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PERFORMANCE OF FRED FOREST CENTRE GEORGES POMPIDOU

 

THE COMPANY FORUMS

 

EMPTY THE SYMPOSIUM

In conjunction with the exhibition "Empty. A retrospective 'Centre Pompidou

Wednesday, February 25, 19:30. Small room

 

On the set: Laurent Le Bon, curator of MNAM, Robert Barry, Frances Bonardel, Bethan Huws, Roman Ondák and curators of the exhibition John Armleder, Mathieu Copeland, Gustav Metzger, Mai-Thu Perret and Clive Phillpot In the room: Bernard Blistene, Roger Rotmann, Christine Bolron, Anne-Moeglin Delcroix and 200 people

 

 "I have a suggestion for you. (Whispers in the room) supported long silence on his part. Then: "I ask you to check your watches. You see: It is exactly 8:50 p.m.. In ten minutes, at most, the room is empty. Individually or in small groups, attendees will go to the exit by the two side aisles. It will be approximately 9:05 p.m.? Silence. I ask you to imagine what will happen here in this place. Silence. The lights will go out of this room, one by one, and in the room finally empty of all public, there will be more than the whereabouts of the head of the control gear stowed. The room is now completely dark and empty seats in your presence before. From a quick glance around, throwing a last look at the empty room, the head of the board and close out on him the doors of the small auditorium with a double turn.

When you get back to you (via various means of transport) at 23 hours (23 hours for a very specific reason to significant synchrony distance between you) I want you to think so, all together in this room. In this room devoid of any presence in the state quota is to say, a room without any human presence. Room now dive into the dark and silence. A volume that nevertheless exists outside of our perception, is this volume, the void that I ask you to imagine so. Silence. This requires of course a little mental effort on your part. Silence. I credit you of being capable. I credit you be able to because your presence here to attend the symposium on the exposure of the void, shows already, your supposed ability to understand what the gap means for Yves Klein by Robert Barry. At Yves Klein, who is not here, because as everyone knows, he's dead already since 1962, and in Robert Barry, for cons, here, behind my back on the set of guests. (Rapid movement)

 

Now, a few remarks to conclude this performance that I have to improvise. You just witnessed, unknowingly, to an exhibition space. Exposure to the equal of any that have been mentioned here in this symposium. An exhibition which I happen to be, the fact of my own will, at a time: artist, designer, organizer and curator. This exhibition has been to an exhibition room of the Centre Georges Pompidou as well as exposure of the void presented on the fourth floor. Occupancy room, which I had no authorization to seek administrative or budget. The opening is going so right here, right now, in the presence of many institutional actors and artists of contemporary art as you can see. People I did not even have the obligation to invite the Centre Georges Pompidou had undertaken to do for me. Thank you all for your presence at the opening of my exhibition. "

Applause from the room

 

Immediately after, Roger and Laurent Lebon Rotmann remember the name of Fred Forest, after pronouncing a few words inaudible, quickly closing the symposium.

 

Françoise Bonardel, religious philosopher and expert on Buddhism, also present on the board as guest speaker in the debate, will welcome Fred Forest, regretting not able to speak after her speech that she felt as she was, in his own words, as the most important moment of the evening ...