Portrait de famille
Cultural Center of l'Haÿ-les-Roses, of May to June 1967.
Portrait de famille is a sociological animation for which Forest already uses in preview, the concept of network in what concerns the art.
The project was confined to the "Vallée au Renard" housing estate in the southern suburbs of Paris.
1967 PORTRAIT DE FAMILLE
Portrait de famille is a sociological animation for which Forest is already previewing the concept of the network as an art form. It took place at the Centre culturel de l'Haÿ-les-Roses, in May-June 1967.
The project was limited to the "Vallée au Renard" complex in the southern suburbs of Paris. The complex comprises 3 14-storey towers, 13 low-rise buildings and a shopping center. It is home to 2,619 residents. The survey initiated by the artist will be carried out and presented in collaboration with Denis Mauchauffée, Daniel Boutry, Christian Pillard, Patrick Roy, animators and employees of the Centre Culturel de l'Haÿ-les-Roses.
On May 10, between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m., 700 leaflets were distributed to letterboxes. Under the heading "Portrait de famille", these leaflets invited residents to respond to a request from the artist by taking a "family photo". The artist will personally visit apartment after apartment to collect them over a three-week period. In the absence of a photo made for the occasion, he will accept all documents entrusted to him. All the photos collected will be shown in three successive exhibitions: the first in the central hall of the residence, where all the residents will be invited to meet, the second at the Centre Culturel de l'Haÿ-les-Roses, and the third at the Grand Palais in Paris as part of the Salon Comparaison. With the agreement of the participants, Forest will also himself take Polaroid photos of the apartment's occupants, gathered around the family table, during his door-to-door visits.
LONG BIOGRAPHY OF FRED FOREST
Fred Forest has a special place in contemporary art. Both by his personality and by his pioneering practices which mark his work. He is mainly known today for having used one by one most of the communication media that have appeared over the last fifty years. He is co-founder of three artistic movements: those of sociological art, the aesthetics of communication and ethics in art.
He represented France at the 12th São Paulo Biennale (Communication Prize) in 1973, at the 37th Venice Biennale in 1976 and at Documenta 6 in Kassel in 1977.
EXHIBITION AT THE CENTRE POMPIDOU FROM JANUARY 24 TO OCTOBER 14, 2024
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