Christian BOLTANSKI - Reserve of dead Swiss (1990)

 

Reserve of dead Swiss

1990
Photographs, metal boxes and electric spotlights (203 cm)
Marian Goodman Gallery, New York

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The work is a real construction of metal boxes for biscuits against a background of black and white photographs taken from obituaries of a local newspaper, dimly lit by electric spotlights.

It is a real shrine to memory that arouses strong feelings of life and death, over which an atmosphere of peace hovers that borders on the religious and the eternal.

In one of his previous works, Boltanski had used photographs of Jewish children, but here he wanted to investigate the theme of the inevitability of death, choosing photos of people belonging to an openly neutral country. Death is undoubtedly the most universal aspect of life.

Boltanski is one of the most acclaimed artists of our time, thanks to his unique style, materials and subjects focused on the themes of death.

Other works by him, very important and impactful, are composed of glass cases where childhood memories are stored, shadow sculptures made with recycled materials illuminated by candles and a room full of clothes also called reserves.

Comparing artists: Andre, Kiefer, Poussin, Teniers