Christian Boltanski Advent and Other Times

Christian Boltanski's first one-man Paris exhibition took place precisely in May 1968: at least in theory, therefore, his personality should coincide exactly with the archetypal soixantehuitard that postmodern critics are at such pains to discredit. On the other hand, however, if his work is examined retrospectively and compared to what young artists are producing today, a considerable number of connections is revealed which denotes at least identification between different creative approaches and very probably a considerable degree of influence. This would coincide with evidence that criticism of modernity is not the exclusive province of those who over the last fifteen or twenty years seem to have appropriated it for themselves. On the contrary, his irreverent stance regarding modern idealism has its roots far back in the past and even justifies the whole disposition and creative quests of many artists now considered to be historical, Christian Boltanski among them.

Gloria Moure, current director of the Centro Galego de Arte Contemporánea in Santiago de Compostela, presents us here with the results of Boltanski's first retrospective in Spain, Advento, held in the highly unusual setting of the Church of San Domingos de Bonaval, for which the artist produced a "work of works" containing both well-known pieces and others created specifically for the space. This book, besides taking us on a visual itinerary through the world created by Boltanski in Santiago, also offers other projects conducted by the artist and features essays by Jean Clair, José Jiménez and Gloria Moure herself, including an interview with Christian Boltanski. All this will undoubtedly contribute to bringing us closer to an artist whose oeuvre constitutes one of the most interesting of recent decades.
Christian Boltanski's first one-man Paris exhibition took place precisely in May 1968: at least in theory, therefore, his personality should coincide exactly with the archetypal soixantehuitard that postmodern critics are at such pains to discredit. On the other hand, however, if his work is examined retrospectively and compared to what young artists are producing today, a considerable number of connections is revealed which denotes at least identification between different creative approaches and very probably a considerable degree of influence. This would coincide with evidence that criticism of modernity is not the exclusive province of those who over the last fifteen or twenty years seem to have appropriated it for themselves. On the contrary, his irreverent stance regarding modern idealism has its roots far back in the past and even justifies the whole disposition and creative quests of many artists now considered to be historical, Christian Boltanski among them.

Gloria Moure, current director of the Centro Galego de Arte Contemporánea in Santiago de Compostela, presents us here with the results of Boltanski's first retrospective in Spain, Advento, held in the highly unusual setting of the Church of San Domingos de Bonaval, for which the artist produced a "work of works" containing both well-known pieces and others created specifically for the space. This book, besides taking us on a visual itinerary through the world created by Boltanski in Santiago, also offers other projects conducted by the artist and features essays by Jean Clair, José Jiménez and Gloria Moure herself, including an interview with Christian Boltanski. All this will undoubtedly contribute to bringing us closer to an artist whose oeuvre constitutes one of the most interesting of recent decades.