Mathieu Mercier is a contemporary French conceptual artist who uses everyday objects to explore the boundaries between functionality and artistic purposelessness. His work investigates key tropes of Modern art and design, bridging media and styles in its interrogation of utopian movements such as De Stijl and Russian Constructivism, all while engaging mass-produced consumer objects. Mercier questions the larger cultural context within which these objects exist, often referencing avant-garde artists such as Marcel Duchamp and Piet Mondrian. Born in 1970 in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, France, Mercier went on to study at the École nationale supérieure d'art in Bourges, among other institutions. He has exhibited at many major museums around the world, including solo shows the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, FRAC in Bourgogne, Centre d’Art Contemporain d’Ivry, and the Kunsthalle Nürmberg, amongst others. In 2003, Mercier was honored with the prestigious Marcel Duchamp award. The artist lives and works in Paris, France.