Artists Space

Marc Camille Chaimowicz:
Enough Tiranny Recalled, 1972 – 2009

September 29 – November 14, 2009

Enough Tiranny Recalled, 1972 – 2009 demonstrates that “the future will, in all probability, fold itself into the past to better accommodate itself in the present.” (Marc Camille Chaimowicz)

A black and white photograph showing a room filled with various standing lights and assorted objects sitting on the floor. Two people are standing, their outlines casting shadows on a white wall with the word "TIRANNY" handwritten in large, block letters.
Enough Tiranny. Installation view, Serpentine Gallery, 1972. [A black and white photograph showing a room filled with various standing lights and assorted objects sitting on the floor. Two people are standing, their outlines casting shadows on a white wall with the word "TIRANNY" handwritten in large, block letters.]

Artists Space Reopening Reception
September 26, 7 - 9pm

During the 1960s, Marc Camille Chaimowicz (born in postwar Paris) was one of the first artists in the UK to merge the realms of performance and installation art. In the early 1970s, Chaimowicz commented on an era predominantly defined by stark minimalism with an unabashed pursuit of the beautiful, establishing an art that was both playful and subtly seductive. Informed by French literary figures (Gide, Cocteau, Proust, and Gênet) as well as contemporary Marxist and early gender theory, Chaimowicz’s beautiful and terrorizing post-pop scatter environments owe as much to glam rock, as it was a direct response to the political, and artistic dogmatism of its time.

Enough Tiranny, conceived in 1972 (the founding year of Artists Space), was a proposal that aimed to bring about new models of collaboration and sociability, attempting to question the alienation between viewer, artist, and institution. Not unlike installations by his contemporaries, such as the Brazilian artist Hélio Oiticica, Chaimowicz’s works require a level of participation on behalf of the audience as well as the institution. In the otherwise monochromatic environment of the early 1970’s, Chaimowicz developed an artistic language that responded to the dogmatism of its time by taking both political and emotional dimensions into account. His work speaks to the basic units by which we trade private desires with social hopes: building the texture of a communal existence. The remembering, the revisiting, and the recalling of works from different periods of Chaimowicz’s life is integral to his way of working.

Marc Camille Chaimowicz lives and works in London and Burgundy. Recent one person exhibitions include: Vienna Secession (forthcoming); De Appel, Amsterdam; FRAC, Bordaux; Ann Zee, Ostende, Centre D’art Contemporain La Synagogue, Delme; Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst, Zürich, Norwich Gallery. Selected group exhibitions include the 5th Berlin Biennale and the Tate Triennial, London.

An installation shot of a room warmly lit by yellow and pink light. There is a low-hanging disco ball, surrounded by various objects set on the floor, including a vase with flowers, a second disco ball, strands of string lights, and more.
Enough Tiranny Recalled, 1972–2009. Installation view, Artists Space, 2009. Photo: Daniel Pérez. [An installation shot of a room warmly lit by yellow and pink light. There is a low-hanging disco ball, surrounded by various objects set on the floor, including a vase with flowers, a second disco ball, strands of string lights, and more.]
A installation wide shot of a room with five silver columns. In the foreground, there is a rectangular pool filled with water with two spouts spraying water in fountains. A second pool built from wood is visible in the background. Between the two, there are various objects including a low-hanging disco ball, a vase with flowers, strands of string lights, and more. On the back wall, the word "TIRANNY" is handwritten in block letters, partially obscured by one of the columns. The room is lit by standing colorful lights with pink and blue tones.
Enough Tiranny Recalled, 1972–2009. Installation view, Artists Space, 2009. Photo: Daniel Pérez. [A installation wide shot of a room with five silver columns. In the foreground, there is a rectangular pool filled with water with two spouts spraying water in fountains. A second pool built from wood is visible in the background. Between the two, there are various objects including a low-hanging disco ball, a vase with flowers, strands of string lights, and more. On the back wall, the word "TIRANNY" is handwritten in block letters, partially obscured by one of the columns. The room is lit by standing colorful lights with pink and blue tones.]
The word "TIRANNY" is handwritten in block letters on a wall. In front of it, there is a low-hanging disco ball, surrounded by various objects set on the floor, including a vase with flowers, a silver ball, a brown box, and more. The room is lit with a green hue.
Enough Tiranny Recalled, 1972–2009. Installation view, Artists Space, 2009. Photo: Daniel Pérez. [The word "TIRANNY" is handwritten in block letters on a wall. In front of it, there is a low-hanging disco ball, surrounded by various objects set on the floor, including a vase with flowers, a silver ball, a brown box, and more. The room is lit with a green hue.]
Objects are cluttered on the floor of a room lit with a warm, yellow hue. There is a low-hanging disco ball, two standing lights, and a small television showing white static mounted on a stand. There are two vases with plants and a string of white lights.
Enough Tiranny Recalled, 1972–2009. Installation view, Artists Space, 2009. Photo: Daniel Pérez. [Objects are cluttered on the floor of a room lit with a warm, yellow hue. There is a low-hanging disco ball, two standing lights, and a small television showing white static mounted on a stand. There are two vases with plants and a string of white lights.]
Two fountains of water in a dark room. The stream on the left is lit from behind by a red light, and the right stream by a yellow light.
Enough Tiranny Recalled, 1972–2009. Installation view, Artists Space, 2009. Photo: Daniel Pérez. [Two fountains of water in a dark room. The stream on the left is lit from behind by a red light, and the right stream by a yellow light.]
A disco ball reflects multicolored light spots across a room lit by pink and yellow hues. On the floor sit a second disco ball, a silver glittery hat, a silver chain, and a white convertable toy car.
Enough Tiranny Recalled, 1972–2009. Installation view, Artists Space, 2009. Photo: Daniel Pérez. [A disco ball reflects multicolored light spots across a room lit by pink and yellow hues. On the floor sit a second disco ball, a silver glittery hat, a silver chain, and a white convertable toy car.]

Busta, Caroline. "Marc Camille Chaimowicz." Artforum. December, 2009. Print. 238.

O'Neill Butler, Lauren. "Marc Camille Chaimowicz." Artforum. September 25, 2009. Online.

    A pile of multicolored string lights sits on a wooden floor, surrounded by assorted objects including a disco ball, a candlestick, and two pitchers. There is a pink glow over the objects, with another strand of white lights weaving through the objects.
    Enough Tiranny Recalled, 1972–2009. Installation view, Artists Space, 2009. Photo: Daniel Pérez. [A pile of multicolored string lights sits on a wooden floor, surrounded by assorted objects including a disco ball, a candlestick, and two pitchers. There is a pink glow over the objects, with another strand of white lights weaving through the objects.]