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Barnebys HQ
Brahegatan 10
BOX 5038
114 37 Stockholm
All auctions / Contemporary Art / Ben Vautier (1935) - Seltene Original Collage – TROU - Fluxus - ca. 1968
A rare original collage by the French-Swiss Fluxus artist Ben Vautier, known as Ben, created around 1968. A hand-drawn arrow points to the opening, below which Ben wrote the word “trou” in black felt-tip pen — French for “hole.” About the work: The piece is a characteristic example of Ben’s conceptual and language-based approach, in which text, object, language, and meaning are intimately connected. The collage consists of a printed sheet of paper with a precisely cut circular opening, mounted over a page from a French dictionary. Through the hole, the dictionary entry “Ferdinand” is deliberately visible. With this simple intervention, a typographical and linguistic pun emerges: the word immediately designates what the viewer actually sees. Language, materiality, and absence thus become components of the same work. The collage exemplifies Ben’s ironic and philosophical engagement with the question of how language shapes our perception and the meaning of a work of art. Framing: The work is professionally framed, under a custom-made, acid-free mat and in a high-quality, handmade black wooden frame. Equipped with Plexiglas Optical HC (scratch-resistant and with UV protection). Frame size: approx. 54 × 54 cm About the artist: Ben Vautier (1935–2024) was a French-Swiss artist and a central figure of the Fluxus movement. He became known particularly for his distinctive handwritten text works, actions, and performances, through which he questioned traditional notions of authorship, language, and the definition of art. Important influences on his work included Dada, Marcel Duchamp, and Yves Klein. His works are held in major international museum collections, including the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, and Tate in London. Ben died on June 5, 2024 in Nice, a few hours after the death of his wife Annie, with whom he had been connected for more than six decades. According to his family, he took his own life, as he did not want to continue living without her. PACKAGING & TRANSPORT Shipping is offered exclusively insured and with Track & Trace. For transport, the work is professionally and especially carefully packaged. All costs for packaging materials are already included in the stated shipping costs. INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING Worldwide shipping. For buyers in the USA we offer tax- and duty-friendly shipping. SWITZERLAND Orders within Switzerland are shipped directly from Switzerland at the appropriate domestic rate. CONDITION The work is in good condition. The attached photos show the current condition and should be taken into account accordingly when assessing.
Estimate:£1,526.84
To the auctionView all items fromCatawikiorContemporary Art
Estimate:
£1,526.84
1996 Australia 1/10 oz Gold Lunar Rat (Series I)
12/06/2017
£351.02
Est: £436.01
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