Etienne Chambaud La Visite au Musée (Les Noces), 2010
Absence, thassos marble
666 x 990 cm (262 1/4 x 389 3/4 x 12 1/4 in) (absence)
20 x 20 x 1,5 cm (7 7/8 x 7 7/8 x 5/8 in) (marble)
20 x 20 x 1,5 cm (7 7/8 x 7 7/8 x 5/8 in) (marble)
The series La Visite au Musée refers to existing art works. Each unique work consists of a marble tablet reproducing a characteristic label in a museum with markings that suggest their information has been erased. Installed on the wall, or in the case of a sculpture on a plinth, the marble sign is paired with an empty area—an absence—equivalent to the size of the historical artwork to which it refers. The generalized title refers to the reference work.
La Visite au Musée pairs a mental image evoked by the fragmented title—named in a generalized yet specific description—with a material object that bestows information by adhering to known conventions: a museum label, the use of marble for classical works of art.
La Visite au Musée pairs a mental image evoked by the fragmented title—named in a generalized yet specific description—with a material object that bestows information by adhering to known conventions: a museum label, the use of marble for classical works of art.