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LES HABITANTS DU LOUVRE
Paris, Dilecta/Musée du Louvre, 2009
23 x 17.5cm, 120pp plus printed boards including 40 illustrations b/w. This first edition of the artist's book lists all of the artists found in the museum alphabetically within various rather contrived groupings. Boltanski has added 40 constructions where b/w reproductions of portraits of artists and employees of the museum have been cut up and recombined with half of the upper faces being attached to a different artist/employee's lower face - much like a children's card game. This is one of only 40 examples and X H.C. copies which are signed by both artist and Jacques Roubaud. VG++.

INSERTED AS ISSUED:


17 x 12cm, 1pp single lined sheet with an original photograph of a young man tipped on - the image that was used in the book. The back of the sheet is signed in pen by Boltanski. The sheet is in a glassine envelope.


This is one of the first 50 numbered copies of the book and the image used corresponds to the page of the same number - here 15 - hence each deluxe copy (up to number 30) has the original photograph used for the publication.


So Schnell translates to "So Fast" perhaps a reference to how quickly time passes, All in original printed slipcase.VG+.

Folder 1: La Maison Manquante/The Missing House 15, Grosse-Hamburger-Strasse, Sept. 1990. A text in French faces an original colour photograph of the installation with tissue guard.

Folder 2: Autour de la Maison Manquante

Folder 3: Ceux Qui Vivaient au 15, Grosse-Hamburger-Strasse, de 1930 à 1945

Folder 4: Madame Kalies

Folder 5: Kurt Porteset

Folder 6: Monsieur Schnapp

Folder 7: Le 3 Février 1945

Folder 8: Le Cahier de Quittances

This is one of the most difficult to find of later artist's books by Boltanski and certainly one of his most complex productions, the level of research and the requirement to recreate original documents in high quality reproduction must have taken a lot of effort.

As usual there is no moral commentary on the events or people included in the survey of the building, The fact that some residents were Jews is ignored other than mentioned although readers may feel some irony present here. The bomb was neutral in its effect - devastating but uncaring of past history or status. It is a simple record of what happened - and an imperfect record as all historical reconstitution must be

This is one of 100 signed and numbered copies (aside from 20 HC copies) on a label on the inside front cover of the archival box and is in VG+ condition, complete although the two original thick rubber bands that close the folder are missing. A wonderful production.