News
and informations
PORTRAIT: BEN VAUTIER, EMBLEMATIC ARTIST OF CONTEMPORARY FRENCH ART
Ben Vautier, more commonly known by his nickname "Ben", is an emblematic artist on the French contemporary art scene. Famous for his textual works and daring performances, Ben Vautier was born on July 18, 1935 in Naples, Italy, to a French father and an Irish mother. He moved to Nice in 1949, the city that would become the stage for his artistic development and where he would live for the rest of his life.
At the end of the 1950s, he opened a record store, "Magasin Ben", selling second-hand records at first, and various items. The space soon became a meeting place for local artists, and it was here that Ben began to experiment with his art. His first works were assemblages and collages influenced by the Dada movement and Art Brut.
Fluxus movement.
In the 1960’s, Ben joined Fluxus, an international collective of artists who advocated anti-art and interdisciplinarity. Influenced by this movement, Ben adopted a provocative and playful approach to art. He began creating his famous textual works: short, punchy phrases painted by hand, often on signs or everyday objects. These sentences, such as "I am art", "Art is useless", "Everything is art", question and challenge the very definition of art.
One of Ben's trademarks is his signature, which he places to all his works. He even goes so far as to sign found objects, public spaces and works by other artists, raising questions about authenticity and artistic ownership.
Ben is known for his daring and often humorous performances. In 1972, during an exhibition in Milan, he installed a urinal in the middle of the gallery and invited visitors to use it, recalling Marcel Duchamp's iconic "Fountain" but with his own provocative touch.
His work remains deeply marked by a reflection on identity and the ego, as evidenced by his "Ego Art" project, a series of works in which he explores his own self through different artistic media.
Ben is also deeply involved in Nice's cultural life. He is actively involved in the creation of the Total Art Theater, a space where the frontiers between different art forms are abolished. He is also a member of the École de Nice, an informal group artists from Nice that includes Yves Klein and Arman, among others.
Ben's work continues to influence many contemporary artists. His uncomplicated approach to art, his use of text and his involvement in the Fluxus movement opened the way for new forms of artistic expression. In 2000, a major retrospective of his work was organized at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MAMAC) in Nice, showing the importance of his contribution to contemporary art.
Ben Vautier is still a central figure in contemporary art, an artist who has never stopped to question, provoke and innovate. Through his textual works, performances and collaborative projects, he has maintained a playful, critical approach to art, always inviting viewers to reflect on the role and nature of art in our society. His life and work, intimately linked to the city of Nice, continue to inspire and fascinate generations of artists and art enthusiasts.
On June 5, he was found dead in his home. Unable to face life without his alter ego, Annie, the love of his life, he decided to leave. An earthquake for art in Nice and the world. Baieta Ben!
