Artists Thomas Houseago and Théo Mercier will present a joint exhibition at Reiffers Initiatives in Paris from 23 October to 12 December 2026, as part of the foundation’s annual mentorship programme. Opening during Art Basel Paris (which will now close at 7pm tomorrow Friday 23rd October due to the risk of riots), the exhibition brings together two generations of sculptors through their respective practices and studio environments.

In essence, Houseago’s work explores what it means to be human through the tension between the body and its supporting structure, the monumental and the vulnerable, and the ancient language of sculpture and contemporary industrial materials. His deliberately unfinished aesthetic gives the works a sense of immediacy, as though they remain in a state of becoming rather than reaching a definitive form.

Houseago, born in Leeds in 1972, transforms the foundation’s glass-roofed space into a working studio, where visitors can discover his creative process alongside recent sculptures, including Miraval Owl (2025), a monumental bronze work. Known for his figurative sculptures exploring the human body, Houseago combines traditional materials such as wood, plaster and bronze with concrete, steel and burlap. He will mentor Mercier as part of the 2026 programme.

Born in Paris in 1984, Mercier works across sculpture, installation and performance. For the exhibition, he will occupy the ground floor with finished and unfinished sculptures, antique objects and found materials, reimagining his Paris studio within the gallery. His work explores how objects are transformed through collecting, preservation and display, questioning the narratives and meanings attached to them.

The exhibition continues Reiffers Initiatives’ mentorship programme, established to support contemporary French art and encourage exchanges between established international artists and emerging practitioners. Previous editions have paired Lorna Simpson with Gaëlle Choisne, Ugo Rondinone with Tarek Lakhrissi, and Daniel Buren with Miles Greenberg.

Image: Thomas Houseago in front of one of his artworks at the Kunstgiesserei foundry in St. Gallen, Switzerland.