Oeuvre et lieu: Exploring Art's Relationship with Space

The book 'Oeuvre et lieu', edited by Anne-Marie Charbonneaux and Norbert Hillaire and published by Flammarion, examines the diverse ways artists engage with public space. François Barré opens with a typology of approaches to site, ranging from Dubuffet's indifference to context to Buren's work founded on its nature, Jan Dibbets' redefinition of place as trajectory in 'Hommage à Arago', and Raoul Marek's work at Oiron. A key theme is the mutation of the notion of place, highlighted by a reprint of Thierry de Duve's 1989 essay from Cahiers du Mnam, arguing that artists like Dan Graham and Matta-Clark work from the premise of a 'loss of place'. Jean-Luc Moulène designed the layout of the hundred full-page illustrations, a strong point of the volume. However, editorial oversight could have corrected proper names and improved the notes on works. Contributors include Augustin Berque, Daniel Bougnoux, Christine Buci-Glucksmann, Annie Delay, and Françoise Gaillard. Reviewed by Catherine Francblin.