Lausanne: Musée Canonale des Beaux-Arts, 1993
21 x 14 m. 62pp plus original typographic wrappers. Artist's book listing all of the deaths for a year (organised by day) in the Swiss Canton. Boltanski always notes that he chose Swiss people (although this was released in Switzerland as part of the exhibition Les Suisse morts in 1993 in Lausanne) because of their association with peace and the fact that their deaths were usually not caused by trauma.
This copy is one of 50 signed and numbered copies - on the last page in blue ink by Boltanski. VG+.

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Saint-Gall: Stiftsbibliothek, n.d. (1992)
10.5 x15cm, 8pp (original postcards bound in) plus front and back cards. Artist's book consisting of postcards showing installation views of a small exhibition of books by Boltanski from a library exhibition in the abbey of Saint-Gall. The show consisted of a single vitrine it seems. The images do not really allow one to see the books but the library is clearly impressive. The installation was organised by Hans Ulrich Obrist but he claims elsewhere his first curated exhibition was one year later (which also included Boltanski).
Reference: Calle Boltanski Artist's Books Page 76.

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Houston: Contemporary Arts Museum, 1991
20.5 x 16 x 2.6cm, two part printed cardboard box content of a 17.7 x 12.5cm, 14pp (recto only) leporello booklet which has 14 images of the artist's cut out and cheaply made figures. One of only 500 copies released. Similar to the artist's grotesques where assemblage sculptures were made from household objects, these figures are mostly dancing skeletons in white against a flat black background.
There is a colophon card in black on brown also inserted into the box. VG+. Scarce.

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Pittsberg: Carnegie Museum of Art, 1991
21 x 14cm, 40pp. Original card covers. Artist's book listing in alphabetical order all of the participants of the Carnegie International from 1896 to 1991 (Boltanski took part in 1991 and his name is included), VG+
JOINT AS ISSUED:
17.5 x 13cm, original b/w silver gelatine print showing Boltanski's installation in the Carnegie International which is signed on the back.
One of only 100 such books and photographs as a deluxe edition. Both VG++.

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Imschoot: Uitgevers for Antichambres, Affinités Electives, 1991
22.3 x 16cm. 28pp plus card wrappers. Second edition of this artist's book which reprints the images of children from 1955 which had been sent to the Mickey Mouse Club and reprinted in their magazine. There were 62 members who were about the same age as Boltanski in that year and the images here consist of 148 duotone rephotographed portraits as if in an album. This book was originally published in 1990 bin 400 copies ut was so popular a second edition (as here) of 500 numbered copies was reprinted in 1991. This example is not numbered. VG+.

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Frankfurt am Main: Museum fur Modern Kunst, 1991
24 x 19cm, 100pp. card covers. Exhibition catalogue which really should be regarded as an artist's book due to 621 small b/w images of the aactual "Swiss dead" which follows a short essay in German and English by Gunter Metken. The images were found and sampled from over 3,000 obituaries from the regional newspaper "Le Nouveliste du Valais" and reprinted without comment. VG+.

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Charleston: Spoleto Festival, 1991
21 x 14cm, 52pp plus original wrappers. Artist's book which displays 345 b/w images of the claimed belongings of a young woman in Charleston (the town of the Festival). One of several such artist's books surveying a student's entire inventory - shown without comment in a quasi-archival manner. Much as with the appropriated photographs of unknown people Boltanski uses an anonymous subject, In fact one cannot be sure that this is even a real person and not an accumulation of found items. Boltanski was part of the Festival exhibition "Places with a Past: new Site Specific Art in Charleston". The photographs are credited to Beth Dinoff by an attached label at the back of the book. VG+.
Referenced in Flay Boltanski Catalogue Page 200.
BR>...

Eindhoven/Grenoble: Van Abbemuseum/Musée de Grenoble, 1990 (not printed on the publication which as a facsimile has the original 1975 publication details on it)
21 x 29cm, 32pp plus card covers. First edition, with black tape spine, of this artist's book which displays the various comic performances by Boltanski where he pretended to be various parental and authority figures in a child's life and common scenes relating to those figures - additionally the artist had painted various backgrounds for each scene. Twenty-two b/w images reproduced in the book, two per page. The performances were Le baiser honteux, La premiere communion, La visite du docteur, L'anniversaire, La toilete du matin. Two b/w images of the artist on every page.
This is the second edition of the book (published as part of the Reconstitution Box) which is exactly the same as the first edition apart from the black tape on the spine found on the original is not here - which is unhelpful to dealers and collectors. However this example is not just VG+ it is signed in ink by Boltanski on the inside cover. The first edition is extremely hard to find, this second edition much less so.

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London: Trustees of the Whitechapel Art Gallery, 1990
312 x 26 x 4cm, two part cardboard box with tipped on label content of 18 items some of which are reprints of early Boltanski artist's books.
The contents are four booklets with new content:

"Christian Boltanski: Reconstitution" exhibition catalogue, with essay by Lynn Gumpert, 40 pp., with numerous colour and black and white illustrations
"Christian Boltanski 1944-90" catalogue of works, exhibitions and bibliography, 36 pp., with numerous black and white illustrations
"Christian Boltanski: an Interview with Georgia Marsh, " 48 pp., with five black and white illustrations


And five reprints of soft cover artist's books:
"Reconstitution des gestes effectués par Christian Boltanski entre 1948 et 1954, "
"10 Portraits photographiques de Christian Boltanski 1946-1964, "
"Recherche et presentation de tout ce qui reste de mon enfance, "
"Inventaire des objets ayant appartenu a une femme des Bois-Colombes"
"Saynetes Comiques" 32 pp., with 22 black and white illustrations
Additionally there are two facsimile letters:
"Lettre de demande d'aide";
"Lettre aux conservateurs de Musee proposant le projet des inventaires."
And:
"Christian Boltanski a l'honneuer de vous faire ses offres de service, "
"Dispersion a l'amiable".
"Christian Boltanski a 5 ans 3 mois de distance";
"Christian Boltanski et ses freres".
Three color postcards: "Image modèle (La régate), 1975; "Composition decorative, " 1976; "Affiche, " 1974 and a colour poster: "L'Ange d'alliance, " 1986

The box applies Boltanski's interest in reconstituting the past to himself and his artistic career. Some of the books are hard to tell from the original first editions which is an issue for book dealers.
VG+ contents in like box although one booklet has slightly rusted staples. ...

Moscow: Maison Centrale de L'Artiste, 1989
11 x 15.5cm, printed envelope in red and black on cream content of four different postcards with images of the exhibition and two 21 x 15cm, 2pp leaflets with texts in French and a reproduction of two press articles in Russian.
The exhibition catalogue in unusual format for a group show of French artists which included Boltanski, Daniel Buren, Sophie Calle, Robert Filliou,, Paul-Armand Gette, Jean le Gac, Annette Messager, Philippe Parreno, and Sarkis amongst others. The images on the cards do not seem to include any obvious Boltanski work. All VG+ in slightly word and minorly torn envelope.

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Mejan d'Arles: Actes Sud, 1989
19 x 9.8cm, 48pp plus card covers. First edition of this artist's book that reproduces found b/w vintage portraits of unknown people. VG+

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