BEN VAUTIER, Anything Anyhow / n’Importe Quoi n’Importe Comment [1972]

BEN VAUTIER, Anything Anyhow / N’importe Quoi n’Importe Comment, nd. [1972]
each 9,5 x 12,5 cm
2 loose cards, offset on thin paper (160 g/m2)
edition 2000
published by Rijksuniversiteit Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
excellent condition
inv.BVau 1020

These two loose cards come from an envelope that contains five contributions of Ben Vautier, George Brecht, Gerhard von Graevenitz and François Morellet. The envelope was part of “TOEVAL”, a ring binder produced on behalf of a symposium. A fifth contribution consists of two dices with a Mozart score. It is published as examples of chance, but may be considered as an artist’s edition since the ideas and instructions come straight from the artists. It is not known if all loose contributions by various artists (e.g. “Chance Imagery” of George Brecht) have been added to the complete edition of 2000 copies.
A copy is in the collection of the Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.

‘Actually it is not a catalogue but an artist’s book, with mostly original contributions by artists. That Morellet sheet – translucent paper – is usually signed.’
Mail 22 of January 2021 by Harry Ruhé to KvG.

 

BEN VAUTIER, Une seule note suffit, 1966

inv.BVau 1015

BEN VAUTIER, Une seule note suffit, 1966
26,7 x 21,2 cm
stencil print
published by the artist
splendid condition, slightly aged
extremely rare
€ 650,- plus € 8,- Track & Trace EU registered mail
inv.BVau 1016?

Ben Vautier describes Composition # 7 (1960) as ‘a single note is sufficient’. In fact, to perform this composition 2 notes are used producing one tone, i.e. a two-note sound. Looking closer at the score one detects two vaguely written – here stenciled – notes in the music bar.
Ref. La Monte Young, Composition # 7 July 1960.

It is unknown whether this stencil paper has been part of “Stencils de Ben 1963-1969”, a folder with 58 loose stenciled sheets. This was an artist’s publication in an edition of 180.

The stencil print ‘Une seule note suffit’ contains two radical compositions by La Monte Young and Ben Vautier. The latter opens with an exposé on pop musicians and their pop culture embracing traditional music from the North of India:
“A single note is enough
Several parts from the last record of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Troggs, announce a new sound which extends the variety in music. These are monotonous sounds, in particularly produced by the Sitar (North Indian instrument) in tones and semitones, i.e. very close to this same music.”
*
Ben ends his text by making an ingenious link to Western contemporary (or Fluxus-like) music:
“But this musical conception is not in opposition to modern techniques, on the contrary, today it allows us to know better and better the field of semitones, quarter tones.”
Followed by a composition “# 7” (to be held for a long time) of La Monte Young from 1960 and a composition “Crescendo” by himself from 1963.

“CRESCENDO
This composition is a single tone that is amplified. If it is given in a concert hall, it must begin when the curtains are drawn up. It is SLOWLY amplified in an evenly progression (without fluctuation). Its progress will be calculated in relation to the volume of the room and to the maximum power that the amplifiers are able to produce. The duration must be at least 4 hours. Half an hour before the end the volume must be absolutely unbearable and the audience must leave the room. BEN 1963”

 

 

* ‘Une seule note suffit
Plusieurs passages du dernier disque des Beattles, des Rolling Stone, des Troggs, annoncent une sonorité nouvelle qui envahit la musique de variété. Il s’agit de sons monotones, plus particulièrement produits par le Sitar (instrument Inde du Nord) en tons et demi-tons, très proches de cette même musique.’
….
‘Mais cette conception musicale n’est pas en opposition avec la technique moderne, bien au contraire, les emplis et micros d’aujourd’hui nous permettent de connaître de mieux en mieux le domaine des demi-tons, des quarts de tons.’
….
‘CRESCENDO
Cette composition est un seul son qui va en s’amplifiant. Si elle est donnée dans une salle de concert, elle doit débuter au lever du rideau. Elle s’amplifie LENTEMENT par progression symétrique (sans fluctuation). Cette Progression sera calculée par rapport au volume de la salle et à la puissance maximum que les amplificateurs pourront produire. La durée doit être au minimum de 4 heures. Une demi-heure avant la fin la puissance doit être absolument insupportable et l’assistance quittera la salle. BEN 1963’

Intimacy, 2020 [Gold Edition, signed]

Intimacy, 2020 – G o l d  E d i t i o n
32 x 23 x 4,5 cm
cardboard box with magnet clam strip, 69 parts
numbered box, with extra contributions
several signed items
edition 23, here number 3 / Gold Edition
published by Cult Club, Amsterdam
order at www.multiples.nl

 

This box was produced in an edition of 48 copies, i.e. a Silver Edition of 25 copies and a Gold Edition box of 23 copies, the latter containing several signed items and extra contributions. Artists documented and/or participating:

MARINA ABRAMOVIĆ Role Exchange, Amsterdam, 1975

AY-O Finger Box-Kit, 1991; Ay-O in New York, n/d.

