Ben
The artist
Born in 1935 in Naples, Ben died in 2024 Nice. He began to make a name for himself in 1959 thanks to his ‘hotchpotch shop, a place for meetings and exhibitions.’ One of the founders of the Fluxus movement in the early 1960s, he maintains that everything is art and that everything is possible in art. Ben is a provocative and innovative artist who places the question of ego at the centre of his work. He is best known for his performances and calligraphic aphorisms-texts.
Exhibitions
La théorie de l’ego
March 1 - April 5, 2014
Paris - Impasse Beaubourg
Ils se sont tous suicidés
January 10 - February 21, 2009
Paris - Impasse Beaubourg
Ben’s Bizart Bazart
Apr 26 - May 31, 2003
Paris - Beaubourg
A bas la culture
February 9 - March 12, 1994
Paris - BeaubourgHistoire de cul
January 5 - February 6, 1991
Paris - Beaubourg
Mes fonds de tiroirs
March 19 - April 20, 1988
Paris - Beaubourg
Ecritures 1958-1983
April 13 - 30, 1983
Paris - Beaubourg
Oeuvres récentes
February 9 - March 6, 1980
Paris - Beaubourg
10 ans Galerie Templon
October 7 - November 16, 1978
Paris - Beaubourg
L’art au présent
October 2 - November 10, 1974
Paris - Beaubourg
La Déconstruction de l’oeuvre d’art
September 15 - October 30, 1973
Paris - Beaubourg
Actions
March 1st - 31, 1972
Paris - BeaubourgEcritures 1958-1966
June 22 - July 10, 1971
Paris - Rue Bonaparte
L’art est inutile…
September 22 - October 10, 1970
Paris - Rue Bonaparte
Groupe
May 26 - July 13, 1970
Paris - Rue Bonaparte
Biography
| Birth | Born in 1935 in Napoli, Italy |
|---|---|
| Death | Died in 2024 in Nice, France |
SOLO SHOWS (SELECTION)
| 2018 | On peut le faire, La Fondation du doute, Blois, France Laissez-moi respirer, Galerie Anne-Marie & Roland Pallade, Lyon, France |
|---|---|
| 2016 | Tout est art ? Ben au Musée Maillol, Musée Maillol, Paris, France |
| 2015 | Il faut en rire ? Musée Yves Brayer, Les Baux-de-Provence, France |
| 2014 | Ben peint le Mont-Chauve, Galerie Maud Barral, Nice, France |
| 2013 | Ben Vautier, Galerie Marlborough, Monaco |
| 2011 | Achetez de l’or, Galerie Sanguine, Paris, France Et après ça ?, Musée de Louviers, France Art bores me, Gallery Vicky David, New-York, USA De quoi avez-vous peur ?, Espace Courant d’art, Chevenez, Switzerland Suspense au Windsor, Hôtel Windsor, Nice, France La liberté n'existe pas, Galerie Maria Coccia, Rome, Italy Soyez réaliste, demandez l'impossible, Croix Baragnon, Toulouse, France |
| 2010 | Rétrospective Strip-tease intégral, Musée d'Art Contemporain, Lyon, France L'art est ce qu'il est, Galerie C. Issert, Saint Paul de Vence, France L'art contemporain me fait rire, Galerie Lara Vincy, Paris, France Takes art as it comes, Galerie Shuppenhauer, Cologne, Germany Ne paniquez pas, Galerie Nathalie Obadia, Brussels, Belgium J'ai encore quelque chose à dire, Galerie Les Tournesols, St Etienne, France Ben 100% Occitan, Galerie Sollertis, Toulouse, France |
Voir plus
GROUP SHOWS (SELECTION)
| 2018 | The masterpieces speak out ! by We Art Partners ONLINE Show, We Art Partners, Paris, France |
|---|---|
| 2017 | Zehn Jahre Zürich, Lange + Pult, Zürich, Switzerland |
| 2014 | Collection permanente, Galerie Maud Barral, Nice, France |
| 2013 | Autour du legs Berggreen, Musée d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemporain, Nice, France Moi et les autres, Galerie Catherine Issert, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France |
| 2011 | Picasso for Ever, Galerie Laurent Strouck, Paris, France Already made, Galerie Jérome de Noirmont, Paris, France Le temps de l'action, Villa Arson, Nice, France Underwood, Galerie 1900/2000 Paris, France Fluxus est partout, Galerie Issert, Saint Paul de Vence, France |
| 2010 | 100 artistes pour l'Angélus, Espace culturel de Barbizon, France |
| 2009 | Moi et les artistes, Galerie Catherine Issert, Saint-Paul de Vence, France The word is mine, Galerie Lange et Pult, Zurich, Switzerland Le summum du luxe fluxus, Galerie Lara Vincy, Paris, France Illumination, Centre de Culture Contemporain de Barcelone, Barcelone, Spain Humour et dérision, Fondation Regard de Provence, Marseille, France 5 aliens chez Brolly, Galerie Jean Brolly, Paris, France |
Voir plus
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS (SELECTION)
| Centre national d'art et de culture Georges-Pompidou, Paris, France | |
| Museum of Modern Art, New York, États-Unis | |
| Musée d'art moderne de la ville de Paris, France | |
| Musée d'art contemporain de Lyon M.A.C. Lyon, France | |
| Musée d'art moderne et d'art contemporain de Nice, MAMAC, France | |
| Musée d'art contemporain de Marseille, France | |
| Musée d'art contemporain du Val-de-Marne (MAC/VAL) Vitry-sur-Seine, France |
Voir plus
Press
News
Ben
IS EVERYTHING ART ? – SOLO SHOW
MUSEE MAILLOL, PARIS, FRANCEFrom 09/14/2016 to 01/15/2017
Museum Maillol presents the first ambitious retrospective in Paris dedicated to, a major figure of the contemporary French art scene. Gathering more than 200 works, coming from his personal collection as well as from private collections, this exhibition explores the multi faceted work of an irreverent artist fighting against ‘pensée unique’ (forms of unique thought) for 50 years.
Ben
BEN, SOLO SHOW, EST-CE QUE TOUT EST ART ?
MUSEE TINGUELY, BALE, SWITZERLAND
Museum Tinguely dedicates Ben Vautier’s first comprehensive retrospective in Switzerland. Alongside an overview of the first 20 years of his creativity, Ben sets up in the museum more than 30 rooms as he comments on various social, artistic, and political topics and takes a stance. In total, the show exhibits over 400 works by the artist.
