Nasce a Cholet, in Francia nel 1926. Realizza la sua prima esposizione personale presso la Galerie Creuze di Parigi nel 1950. Nel 1960 è co-fondatore a Parigi del collettivo di arte cinetica e ottica GRAV - Groupe de Recherche d’Art Visuel con Julio Le Parc, Hugo Demarco, Horacio Garcia Rossi, Francisco Sobrino e altri, attivo fino al 1968. L’atto di fondazione sintetizza il concetto della funzione sociale e scientifico dell’arte, considerando la stessa come attività di gruppo e lavoro di equipe, e non più centrata sul singolo artista creatore di opere immortali; lo spettatore diviene attivo, per un nuovo rapporto tra il pubblico e l'arte, che diviene realtà essenzialmente visuale di forme semplici e geometriche. È in questo periodo che Morellet comincia a lavorare con i tubi al neon per le sue sculture.

SELEZIONE ESPOSIZIONI PERSONALI:

1950

Parigi, Galerie Raymond Creuze, Morellet. Peiuntures et Sculptures

1958

Parigi, Galerie Colette Allendy, A la recherche d’une base. Peintures de Morellet

1961

Ulm, Galerie Studio F, Morellet, Adrian
Monaco, Galerie Nota, Morellet

1966

Colonia, Galerie Der Spiegel, Francois Morellet. Bilder und die folge Trames

1967

Parigi, Galerie Denise René, Morellet – Oeuvres Originales

1970

Bochum, Galerie m Bochum, Francois Morellet

1971

Eindhoven, Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum, Francois Morellet
Amburgo, Kunstverein in Hamburg, Francois Morellet
Milano, Galleria Cenobio-Visualità, Francois Morellet
Genova, Galleria La Bertesca, Francois Morellet
Parigi, Centre National d’Art Contemporain, Morellet

1972

Londra, Lucy Milton Gallery, Francois Morellet
Düsseldorf, Kunstmuseum, Francois Morellet. Prinzip Seriell

1974

Venezia, Galleria del Cavallino, Francois Morellet

1975

Brescia, Galleria Sincron, Morellet
Milano, Studio Marconi, Francois Morellet
Amsterdam, Galerie Swart, Morellet

1976

Münster, Westfalischer Kunstverein, Francois Morellet – Lichtobjekte

1977

Parigi, Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Francois Morellet
Berlino, Neue Nationalgalerie, Francois Morellet
Baden-Baden, Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden, Francois Morellet

1981

Londra, Annely Juda Fine Art, Francois Morellet – Paintings

1983

Bottrop, Josef Albers Museum, Francois Morellet

1984

Montreal, Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, Francois Morellet: systèmes

1985

New York, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Francois Morellet: Systems
Lione, Musée d’Art Contemporain Lyon, Francois Morellet

1986

Parigi, Centre Pompidou, (itinerante), Francois Morellet. Rétrospective
Montpellier, Musée Fabre, Francois Morellet. Géométrees Grattures

1991

Reutlinger, Stiftung fur Konkrete Kunst, Francois Morellet: Dessins des annés 40 et 50/Tableaux Blancs des années 80
Parigi, Centre Pompidou – Musée National d’Art Moderne, Francois Morellet
Grenoble, Musée de Grenoble, Francois Morellet. Tableaux blancs oeuvres des annés 80
Lugano, Studio d’Arte Contemporanea Dabbeni, Francois Morellet

1992

Hannover, Sprengel Museum, Francois Morellet. Steel lifes

1995

Parigi, Musée d’art moderne de la Ville de Paris, Passions privées
Frejuis, Le Capitou, Francois Morellet, ordes et cahots

1997

Bonn, Kunstmuseum Bonn, Francois Morellet. Rokokolossal
Milano, A Arte Studio Invernizzi, Francois Morellet, NOENDNEON

1999

Copenaghen, Charlottenborg, Lumia
Berlino, Neue Nationalgalerie, Geometry as Design

2000

Parigi, Galerie Nationale du Jeu de Paume, Morellet
Monaco, Dany Keller Galerie, Francois Morellet
Milano, A Arte Invernizzi, Francois Morellet

2001

Montpellier, Musée Fabre, Chantiers/Publics, Francois Morellet, discrètement

2002

Zurigo, Museum Haus Konstruktiv, Francois Morellet
Lugano, Studio Dabbeni, Francois Morellet
Roma, Fondazione Volume!, Francois Morellet – Tell Rome Morellet

2003

Colonia, Baukunst Galerie, Francois Morellet
Le Cateau-Cambrésis, Musée départemental Matisse, Francois Morellet

2006

Eindhoven, Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum, Morellet and Light Art

2007

Lione, Musée d’Art Contemporain Lyon, Francois Morellet
Basilea, Galerie Gisèle Linder, Francois Morellet
Ghent, Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst, Francois Morellet
Lione, Musée d’Art Contemporain de Lyon, Francois Morellet

2009

Salisburgo, Galerie Nikolaus Ruzicska, Francois Morellet
Waldenbuch, Museum Ritter, Francois Morellet – Die Quadratur des Quadrats – Eine Introspektive
Ingolstadt, Museum fur Konkrete Kunst, Francois Morellet

2010

Parigi, Musée du Louvre, Art contemporain – Francois Morellet, L’espirt d’escalier
Stoccarda, Galerie Mueller-Roth, Francois Morellet

2011

Bratislava, Milan Dobes Museum, Francois Morellet
Parigi, Centre Pompidou, Francois Morellet: réinstallations
Daegu, Daegu Art Museum, Francois Morellet
Bochum, Kunstmuseum Bochum, Francois Morellet in Bochum

