No Man's Land
Christian Boltanski
May 14, 2010 - June 13, 2010
Wade Thompson Drill Hall
Filling the vast Wade Thompson Drill Hall, No Man’s Land is Christian Boltanski’s most ambitious project in the United States to date. This monumental work explores the signature motifs of the artist’s forty-year career—individuality, anonymity, life, and death—in an immersive landscape that is both powerful and infernal. Incorporating 30 tons of discarded clothing, a 60-foot crane, and the sound of human heartbeats, the installation offers an unforgettable and deeply moving experience by one of today’s most important artists. Curated by Tom Eccles.
As part of the installation at the Armory, visitors will be invited to record their own heartbeat and offer it to the artist as he continues to expand his Archives du coeur, a collection of human heartbeats from around the world.
Installation Hours
Tuesday–Sunday: 12:00pm–7:30pm
Thursday: 2:00pm–9:30pm
Memorial Day: 12:00pm–7:30pm
Closed Mondays
Film Screening
Les vies possibles de Christian Boltanski, a 52-minute documentary film about Christian Boltanski and his work written and directed by Heinz Peter Schwerfel, will be presented during the open hours of the installation.
“… Monumental … an embodiment of perplexity and heartbreak.”
The New York Times
“A formidable reclamation of lost souls … poignant”
The New York Times: T Magazine
Gallery
Related Events
Public Program
Sunday, May 16, 2010 at 2:00 PM
Artist Talk: Christian Boltanski
Christian Boltanski in conversation with Luc Sante. Mr. Sante’s books include Low Life, Kill All Your Darlings and Folk Photography. He is a frequent contributor to The New York Review of Books and teaches at Bard College.
Public Program
Thursday, June 3, 2010 at 7:30 PM
DAWN: A Musical Event within No Man's Land
A unique musical event composed by long-time Boltanski collaborator Franck Krawczyk, DAWN will be performed to accompany the monumental installation No Man’s Land. Argento Chamber Ensemble will perform this one-time-only event from within the installation—moving through the Drill Hall and balconies as they perform.
Support
Christian Boltanski: No Man's Land is made possible by The Pershing Square Foundation and The Rockefeller Foundation NYC Cultural Innovation Fund, with additional support from the Booth Ferris Foundation, Bloomberg, Estrellita and Daniel Brodsky, The Grand Marnier Foundation, Kenneth Kuchin, ALTOUR, The Lauder Foundation/Leonard and Evelyn Lauder Fund, Cultural Services of the French Embassy, CulturesFrance, and the Robert Lehman Foundation. This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council. Clothing provided and recycled by Trans-America Textile Recycling Co. Special thanks to the Marian Goodman Gallery.
No Man’s Land is a companion piece to Personnes, an installation at the Grand Palais in Paris that opened in January 2010 as part of Monumenta, an annual initiative of the Ministère de la culture et communication, co-produced by the Centre national des arts plastiques, the Grand Palais and the Réunion des musées nationaux.
