Frank Stella Chapel

The Stella Chapel is a total work of art that combines architecture, volume, sculpture and meditation. Invited by Bernar Venet, Frank Stella has created his first architectural installation intended to host the six three-dimensional artworks of his Near East series. The appearance, circular shape and harmonious proportions of this pavilion recall the follies that adorned botanical gardens in the 18^th century while paying a tribute to other historical creations of contemporary art such as the Rothko Chapel, in Texas. The six monumental sculptures presented in this book are part of the Near East series (1991) and considered to be among Frank Stella’s most notable artistic endeavors. Particularly powerful and suggestive, these high reliefs bring spectators beyond archeological excavations, in a tragic universe full of buried or melted cities and monuments like Chernobyl or The World Trade Center.