Bonjour Mr Marshall (hommage à McLuhan)

The work here consists of a large illuminated newspaper installed above the entrance to the Galerie Brachot, which overlooks the main aisle of the FIAC in 1986.

It is intended as a kind of tribute to the Canadian media philosopher, whom the artist had the opportunity to meet on several occasions at the initiative of Derrick de Kerckhove, who was his assistant for many years and who replaced him on his death as Director of the Institute that now bears his name. Through this work, Forest takes advantage of his usual humour to make digressions that make sense through his treatment of electronic writing. Roland Sabatier, who understood this about Forest, included him among the Lettrists in an exhibition held at the Grand Palais in 1986.

http://www.fredforest.org/book/html/fr/actions/34_fr.htm#text

As I write this text in August 2022, Sabatier has just passed away, not having received the recognition he deserved from French institutions.

A clock was integrated into the body of the illuminated newspaper, operating in real time, and Fred Forest took advantage of the opportunity to address the public directly, calling out to them several times in his customary participatory way.

"Visitor, look at the time. It's already 00:00 and you're wasting your time going round in circles in this official FIAC 86. After you've seen the work you're looking at right now, which is the only one in this exhibition space not for sale, but only there to send you an ethical message. So grab your clasps and get the hell out of here!"