16 Mar 2012

Exhibition of Hervé Fischer at the Gallery Parisienne

The 1970s of Hervé Fischer or the return of sociological art,

From 22 March to 22 April 2012, Galerie Parisienne is announcing the return of Hervé Fischer to the French scene through a solo show of some thirty of his 'historical' works, primarily dating back to the 1970s.

This retrospective will offer an opportunity to rediscover some of Hervé Fisher's seminal works, such as 'La vie d'artiste' and 'Identité d'artiste', imaginary road signs, and artists' stamps. These works tinged with critical humour reflect his commitment to sociological art.


HERVÉ FISCHER … FROM 'ART, ANYTHING TO DECLARE?' to 'WHERE DOES THE ROAD LEAD ?'

The founding notions of sociological art, as expressed by Hervé Fischer, questioned the social function of art (politics and symbolism) in contrast to the avant-garde obsession of the time.

Hervé Fischer has put out numerous polemical pieces and manifestos on his 'socio-pedagogical work' and put up 'Art ! anything to declare ?' posters on all wrong-way and no-parking signs in the art gallery streets of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. He asked artists of the period to send him works of art to be torn up in order to make hygienic exhibitions in plastic bags (the 'Tearing up of art works', in which more than 300 artists participated).
He made multiple mailings of postal art and artists' stamps, imaginary ID cards… In 1983, these engaged actions led him to the creation of the 'Imaginary social event – Where does the road lead?', for which he was able to open the Modern Art Museum of Mexico City up to people in the street for four months on the theme of 'What is Mexican society?'.

He cofounded the Montréal City of Art and New Technologies in 1985. He participated in the biennial exhibitions of Venice and Sao Paulo and the Kassel Documenta, and presented solo exhibitions in numerous national and contemporary art museums (Paris, Rotterdam, Sao Paulo, Montréal, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Santiago, Havana). In 2010, the Céret Museum devoted a vast exhibition to him, consisting of his past works and current creations.


THE FISCHER PHARMACY, AN ENGAGED ARTISTIC ENDEAVOR

Dressed as a pharmacist in a white smock, he drew up a set of prescriptions for public dialogue in small towns, at Piazza del Duomo in Milan, and at Plaza de la Republica in Sao Paulo at the time of the military dictatorship.

After a consultation with each person, he would offer duly filled pills and prescriptions (pills for freedom, against conceptual art, for being clever, for being an artist, for being happy, against money, for progress, against pollution, for changing the world, etc.).

For this exhibition, Galerie Parisienne is recreating the setting for the Fischer Pharmacy in the heart of the Carré Rive Gauche. A performance on Thursday 29 March will give the artist free reign with his 'patients', who will present their 'contemporary desease' in order to obtain his notorious pills… sociological art remedies delivered live, transplanted to the heart of the 21st century.

Press contacts:
Sylvia Beder
sylvia@sylviabeder.com
tel.: +33 1 42 18 09 42