Christian Boltanski's 'Possible Life' Revealed in Interview Book

A new book of interviews with Christian Boltanski, titled 'La vie possible de Christian Boltanski' (The Possible Life of Christian Boltanski), offers an unprecedented look into the artist's life and work. The title deliberately contrasts with his 1968 exhibition 'La vie impossible de Christian Boltanski' (The Impossible Life of Christian Boltanski). Conducted by Catherine Grenier, the interviews trace Boltanski's childhood, including his father hiding under the floorboards during World War II, his discovery of painting as a means of survival, and his artistic evolution from obsessive painting to molding clay balls, carving sugar, reconstructing childhood through photography, and staging life in vitrines. Boltanski, known for guarding his privacy and presenting art as artifice, here speaks candidly about his family, his refusal of formal education, and the traumatic origins of his work. The book covers his career from the 1970s onward, his shift from photography to spatial installations and theater scenography, and his recent focus on self-portraiture through themes of aging and mortality. Boltanski describes his work as 'exemplary lives' akin to saints' lives, conveying messages through images rather than words. The interviews coincide with the preparation of a catalogue raisonné, marking a retrospective moment. Published in 2007 by artpress, the book is seen as a work of art in itself, presenting a constructed yet sincere narrative of a legendary life.