Wax, knife, glass
30 x 15 x 41 cm
Acquisition in 2016

Benoît Maire in 1978 in Pessac, lives and works in Paris.

Benoît Maire uses philosophical ideas, discussions and speculation as the research material and starting point of his work. By introducing an element of the affect into conceptual art, he attempts to undermine the aridity of thought. Characterized by their multiple meanings and esotericism, his creations, which also take the form of paintings, sculptures, publications, installations, conferences, photography and video, are made up of a plethora of cultural and scientific references. Tête is the partial reproduction in wax of a classical sculpture of a head, which has been cut, turned upside down and stabbed with an old knife. The sculpture rests on the modest and fragile pedestal of a glass jug. The blade of the knife, penetrating the wax, partially extends the figure (it appears like an extension of the spinal column), and points dangerously towards the floor. The unstable nature of the material used for the head (the wax) evokes notions of transformation and evolution, offering a juxtaposition with the idea of the face as typically representative of identity or the seat of sentiment. The use of an ancient image and its association with the principle of the ready-made materialize the patina of time and the sentimental relationship that we have with old objects. The installation dire ce qui est caché est l’ennui is also made from the assemblage of heterogeneous items. Serving as a metaphor for thought, or presenting the ingredients of a story waiting to be constructed, Benoît Maire’s works contribute just as much to the presentation, exhibition and organization of reality as they do to its disrobing or revelation.