Gesture

Gesture is the trace left by movement, and the field where relationships quietly take place.

The Gesture series is a long-term painting research practice by Romain Froquet. It begins with a continuous exploration of the relationship between bodily movement and the act of painting: how brushstrokes follow the body, how colour deposits itself in space, and how painting becomes a trace of the dialogue between body and place. This series does not depict external objects; rather, it lets painting itself become an action, a stance, a process unfolding in time.

In October 2026, Taikang Art Museum launched the ‘TAM Gathering’ project, transforming its existing public activity space into a theatrical setting for art, where artworks and public life interact continuously and many cultures meet. For the inaugural exhibition of TAM Gathering, Romain Froquet was invited to bring his Gesture series, continuing it and generating a new trajectory for it within the specific site of Taikang Tower.

Romain’s creative process generally begins with observing a place. Before arriving at Taikang Art Museum, he reads maps, satellite images, architecture and history, keenly picking up the invisible movements that shape this area. Taikang Art Museum is located in the heart of Beijing’s CBD. The large glass facade facing the city engages in an ongoing dialogue with the streets, pedestrians and urban landscape outside. Romain uses the term ‘Living Energy’ to describe how he feels about the CBD. He believes that in such a vibrant urban energy field, every movement of people creates relationships, and the trajectories of movement form invisible lines. These invisible lines are forming the city and also connecting it. What he does on site is to make these invisible connections visible.

Romain spreads canvases on the floor and, with his body as the axis, layers repeated brushstrokes and colours, leaving traces upon traces. These traces are not isolated; they always point toward another trace: human flows, bodily gestures and the rhythms of the city all form connections with one another.

Gesture itself is an ongoing event. Every movement, pause and participation of the audience, every dialogue between the artist and the public, every public programme… will leave traces and become part of the work. TAM Gathering thus becomes a site where gathering and traces are continuously generated.

About TAM Gathering

TAM Gathering is the public programme platform of Taikang Art Museum. It integrates diverse formats such as exhibitions, dialogues, screenings, performances and workshops, aiming to create a flexible and participatory public art space. It connects art and the public, allowing works and discussions to continuously take place in the same space, becoming a growing gathering place open to the city.