Robert Barry, On Kawara, Christian Marclay - IFPDA Print Fair - Art fairmfc-michèle didier | Paris - Brussels -

IFPDA 2018
October 25-28, 2018
New York, USA

For this new edition of Fine Art Print Fair, mfc-michèle didier would like to propose a selection of works by contemporary American artists who question the relationship to the archive: Robert Barry, On Kawara and Christian Marclay.

The collaboration between Robert Barry and mfc-michèle didier start in 2006 with Art Lovers. On each of the 31 plates of Art Lovers unbound book two layers are superimposed: a photographic portrait taken by Robert Barry himself and a word outline cut into a black surface. The portrait is covered by the black layer and the frame of the shape of the word creates a fragmented portrait seen through a keyhole. It is up to the viewer to infer their subjects and reconstitute the portraits based on sparse and vague elements

On Kawara's relationship to the archive goes through the dates. It only takes a look through the pages of the famous One Million Years to capture the full historical and poetic significance.
The text of each page of this set of two volumes, is laid out in 10 columns, rigorously aligned and subdivided in 5 blocks of 100 years. Each block contains 10 lines and each line contains a decennium. The two volumes of the book correspond, their internal organization is identical.
Thus, the first volume, Past ? For all those who have lived and died, starts in 998031 BC and ends in 1969 AD, namely One Million Years later. At this date starts the « One Million Years » in the ?uvre of On Kawara, transcribed here for this edition on 2000 pages. The second volume, « Future ? For the last one », starts in 1993 AD and ends One Million Years later, in 1001992. This period is equally transcribed for the edition on 2000 pages.
In this way, the One Million Years is a real archive of the passage of time and of the time to come.

Result of a long-term accumulation of eclectic and decorative musical notations, gleaned from here and there in various advertisements, illustrations, menus, candy wrappings etc, Ephemera by Christian Marclay is above all, a musical score which is intended to be played by professional musicians. By its nature, the work of Christian Marclay becomes an object. A three-dimensional object-book that frees itself and detracts from its original function. Presented in « all-over » on the walls of the stand mfc-michèle didier, the 28 folios constituting the work Ephemera show the precious collection of the artist and perhaps reveals, between the lines of the partitions, a certain obsession for the archive of the same form: in this case, the musical note.