Christian Boltanski - Unoriginal Sins

14 Nov VERLOREN IN MUNCHEN. (TRADITIONAL BAVARIAN HAT). 1997. UNIQUE FOUND ITEM.

Posted at 12:42h in UNIQUE WORKS

Munich: Boltanski/Haus der Kunst, 1997
Medium size green felt hat in the Bavarian traditional style (also known as Tyrolean) with two metal and enamel badges pinned on and bird feathers in a metal clasp in the braided cord headband.
This item was "found" in the Munich Underground Lost & Found offices and appropriated by Boltanski as a readymade artwork - a strategy which Boltanski had used before in various cities including Glasgow in 1993. Two cardboard labels (commonly used in Lost & Found Offices) are stamped with the title VERLOREN IN MUNCHEN (Lost in Munich) and one is signed by Boltanski in ink as the certificate for the work. The hat had been used in the exhibition prior being offered to sale where other "lost" items were exhibited.
In VG+ condition given that the item was previously lost on the underground. Unique within an unknown number of items sold as works after the exhibition.

...

13 Nov UN’IDEA DELL’ARTE/ ARTE E VITA. 1997.

Posted at 21:17h in EPHEMERA

Milano: Galleria Paolo Vitolo, 1997 10.5 x 15cm, 2pp announcement card with a typographic design - a group show with contributions by Arnulf Rainer, Boltanski, Gina Pane, Ketty La Rocca, Urs Luthi, Cindy Sherman, Jan Vercruysse, Cesare Viel, Orla Barry and Rebecca Bournigault. A mailed example with address label, stamps and frankings. ...

26 Jun LES REGISTRES DU GRAND-HORNU. 1997.

Posted at 21:22h in EPHEMERA

Grand-Hornu: Grand-Hornu Images, 1997
13 x 19.7cm, 1pp invitation card to the opening of the title exhibition. Typographic only - black on brown. VG+ although some light (sun) damage along the bottom of the card.

...

26 Jun LES REGISTRES DU GRAND-HORNU. 1997. WITH ORIGINAL PUBLISHER’S BANDEAU.

Posted at 09:11h in ARTIST’S BOOKS

Grand-Hornu: Grand-Hornu Images, 1997
19.5 x 12.7cm, 16pp (single folded sheet that opens up to 25.4 x 78cm. Artist's book that was circulated during the exhibition which reproduces the portrait page of children's passport documents (Dutch and French) these appear to be wartime documents.
Still extant is the publisher's wrap around bandeau which reproduced details of the exhibition on it although a mistake in the printing has meant that a hand addition to the times has been made. VG+. Very scarce.

...

10 May LES REGISTRES DU GRAND-HORNU (DETAIL). 1997.

Posted at 11:00h in EPHEMERA

N.p. (Bruxelles?): COmmunaute francaise de Belgique, 1997
15 x 10.5cm, 2pp. Full colour postcard with a details from the huge title installation. Fine.

...

14 Dec PASSIE / PASSION. 1997. WITH ORIGINAL CLOSING BANDEAU.

Posted at 19:59h in ARTIST’S BOOKS

Tilburg: De Pont, 1997
42 x 30cm, 16pp (self cover). Artist designed newspaper with many images of eyes in closeup. Each image seems haunting or even accusing.
Unopened in original outer wrapper Newspaper in near mint (folded) condition and bandeau with slight paper loss on unprinted right hand side. Now scarce.

...

22 Sep STERBLICH. 1996.

Posted at 12:04h in ARTIST’S BOOKS

Munchen: Hessisches Landsmuseum/Gina Kehayoff Verlage, 1996
25.2 x 21cm, 48pp plus card covers. Artist's book consisting of 40 b/w photographic images of death. Published in conjunction with a museum exhibition, of the same name. Minimal text in German. VG+ although minor rust on staples.

...

03 Aug ZEIT. 1996.

Posted at 12:12h in ARTIST’S BOOKS

Munchen: Gina Kehayoff Verlage, 1996
21 x 14cm, 64pp plus card covers. Artist's book consisting of 62 b/w photographic images of 31 people showing both younger and older selves opposite each other on each two pages. Minimal text in German. VG+.

...

22 Jul CHRISTIAN BOLTANSKI FACES. 1996. SIGNED BY BOLTANSKI.

Posted at 15:53h in EPHEMERA

N.p.: n.p., 1996
11 x 13.7cm, digital output on gloss paper. A handmade postcard perhaps with a photoshopped collage of "faces" taken from Boltanski works. However this has been signed on the reverse in ink by Boltanski,

...

20 Jun GLUCK AUF! 1996.

Posted at 13:19h in EPHEMERA

Munchen: Galerie Bernd Kluser, 1996 21 x 10.5, 4pp announcement card printed on transparent paper. The front of the card is an appropriated vintage image of two middle age people on a fairground slide. Gluck auf is apparently a regional greeting in parts of Germany (originally used by miners). VG+. ...

31 Mar INVENTAR. 1996.

Posted at 11:31h in EPHEMERA

Bremen: Neues Museum Weserberg, 1996 15 x 10.5cm, 2pp announcement card for an exhibition of Boltanski's artist's books from between 1969 and 1995 from the collection of Guy Schraenen. One b/w page from a book reproduced on the front, verso museum details. VG+. ...

23 Feb LES CONCESSIONS. 1996. ONE OF 50 SIGNED & NUMBERED EXAMPLES.

Posted at 10:45h in DELUXE ARTIST’S BOOKS

Paris: Yvon Lambert 1996
41 x 30.6cm, outer folder eight 40 x 30cm, 1pp b/w reproductions of appropriated photographs printed on semi-opaque paper and with eight transparent 40 x 30cm overlays with text printed in red.
The short titles associated with each image seem incongruous - an image of a young woman in swimming costume with a blanket over her head is noted as "La Belle Hotesse" (the Beautiful Hostess), a priest with a baby is denoted as Intense Souffrance (intense suffering). However the overlays can be moved around and placed over different images - and the titles given new context. Or more accurately the photographs are given new associations with any new text - which one may suggest is the point of the work: an anonymous image is read by a viewer using conscious and unconscious visual cues but when a language descriptor is added new associations are formed and the semantic context changed. Concessions are made.
This is one of only 50 signed and numbered examples on a colophon sheet. VG+

...