02 In Search of the Missing Artist | The Plastic
From Background Briefing by ABC Australia
April 17, 2026 · 34 min
About this episode
Reporter Julia Bergin investigates the identity of elusive French sculptor Jean Paul Mangin through his art made of plastic.
The only clue to Jean Paul Mangin's true identity is hiding in his art. Unlike everything else about the elusive French sculptor, the material he works with is right there for anyone to see — giant, flat sheets of plastic, in vivid colours and glossy finishes. Perhaps if reporter Julia Bergin can find out where they're coming from, she can find him too. And it’s that trail that leads her to a noisy factory floor, where another artist has been making strikingly similar work for years.
People in this episode
Host: Julia Bergin
Topics covered
- art
- identity
- sculpture
- investigation
- plastic
Keywords
- Jean Paul Mangin
- Julia Bergin
- sculptor
- plastic art
- identity
- investigation
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: ABC Australia
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