, his long-term friend and collaborator; his Necklaces series, which delivers a unique colorful exuberance; and Crown of the Night (2008), a beautiful chandelier-shaped glass crown.