




The exhibition
The Small Utopia. Ars Multiplicata opened
a month ago at the Fondazione Prada in Venice, and continues until
November 25th. Curated by art historian and critic Germano Celant (whose
dedication to the subject of artists' books, multiples, records and
video dates back at least forty years), the exhibition appears to be the
largest and most comprehensive ever mounted on the subject. Covering a
period of 75 years, beginning in the early 20th century and continuing
until 1975, the show features over six hundred works in an exploration
of "the idea of uniqueness in art and in its perception, through the
multiplication not just of the objects themselves but also of the
different means used for its distribution, from artist’s books to
magazines and from experimental cinema to radio."
The sprawling exhibition includes Andy Warhol's
Brillo Boxes and
Heinz Tomato Ketchup Boxes, Man Ray's
Obstruction and
Cadeau, Arman's
Ordures au Naturel and
Poubelle, Joseph Beuys'
Felt Suits and
Sled, a recreation of the
European Fluxus Mail-Order Warehouse, Marcel Duchamp's
Boîte-en-valise (three copies) and most (if not all) of the Readymades, Richard Hamilton's
The Critic Laughs (again, three copies), several cans of Manzoni's
Merde d'Artista,
Pyramid by Roy Lichtenstein, ten
Oat Flowers by Meret Oppenheim,
Wedding Souvenir by Claes Oldenburg (enough slices to produce a full cake!), a whole stack of his
Geometric Mouse and
London Knees. Also included are collections such as the Nouveaux Realistes’ suitcase,
Seven Objects in a Box, Fluxus ephemera, Futurist fashion, Bauhaus books and hundreds of other classics.















Mais em
http://artistsbooksandmultiples.blogspot.com.br/2012/08/the-small-utopia-ars-multiplicata.html