Monday, May 24, 2010

The Persistence of Memory: Christian Boltanski and Memory



In an exhibition currently at the Park Avenue Armory in New York City, a crane reaches into a mountain of clothes and pulls out at random a selection of shirts, pants, etc., only to release them to flutter back to their brethren. “No Man’s Land,” Christian Boltanski’s latest art installation, moves to the soundtrack of a thousand human heartbeats. The uninhabited clothing recalls the Holocaust, and Boltanski’s invites that connection. Memory, both personal and cultural, pervades all his work. A new monograph on the artist examines Boltanski’s career and the persistence of memory in both playful and humorous as well as dark and disturbing ways. Please come over to Picture This at Big Think to read more of "The Persistence of Memory."



[Many thanks to Rizzoli USA for providing me with a review copy of Christian Boltanski.]