Mario Merz

Galerie Jean Bernier, Athens
Galerie Albert Baronian, Brussels
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner

Krefeld Museum, Kounellis, Merz, Nauman, Serra, 1981, p. 23, illustrated
Zürich, Kunsthaus, Mario Merz, 1985, p.65, no. 18, illustrated
Paris, Galerie Liliane et Michel Durand Dessert, Mario Merz, Oeuvres 1957-1987, 1990
Paris, Galerie Liliane et Michel Durand Dessert, Arte Povera 1965 – 1972, 1995
Musée de Grenoble, L'art au futur antérieur, La collection Liliane et Michel Durand Dessert, 2004, n. p., illustrated in colour

Maiten Bouisset, Arte Povera, Paris 1994, p.95, illustrated
Françoise Ducros, Mario Merz, Paris 1999, p.123
Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, Arte Povera, London 1999, p. 33, illustrated in colour
Giovani Lista, Arte Povera, Paris 2006, p.17, illustrated

Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate. Please note that the twigs in the catalogue illustration are replaceable as confirmed by the Archivio Merz. Condition: The work is in very good condition. There is some minor rust in places to the metal bars. There are some faint rub marks and finger prints to the wax and a thin stable vertical crack to one side of the wax and light media accretion to its underside.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

"The bundles of twigs represent wood, but at the same time they are interesting in their own right since they represent a quantity, a sequence of numbers. Furthermore, they are closely joined, which has a touching effect. If you take a single tree and isolate it, it becomes something evocative and fantastic. If you create an assemblage, you concentrate power, which transmits a naturally more visual emotion, but also a feeling of presence. [...] The bundles of twigs are not in theory, but in feeling." The artist cited in 'Interview with Suzanne Pagé and Jean-Christophe Ammann' in: Exhibition Catalogue, Trento, Galleria Civica di Arte Contemporanea, Mario Merz, 1995, p. 200.