Overview
Born in Paris in 1944, Christian Boltanski is undoubtedly one of the most interesting French artists in the panorama of contemporary art, and has been a leading figure in the international art scene for over 20 years. He began his artistic career at a very young age with his large canvas paintings, but in 1968 he abandoned painting for a less traditional and more conceptual means of expression which included mixed media and found objects. He has made short films, true and fictional dossiers of his life; he has archived moments of his existence in cookie-tin boxes and has collected photographic portraits. Since the mid-80s, his work has been pervaded by an awareness of the tragic events of the Second World War. "Boltanski" presents themes dearest to the artist: the memories collected in everyday objects, evoked relics of a collective past, redemption—through the artist's intervention—of nameless people without a history.Synopsis
Born in Paris in 1944, Christian Boltanski is undoubtedly one of the most interesting French artists in the panorama of contemporary art, and has been a leading figure in the international art scene for over 20 years. He began his artistic career at a very young age with his large canvas paintings, but in 1968 he abandoned painting for a less traditional and more conceptual means of expression which included mixed media and found objects. He has made short films, true and fictional dossiers of his life; he has archived moments of his existence in cookie-tin boxes and has collected photographic portraits. Since the mid-80s, his work has been pervaded by an awareness of the tragic events of the Second World War. "Boltanski" presents themes dearest to the artist: the memories collected in everyday objects, evoked relics of a collective past, redemption—through the artist's intervention—of nameless people without a history.