Christian Boltanski

Through his artistic work Christian Boltanski (* 1944, † 2021, Paris) explores the topics of memory, transcience and identity. He became known for his installations that both relate to his own childhood experience as well as fictional life stories. In order to construct these biographies he collects findings, everyday photography and replicated objects, and arranges in vitrines simulating an anthropological representation. An important focus also lies on the memory value of materials. This includes the photographic works that have been enlarged and overexposed to the point of abstraction. Furthermore, the artist uses the technique of shadow play since the 1980s in order to visualise motifs from the pictorial tradition of the danse macabre. His work was shown several times at the documenta as well as in the French pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2011. His works can also be found in the collections of MoMA (New York City), Tate (London) or the Centre Georges Pompidou (Paris). Galerie Klüser has been representing Christian Boltanski since 1996. The artist lived and worked in the Parisian suburb Malakoff.