christian boltanski: personnes for monumenta 2010

christian boltanski: personnes for monumenta 2010 ‘personnes’ exhibition view, monumenta 2010 grand palais, paris 13 january – 21 february 2010 photo didier plowy © monumenta / MCC

as part of monumenta 2010, french artist christian boltanski’s work entitled ‘personnes’ (literally both ‘people’ and ‘nobodies’) proposes reflections on the inescapability of death and how chance watches over the destiny of each. ‘art consists of asking questions, giving rise to emotion, without having any answers.’ – C.B. ‘personnes’ transforms the entire nave of the grand palais through the creation of a coherent, intensely moving installation conceived as a gigantic animated tableau.

‘personnes’ exhibition view photo didier plowy © monumenta / MCC

‘personnes’ exhibition view photo didier plowy © monumenta / MCC

‘personnes’ exhibition view photo didier plowy © monumenta / MCC close-up of ‘personnes’ photo didier plowy © monumenta / MCC

close-up of ‘personnes’ photo didier plowy © monumenta / MCC

‘personnes’ is a one-off, ephemeral work. photo didier plowy © monumenta / MCC

‘what principally interests me today is that the spectator is not placed before the work, but that he goes inside it. in opposition to a classic museum exhibition, where the art goes by as we watch it, the grand palais is a place encouraging an experience in which the spectator immerges himself, since the entire space is part of the work. the sound, the ambiance, the way of walking about it, including the trouble caused by certain places you need to go through, the materials used, all these elements make up an artistic project that becomes an overall work. (…) rather than an object of contemplation, this installation creates a space to be immersed in. this work is like dante’s circles of hell, they completely surround the progression of the spectator and mark him deeply, emotionally. but the reactions of the spectators, fear or anger, are an  integral part of the work’s progression.‘ – C.B.in accordance with the artist’s wishes, the components of the piece will all be recycled at the end of the exhibition.

artists anish kapoor and christian boltanski at the vernissage of monumenta 2010 photo didier plowy © monumenta / MCC

the entrance of the exhibition photo didier plowy © monumenta / MCC