General Idea: The Origins of a Fictional Art Entity
In his 2011 piece for artpress, Éric Troncy explores General Idea, a Canadian art collective that operated from 1969 until 1994. The Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris hosted a retrospective titled "Haute Culture: General Idea, une rétrospective 1969-1994" from February 11 to April 30, 2011, showcasing approximately three hundred artworks curated by Frédéric Bonnet and Odile Burluraux. Troncy characterizes General Idea as a unique collaboration among Michael Tims (AA Bronson, born 1946), Ron Gabe (Felix Partz, 1945–1994), and Slobodan Sala-Levy (Jorge Zontal, 1944–1994). Their endeavors included the Miss General Idea Pageant in 1970 and a focus on collaboration until 1984, later addressing the AIDS epidemic in the late 1980s.
Key facts
- General Idea retrospective 'Haute Culture: General Idea, une rétrospective 1969-1994' at Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Feb 11 – Apr 30, 2011
- Curated by Frédéric Bonnet and Odile Burluraux
- Some three hundred works exhibited
- General Idea formed by Michael Tims (AA Bronson, b. 1946), Ron Gabe (Felix Partz, 1945-1994), and Slobodan Sala-Levy (Jorge Zontal, 1944-1994)
- The trio lived together in Toronto and allowed anyone to become General Idea
- Name General Idea chosen to evoke General Motors
- Miss General Idea Pageant launched in 1970
- File Magazine published from 1972 to 1989 (26 issues)
- Art Metropole founded in 1974
- Motto 'Form Follows Fiction' adopted in 1973
- Thirteen-year commitment to work together until 1984
- 1987 work replaced LOVE with AIDS, referencing the epidemic
- Article by Éric Troncy, art critic and co-director of Le Consortium, Dijon
Entities
Artists
- AA Bronson
- Felix Partz
- Jorge Zontal
- Michael Tims
- Ron Gabe
- Slobodan Sala-Levy
- Éric Troncy
- Frédéric Bonnet
- Odile Burluraux
- Élisabeth Lebovici
- Gary Indiana
- Leigh Bowery
- Lady Gaga
- Jana Sterback
- Lucian Freud
- André Malraux
- Lucy Lippard
- Claude Monet
- Joshua Decter
Institutions
- Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris
- General Idea
- File Magazine
- Art Metropole
- Le Consortium
- artpress
- MTV
- General Motors
Locations
- Paris
- France
- Toronto
- Canada
- Vancouver
- Winnipeg
- Manitoba
- Halifax
- Parma
- Italy
Sources
- artpress —