Nasce a Nizza, in Francia nel 1928. Si forma all’Ecole des Arts Décoratifs a Nizza, e in seguito all’ Ecole du Louvre. L’incontro con Yves Klein e Claude Pascal sono fondamentali per la formazione della sua carriera artistica; dopo un iniziale approccio pittorico tradizionale, dalla metà degli anni ’50 ne prende le distanze ed introduce la serie dei Cachets, con l’utilizzo di timbri a inchiostro e le successive Allures, mentre a partire dal 1959 introduce le Accumulations, accumuli di oggetti identici d’uso comune, e le Poubelles, rifiuti e scarti vari inseriti in un contenitore trasparente. Esponente della École de Nice, nel 1960 è co-firmatario insieme al critico d’arte Pierre Restany, e gli artisti Yves Klein, Raymond Hains, Jacques Villeglé, Jean Tinguely e François Dufrêne del movimento del Nouveau Réalisme, a cui si aggiungono in seguito Martial Raysse, Niki de St. Phalle, Christo, César, Gérard Deschamps, Daniel Spoerri. Negli anni ’60 introduce i Coupes, oggetti tagliati o segati, i Colères, oggetti rotti o danneggiati, le Combustions, oggetti sottoposti a bruciatura, e le Inclusioni, accumuli di oggetti immersi nella resina di poliestere trasparente. Negli anni ’70 intraprende una collaborazione con Renault e realizza accumulazioni con calcestruzzo e pezzi di autovetture.

SELEZIONE ESPOSIZIONI PERSONALI:

1956

Parigi, Galerie du Haut-Pavé

1957

Parigi, Galerie La Roue

1958

Parigi, Galerie Iris Clert

1959

Milano, Galleria Appollinaire

1959

Parigi, Galerie Saint-Germain

1960

Parigi, Galerie Iris Clert, Arman. Les Accumulations

1961

Ner York, Cordier-Warren Gallery

1962

Parigi, Galerie Lawrence
Los Angeles, Dwan Gallery, Arman. Montages

1963

Milano, Galleria Schwarz
New York, Sidney Janis Gallery
Parigi, Galerie Lawrence

1964

Minneapolis, Walker Art Center
New York, Sidney Janis Gallery
Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum

1965

Krefeld, Museum Haus Lange
Parigi, Galerie Lawrence
Chicago, Richad Feigen Gallery
Venezia, Galleria del Leone

1966

Stoccolma, Svensk-Franska Konstgalleriet
Bruxelles, Palais des Beaux-Arts

1967

Genova, Galleria La Bertesca
Venezia, Palazzo Grassi
Torino, Galleria Sperone
Torino, Galleria Il Punto
Torino, Galleria La Bussola

1968

New York, Sidney Janis Gallery
Milano, Galleria Schwarz

1969

Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum, Arman: 33 Accumulations

1970

Colonia, Galerie der Spriegel
Los Angeles, Ace Gallery
Zurigo, Kunsthaus
Helsinki, Anderson Art Museum

1973

Losanna, White Gallery
Bruxelles, Galerie Charles Kriwin

1974

Parigi, Galerie Daniel Templon
Milano, Galleria Schwarz

1975

Nagoya, Galerie Valeur
Tokyo, Jiyugaoka Gallery
New York, John Gibson Gallery, Arman. Couscious Vandalism

1976

Parigi, Galerie Beaubourg, Arman. Peintures

1977

Nagoya, Galerie Valeur, Arman Objects

1978

New York, Ehrlich Gallery
Nagoya, Galerie Valeur

1979

Caracas, Arte Contacto

1980

Stoccarda, Hacker Gallery
Tokyo, Satani Gallery
Osaka, Amano Gallery

1982

Milano, Galleria Zarathustra, Arman. Sculture dal 1979 al 1982
New York, Harris Gallery
Nizza, Galleria Sapone

1983

Parigi, Galerie Beaubourg, Arman. Wall Pieces 1981-83

1984

New York, Marisa del re Gallery
Miami, Center for the Fine Arts, Arman. Tools and instruments
Colonia, Galerie Reckermann

1985

Seoul, Walker Hill Art Center
Tokyo, Seibu Museum of Art

1987

Los Angeles, Wenger Gallery, Arman. Gods and Goddesses and Selected Works 1963-1985

1988

Amsterdam. Reflex Gallery, Arman. Beelden en Schilderijen
Princeton, Princeton Gallery of Fine Art, Arman. Musical Instruments, Sculpture and Works on Paper

1989

Londra, The Mayor Gallery, Arman. Works from 1955-1989

1990

Parigi, Artcurial, Arman. Retrospective on Prints
New York, Marisa del Re gallery, Arman. Archeology of the future

1991

Milano, Fondazione Mudima, Arman in Italy

1992

Houston, The Museum of Fine Arts, Arman 1955-1991: A Retrospective

1994

Lisbona, Galerie 111, Arman. Pintura e Escultura
New York, IN Kahn Gallery, Arman: Retrospective Works

