Ben’s exhibition design in the travel journal of the Artpool Art Tour of 1982
Ben Vautier – György Galántai – Artpool
influences, collaborations
1971–1973: becoming acqainted, first contact
Ben Vautier’s address was given to György Galántai by Endre Tót in 1971, from which point on Ben was added to Galántai’s mailing list and was informed about the 1972 and 1973 events in Balatonboglár.
In 1973, Ben Vautier participated in the exhibition Tükör / Mirror / Spiegel / Miroir in Galántai’s chapel studio in Balatonboglár, organised by László Beke.
The earliest work by Ben in the Artpool archives, Ben qui se regarde (Ben, looking at himself), dates from 1973.
From 1979: establishing direct contact
György Galántai re-established contact with Ben in 1979, when Artpool was founded. Ben learned of Artpool’s foundation and received Artpool postcards, calls for projects, and the first PoolWindow publication.
1982: personal visit, publication exchange
Ben Vautier, György Galántai and Júlia Klaniczay met in person for the first time during Artpool’s European Art Tour of 1982.
A detailed account of this key meeting and of the visit to Ben’s house in Nice can be read in the first issue of Artpool’s samizdat art journal, AL (Artpool Letter), launched in early 1983.
The experiences of the 1982 tour were highly influential in launching the “book work” AL / Artpool Letter and, as shown by the cover page, meeting Ben Vautier was also highly significant.
Az AL / Aktuális Levél című “könyvmunka” elindításában az 1982-es Artpool Art Tour során szerzett élményeknek, tapasztalatoknak nagy szerepe volt, és amint a címoldal is mutatja, meghatározó volt a Ben Vautier-val való találkozás
From 1982 onwards, Ben’s relationship with Galántai and Artpool, as well as the ensuing exchange of publications and documents continued through the Mail Art and Fluxus network. Artpool’s Fluxus documentation expanded significantly in 1988-89, when, ten years after Ben Vautier, György Galántai also became a DAAD guest artist and René Block (DAAD Berlin Artist‑in‑Residence Programme’s visual art and music director, a major Fluxus collector and supporter) generously donated several rare Ben Vautier publications to Artpool.
(see the bibliography made for Fluxus 30 / The Year of Fluxus)
1993: Ben Vautier in Budapest
1992: a rendszerváltás utáni új fővárosi vezetésnek (Demszky Gábor és Marschall Miklós) köszönhetően lehetővé vált – a tíz éven keresztüli illegális működés után – a nyilvános Artpool Művészetkutató Központ megnyitása, ami szerencsésen egybeesett a Fluxus 30. évfordulójával. Így – az Artpool számára – adta magát a lehetőség egy magyar művészettörténeti/elméleti hiány pótlására: a fluxus művészet fogalmának a bevezetésére a magyar köztudatba és történetének, produktumainak a megismertetésére a művészet iránt nyitott közönséggel és egyúttal a fluxus legjelentősebb alkotóinak a meghívására az Artpoolba.
1992: Thanks to the change in the political system and the support of Budapest’s new leadership (Gábor Demszky and Miklós Marschall), the Artpool Art Research Center opened officially in 1992 after ten years of underground activity. This fortunately coincided with the 30th anniversary of Fluxus, providing a timely opportunity to fill a gap in Hungarian art history/theory: the concept of Fluxus was introduced along with its history and artworks to those being open-minded to art, and leading Fluxus artists were invited to Artpool.
As a result, 1993 became the Year of Fluxus in Artpool with numerous exhibitions and events, including a lecture and action by Ben Vautier as part of the Budapest Autumn Festival.
(The festival was launched in 1992 under the artistic leadership of Péter Máté, providing Artpool with the opportunity to exhibit Fluxus flags that year and to invite Ben Vautier in 1993.)
Ben’s exhibition and participation in the Budapest Autumn Festival in 1993 was preceded by substantial preparatory work by Artpool. (Communication back then was primarily done by fax and telephone). Artpool, i.e. György Galántai, proposed an outdoor exhibition and event on Liszt Ferenc Square and a lecture at the French Institute (which also contributed to Ben’s travel expenses). Ben had previously received a detailed layout of Liszt Ferenc Square and many photos, including those taken at the 1992 Fluxus Flags exhibition.
For the visual transformation of the square, Ben proposed to create the Hungarian version of his 1991 quotes project at the Centre Pompidou (Forum des questions de Ben): important quotes submitted by artist – translated into Hungarian – were displayed around the square, while Ben’s own witty, ironic texts – also translated into Hungarian – could be read on huge banners hung among the trees and on the backs of benches ("Ben Square" inscriptions).
A podium bearing Ben’s inscriptions was placed in the middle of the square, later serving as the stage for Ben’s inauguration performance of “Ben Square”.
The visual transformation of Liszt Ferenc Square, the typography and layout of the inscriptions, and the renaming of the square to Ben Square were Galántai’s ideas: he supplemented the Liszt Ferenc Square signs with temporary “Ben Square” signs, following the practice of renaming streets common at the time. (This action did not go unnoticed, and even created a ‘minor’ scandal).
Ben in Budapest
The Limits of Art (Identity and Modernity – lecture
24 September 1993, French Institute
Ben Vautier’s guest appearance in Budapest began with his 90-minute lecture at the French Institute of Hungary. He acquired the props he needed (Sándor Petőfi T-shirt, kitchen utensils, children’s toys) with the help of Júlia Klaniczay.
The Limits of Art / A művészet határai Ben Vautier’s lecture, French Institute, Budapest, 24 September 1993 (with Hungarian subtitles)
The square was defined by texts in Hungarian displayed on banners strung between trees, on the backs of benches and on various panels. Some were Ben’s own texts, while others were quotes he collected for his Pompidou exhibition (Forum des questions de Ben) and considered highly relevant by his artist friends.
The ceremonial opening of "BEN SQUARE", followed by
Ben Vautier’s event
25 September 1993, Liszt Ferenc Square (in front of Artpool)
The exhibition’s main piece was Ben’s podium with original inscriptions, which served as the stage for Ben Vautier’s event. Ben inaugurated the square with his spontaneous action “Tout, rien et n’importe quoi” (Everything, nothing and anything).
He was assisted at the event by Júlia Klaniczay and Gábor Tóth. Other participants included Jonas Mekas, Antal Juszuf, the Yugoslav Scientists collective, and the public.
VIDEO DOCUMENTATION
Ben arriving at Budapest airport, discussion in Artpool, Ben’s podium being inscribed, the inauguration of Ben Square, spontaneous actions on the podium, Jonas Mekas, Juszuf Antal, Gábor Tóth and the audience (video: György Galántai)
Ben Vautier’s action “Tout, rien et n’importe quoi” was followed by Yugoslav Scientists, Jonas Mekas and the audience, Ben dancing, Fluxus action from the balcony of Artpool
Artpool translated a selection of Ben’s texts into Hungarian and issued them in a 36-page publication in its Artpool Booklets series to mark Ben’s visit to Budapest. The publication is also available online.
Ben – Artpool collaborations after 1993
Ben Vautier in Artpool projects
1999 Foot-ware
2000 The Year of Chance in Artpool
2002 Parallel Realities
2003 Personalities, art and a world of the third kind
2005 The Experimenter and the Art of Perception
2015 Ben Vautier, Fluxus artist, is 80: exhibition event in the Galántai House in Kapolcs