2014

Ghent, Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst, Henri Chotteau legacy: Francois Morellet
New York, Josee Bienvenu Gallery, Francois Morellet – Preliminaries
Reutlingen, Stiftung fur Konkrete Kunst , Francois Morellet – Werke 1952 – 1971

2015

Caen, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Caen, Francois Morellet, l’esprit de suite, 1965 – 2015
Basilea, Galerie Gisèle Linder, Francois Morellet

2016

Londra, The Mayor Gallery, Francois Morellet – Les Regles Du Jeu
Zurigo, Galerie Wenger, Kabinett: Francois Morellet
Bochum, Galerie m Bochum, Francois Morellet 1970-2016 – 44-90

2017

Milano, A Arte Invernizzi, Francois Morellet
Seoul, Gallery Hyundai, Francois Morellet

SELEZIONE ESPOSIZIONI COLLETTIVE:

1962

Rotterdam, Galerie’t Venster, Anno 62: grafiek, plastiek, tekeningen

1963

Parigi, Musée d’Arte Moderne de la Ville de Paris, III Biennale de Paris
Amsterdam, Galerie Amstel 47, Panorama van de nieuwe tendenzen

1964

Kassel, Documenta 3
Londra, Tate London, 56/64 Painting and Sculpture of a Decade
Parigi, Galerie Denise René, Mouvement 2

1965

New York, Museum of Modern Art (itinerante), The Responsive Eye

1966

Eindhoven, Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum, KunstLichtKunst

1967

Parigi, Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Art cinétique à Paris – Lumière et Mouvement

1968

Kassel, Documenta 4

1970

Venezia, Biennale di Venezia

1971

Bochum, Galerie m, Konkret – Realismus

1972

Philadelphia, ICA – University of Pennsylvania, Grids

1973

Amsterdam, Galerie Swart, Grafiek, tekeningen of reliefs

1977

Kassel, Documenta 6
Schiedam, Stedelijk Museum Schiedam, 200x200
Colonia, Institut Francais Cologne, Handzeichnungen

1978

New York, Leo Castelly Gallery, Numerals 1924 – 1977

1979

Zagreb, Croazia, Museum of contemporary Art Zagreb, Transformacije papira
Amsterdam, Galerie Swart, De vries / Morellet

1980

Amburgo, Kunsthaus Hamburg, Konstruktive Kunst und Architektur
Wroclaw, Museum of Architecture in Wroclaw, Sztuka Konstruktywna i architektura

1981

Parigi, Centre Pompidou, L’évenèment Paris – Paris

1987

Münster, Skulptur projekte Munster

1988

New York, The Museum of Modern Art, Abstractions

1990

Venezia, Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Biennale di Venezia – La France à Venise, le pavillon francias de 1948 a 1988

1993

Liverpool, Tate Liverpool, Art from post War 1945 – 1958

1994

Parigi, Centre Georges Pompidou, La ville, art et architecture en Europe 1870 – 1983

1995

Parigi, Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Passions privées – Collections particuliéres d’art moderne et contemporain en France

1997

Berlino, Neue Nationalgalerie, Ein Blick zurück – 50 ausgewählte Erwerbungen 1975-1997
Tokyo, Museum of Contemporary Art, La collection du Centre Pompidou: Les Chefs d’oeuvre du Musée National d’Art Moderne

1998

Berlino, Neue Nationalgalerie, Geometry as design, Structures of Modern Art from Albers to Paik

2000

Barcellona, MACBA-Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona; Londra, Hayward Gallery, Force fields: Phases of the Kinetic

2002

Londra, Royal Academy of Arts (itinerante), Paris: Capital of the arts 1900-1968

2004

Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Beyond Geometry: Experiments in Form, 1940s-70s

2006

New York, The Museum of Modern Art, Eye on Europe: Prints, Books and Multiples/1960 to Now

2008

Karlsruhe, ZKM – Museum fur Neue Kunst & Medienmuseum, [Nove] Tendencije – computer und visuelle Forschung – Zagreb 1961-1973

2009

New York, The Museum of Modern Art; Londra, Tate Liverpool, Colour Chart: Reinventing colour, 1950 to Today

2011

Venezia, Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Theme & Variations – Script and Space
Venezia, Palazzo Bembo, Personal Structures – Open Borders

2012

Stoccarda, Stiftung Kunstmuseum, Tracing the grid. The grid in Art after 1945
Venezia, Fondazione Prada, The Small Utopia. Ars Moltiplicata
New York, The New Museum, Ghosts in the Machine
Roa, Museo d’Arte Contemporanea di Roma, Neon, la materia luminosa dell’arte

2013

Shanghai, Rockbund Art Museum, From Gesture to Language
Parigi, Grand Palais, Dynamo
Brescia, Museo di Santa Giulia, Novecento mai visto – Highlights from the Daimles Art Collection From Albert to Warhol to (now)
Londra, Hayward Gallery, Light Show
Barcellona, Fundaciò Joan Mirò, Before the Horizon

2014

Venezia, Peggy Guggenheim Collection, AZIMUT/H. Continuity and the New
Città del Messico, Museo Tamayo, Una vision otra: Groupe de recherche d’art visuel 1960-1968

2015

Parigi, Fondation Louis Vuitton, Recto/Verso
Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum; Berlino, Martin Gropius-Bau, ZERO: Let us explore the stars
New York, The Museum of Modern Art, Transmissions: Art in Eastern Europe and Latin America, 1960 – 1980

2016

Humblebaek, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art; Schiedam, Stedelijk Museum, Eye Attack

2017

Mosca, The Pushkin Museum, Facing the Future: Art in Europe 1945-1968
Venezia, Palazzo Fortuny, Intuition
Budapest, Vasarely Museum, Found Geometry