Ben's 'Strip-tease intégral' Retrospective at MAC Lyon
From March 3 to July 11, 2010, the Musée d'Art Contemporain de Lyon (MAC Lyon) presented a retrospective titled 'Strip-tease intégral' dedicated to the French artist Ben (Benjamin Vautier). Spanning three floors and covering 3,000 square meters, the exhibition featured over 1,000 pieces, such as paintings, writings, videos, and photographs. The first level focused on Ben's Fluxus era, showcasing early text paintings and 16 mm films from 1960 to 1975. Accompanying the exhibition, a DVD with commentary was included in the catalogue. During this time, 'Fluxus Dixit – Scores, events, notations' was released, and Ben also exhibited solo at Galerie Lara Vincy in Paris until May 2010, with notable works like 'Total art match-box' and 'Introspection' (1976). Other exhibitions included 'L'Art est ce qu'il est' and 'L'Art contemporain me fait rire.'
Key facts
- Retrospective 'Strip-tease intégral' at MAC Lyon from March 3 to July 11, 2010
- Over 1,000 works displayed across 3,000 m² on three floors
- First floor dedicated to Fluxus period with early text paintings and Idea-book (1962–1964)
- 16 mm films re-edited into DVD with artist commentary included in catalogue
- Interactive podium with text 'L'art est inutile, rentrez chez vous' and YouTube upload invitation
- Work 'Total art match-box' includes matches to destroy all art
- Series 'Introspection' (1976) features self-critical texts on black backgrounds
- Concurrent exhibitions at Galerie Catherine Issert and Galerie Lara Vincy
Entities
Artists
- Ben (Benjamin Vautier)
- Francis Picabia
- Isidore Isou
- Maurice Lemaître
- Michel Giroud
- Carole Boulbès
Institutions
- Musée d'Art Contemporain de Lyon (MAC Lyon)
- Galerie Lara Vincy
- Galerie Catherine Issert
- Presses du réel
Locations
- Lyon
- France
- Nice
- Promenade des Anglais
- Saint-Paul-de-Vence
- Paris
Sources
- artpress —