Daniel Spoerri : Topographies

Daniel Spoerri's oeuvre occupies the intersection of several artistic trends and tendencies. Most commentators on his work, on the other hand, considered him a New Realist artist, and his work is often reduced to that of the trap paintings. This abbreviation, consolidated by art historiography and largely formed by the classificatory efforts of Pierre Restany, corresponds, however, to only a small part of his oeuvre. Spoerri's films, his poetry, his books, the MAT editions, his importance as an organiser of events and exhibitions are examples of the diversity and openness of his activities. In the 1960s he was close to Fluxus and Zero and laid the foundation for Eat Art. Understanding the artist's work as part of transnational networks that combine different disciplines and theoretical and material approaches suggests a re-evaluation of Spoerri's interactions with a wide range of contemporary actors. This book explores these questions as the proceedings of the colloquium "Topographies of Daniel Spoerri: the artist in his networks" organised by Jill Carrick and Déborah Laks at DFK Paris on 22 and 23 October 2018. ---