Lot 26
  • 26

Christian Boltanski

Estimate
60,000 - 80,000 EUR
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Description

  • Christian Boltanski
  • Monument Odessa
  • gelatin silver prints, light bulbs and wires, mounted on panel
  • work: 243 x 172 x 5 cm; 95 11⁄16 x 67 11⁄16 x 67 3/4 in.
  • panel: 279,5 x 200 x 6 cm; 110 x 78  3/4  x 2  3/8  in.
  • Executed in 1988.

Provenance

Sperone Westwater, New York
Private Collection, Pennsylvania
Sale: Sotheby's New York, Contemporary Art Day Auction, 10 November 2011, lot 467
Collection Alain & Candice Fraiberger

Condition

The electric system is working perfectly. The frames are in very good condition. The work is currently mounted on board for the exhibition and may be removed for shipment.
"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."

Catalogue Note

Seven photographs of children, focused in close up on their faces, placed under glass with black metal frames. Seven images enlarged to a blur, placed symmetrically either side of slightly larger pictures, half-lit by dim electric lightbulbs. 

Taken separately, each of these photos could be perceived as banal, if it were not for their gaze drowned in shadows which endows them with a tragic aspect. The sacred is omnipresent in Boltanski's work. Referring both to Catholic celebrations, Hanouka the Jewish festival of light and Byzantine icons illuminated by candles, Monument Odessa embodies a mystical dimension common to all. The fragile aspect of the installation increases its emotional impact. As in many of his works, Boltanski combines the derisory with the tragic, the marvelous with the sacred, to create an intense emotion.