1995

Los Angeles, Ace Contemporary Exhibitions, Arman. Starry Night

1996

New York, Sidney Janis Gallery, Arman. Interactives

1997

Londra, The James Mayor Gallery, Arman: Accumulations in Relation
New York, Ilena Sonnabend Gallery, Arman. Cascades

2000

Koblenz, Ludwig Museum im Deutscherrenhaus
Taipei, National Museum of History

2001

New York, Marlborough Gallery
Barcellona, Fondacio La Caixa

2004

Monaco, Marlborough Gallery, Arman. Peintures

2006

New York, Marlborough Gallery, A Tribute to Arman

2007

Palm Desert, Imago Gallery, Arman. Polychromes

2011

Parigi, Centre Pompidou
Basilea, Museum Tinguely

2016

Parigi, Galerie Templon, Arman Acumulations

SELEZIONE ESPOSIZIONI COLLETTIVE:

1951

Londra, Institute of Contemporary Arts, Paintings from Haiti

1961

New York, MoMA Museum of Modern Art, The Art of Assemblage
Parigi, II Biennale de Paris

1964

Kassel, Documenta 3

1967

New York, MoMA Museum of Modern Art, The 1960s: Painting and Sculpture from the Museum Collection

1968

Venezia, XXXIV Biennale Internazionale d’Arte
Kassel, Documenta 4
Londra, Institute of Contemporary Arts, The Obsessive Image 1960-1968

1969

Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Art by Telephone
Indianapolis, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Painting and Sculpture Today

1971

Milano, Palazzo Reale, Metamorphose de Dinges
New York, Museum of Modern Art, Ways of Looking
Berlino, Neue Nationalgalerie, Metamorphose de Dinges

1976

Norimberga, Kunsthalle Nurnberg, Schuh-Werke. Aspekte zum Menschenbild

1977

Kassel, Documenta 6

1978

New York, MoMA Museum of Modern Art, Gold
Saint-Etienne, Musée d’Art et d’Industrie, Impact 3

1979

Sydney, 3rd Biennale of Sidney: European Dialogue

1982

Houston, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, The Americans: The Collage

1986

Eindhoven, Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum, Eye Level

1988

Madrid, Fundaciòn Juan March, Zero, un movimiento europeo
Bordeaux, Musée d’art contemporain, Collection Sonnabend

1990

Sassari, Galleria La Fenice, Arte Internazionale
Venezia, XLIV Biennale Internazionale d’Arte

1991

Londra, Royal Academy of Arts, Pop Art
Lione, I Bienale de Lyon – l’amour del’art

1992

Madrid, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Arte Pop
New York, Museum of Modern Art, Contemporary European Prints

1995

Houston, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, Neo-Dada: Redefining Art 1958-1962
Tokyo, Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Revolutio: Art of the Sixties from Warhol to Beyus

1996

Parigi, Centre Pompidou – Musée National d’Art Moderne, L
Montevideo, Museo Nacional de Artes Visuales, Des artstes des mouvements

1997

New York, MoMA – Museum of Modern Art, The Maximal Sixties: Pop, Op, and Figuration

1998

New York, MoMA PS1, Deep Storage

2000

Düsseldorf, Kunsthalle Düsseldorf

2001

Milano, La Triennale di Milano, Media Connection e Omnitel Media Lab
Roma, Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Media Connection. Come i media hanno cambiato l’arte

2002

Chiari, Galleria l’Incontro, I protagonisti dell’arte
Parigi, Centre Pompidou – Musée National d’Art Moderne, La Culture Pour Vivre

2004

Tokyo, Mori Art Museum; New York, Museum of Modern Art, Modern Means: Continuity and Change in art from 1880 to the present
Madrid, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Monocroms – de Malevich al presente

2007

Roma, Scuderie del Quirinale, Pop Art! 1956 – 1968
Santiago, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Homenaje a Picasso

2008

Milano, Padiglione Arte Contemporanea, Il Nouveau Réalisme dal 1970 ad oggi. Omaggio a Pierre Restany
Bologna, Galleria d’Arte Maggiore, The essence of earth in art
Basilea, Museum Tinguely

2009

La Spezia, CAMeC, Da Hartung a Warhol
Venezia, Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Themes and Variations: From the Mark to Zero
Düsseldorf, Kunsthalle Düsseldorf, Eating the Universe

2012

Venezia, Fondazione Prada, The Small Utopia. Ars Moltiplicata

2013

Tallin, Kumu Art Museum, Critique and Crises. Art in Europe since 1945
Istanbul, Istanbul Modern, Fantastic Machinery
Milano, Palazzo Reale, The desire for freedom – Arte in Europa dal 1945

2014

Mosca, Moscow Museum of Modern Art, Fortune musuem
New York, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Zero: Countdown to Tomorrow, 1950s-60s
Venezia, Fondazione Prada, Art of Sound

2015

Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum, Zero: Le Us Explore The Stars
Milano, La Triennale di Milano. Design Museum, Arts and Foods

2016

Malaga, Centre Pompidou Malaga, El Nuevo Realismo
Milano, Palazzo Reale, Breve storia del futuro