Christian Boltanski

Anonymous portraits are perched on a shelf, obscured by the lamps intended to illuminate them. Dangling lamp cords accentuate the absence of body and the disembodiment of presence. Old black-and-white photographs, dramatic lighting, and white drapery are French artist Christian Boltanski's trademark props in the staging of installations that evoke feelings of loss and solemnity. Often these shrines do not commemorate any particular person or event; it is their very anonymity that makes them so moving, and perhaps more private and personal.

Boltanski's Pourim Shelf is the first work by the artist to enter into the BAM/PFA collection. (The museum presented a major exhibition of his work in 1989.) Other recent acquisitions include Twirling Wires by Roger Ballen, Koryô Green Glaze, #10 by Byron Kim, and Makiko Kudo's Going Out for Ramen, all of which appeared in recent exhibitions.

Dara Solomon
Curatorial Assistant