MATTHEW BARNEY Dildo, 1995

PAUL BLANCA Father & Son, 1985

TRACEY EMIN Everyone I Have Ever Slept With (The Tent), 1963-1995

VALIE EXPORT Tapp-und-Tast-Kino

KAREL GOUDSBLOM All of This, 1998

AL HANSEN anna banana clacla fluxcomix, drawing, early 1970s

DON JUAN, flyer, 1978

KIRSTEN JUSTESEN RYGSKRIVER (write on one’s back), 1985

ALISON KNOWLES Serenade for Alison (Paik), Amsterdam, 1962

BAS KOSTERS Hope Bracelet / Hope card + BAS KOSTERS TV Head Inflatable Art Doll
signed

SHIGEKO KUBOTA Vagina Painting, New York, 1965

JOHN LENNON & YOKO ONO photo: Annie Leibovitz, 1980

ANDRIES DE MAREZ OYENS Love-Stop-Touch, sticker and postcard
signed on envelope

PIERRE MOLINIER Selfportrait with dildo, 1966

CHARLOTTE MOORMAN & NAM JUNE PAIK performing Chamber Music , Asolo, 1974

OTTO MUEHL with Mrs Conz, and people living in commune Friedrichshof, ca. 1983

YOKO ONO (with ANTHONY COX), The Bag, Knokke, 1967

ORLAN L’Origine de la Guerre, 1989

WILLEM DE RIDDER SUCK nr 8 (The Last Suck), front cover, 1974 + SUCK nr 7, back cover, n.d.

NIKI DE SAINT PHALLE (with JEAN TINGUELY and PER OLOF ULTVEDT) Hon, Stockholm, 1966

CAROLEE SCHNEEMANN Interior Scroll, 1975

ANDRES SERRANO Plassex-poster, 1997

BARBARA T. SMITH Feed Me, San Francisco, 1973

ANNIE SPRINKLE Look inside: Annie Sprinkle, flyer, 1990

ANNIE SPRINKLE / BETH STEPHENS Cuddling, Athens, 2017; sticker

MARCO TIBERIO Enlarge Sanitizer Gel (bottle)
signed

TINKEBELL INTIMACY 1,2,3, three postcards, 2020
all postcards signed

ULAY / ABRAMOVIĆ Breathing in – Breathing out, Amsterdam, 1977

BEN VAUTIER Project for INTIMACY, sketch + photo Bed Event (1998), with Francesco Conz, ORLAN, Carolee Schneemann

AAT VELDHOEN Paring, Rotaprint, 1964

MAXIME C. DE WAAL Real Nature / Real Duvall, print

LUUK WILMERING A Personal Geographic. De naakten kleden, nr.7, 2010
signed

BEN VAUTIER, N’importe qui peut avoir une idée, 1993 [Opinel kitchen knife]

BEN VAUTIER, N’importe qui peut avoir une idée [trans. Anyone can have an idea], 1993
2,3 x 12 x 3,5 cm
screen print on Opinel knife, cardboard box
mint condition
published by Musée d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemporain, Nice, France
€ 190,- plus € 15,- Track & Trace EU registered mail
inv.BVau 933-34-pr

This edition comes with an original shop envelope of Musée d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemporain.

A light hearted text by Ben Vautier on the cardboard box reads:
“Qui est Ben?
Je suis né le 18 Juillet 1935 à Naples de mère Irlandaise et Occitane père Suise Français. J’ai vécu en Turquie, Egypte et Grèce. J’arrive à Nice en 1949. Je cherche à faire ce qui n’a pas été fait. J’ai peur d’être un raté, j’aime les spaghetti parfois l’art m’ennui, j’ai envie d’être un arbre, je suis abonné au Monde, je perds la mémoire et ça m’embête, j’aime les extrêmes en art, j’expose un peu partout, mais ça m’angoisse, je vis actuellement à Nice avec ma femme Annie dans les collines, il ya un tilleul devant la maison, mes enfants sont grands et je perds tous mes Opinels. Ben”

THE ARCHIVES – Art Information Centre Peter van Beveren, 1981

THE ARCHIVES-Art Information Centre Peter van Beveren, 1981
30,4 x 21,7 cm
artists book, HC, 30 pp., stamp numbered
edition 500, here nr 95/100
signed by all contributors; some stamp signed,
here also signed – only first 100 copies – by Peter van Beveren
inlay with list of artists
condition: more than splendid, hardly discoloured pages, although with a yellowed loose inlay with index,
like in all cases several metal parts by Klaas Gubbels have a finger print patina appearing due to aging
€ 885,- plus € 20,- Track & Trace registered mail
inv.PvBe 1077-pr

 

Peter van Beveren (born in 1952) started in the early 1970’s as conceptual artist, developed his passion for collecting by sending and also acquiring mail art. He initiated and managed The Archives / Art Information Centre and considered this part of his art practice. Later on in the mid eighties he became gallery owner of Galerie Van Beveren in Rotterdam. In 1981 for the Provincial Museum in Hasselt (Belgium) Peter van Beveren assembled contributions of the following artists: Robert Jacks, Woody van Amen, Carl Andre, Joseph Beuys, Marinus Boezem, Christian Boltanski, Daniel Buren, Michel Cardena, Christo, Robin Crozier, Geurt van Dijk, Pieter Engels, Hans Eijkelboom, Ken Friedman, Ad Gerritsen, Klaas Gubbels, Wim Gijzen, Richard Hamilton, Dick Higgins, Tommy Mew, Maurizio Nannucci, Richard Nonas, Arnulf Rainer, Dieter Roth, Yves De Sme, Al Souza, Endre Tot, Timm Ulrichs, Ben Vautier and Wolf Vostell.

This iconic book contains an exuberant amount of various materials and techniques. The first hundred copies are signed by Peter van Beveren.

History of prices:
John Benjamins Antiquariat, Amsterdam December 2022 € 1.500,-
William Allen Words & Image, London, UK November 2022 US$ 913.-
Venduehuis, The Hague, Netherlands 14 April 2022 € 325,- (hammer price)
William Allen Words & Image, London, UK February 2022 US$ 1,045.-
Prentwerk, Groningen, Netherlands February 2022 € 550,-
William Allen Words & Images, London, UK January 2021 € 869,-

Schema Informazione 2, 1974 [magazine Galleria Schema]

Schema Informazione 2, 1974
30 x 21,5 cm
number 2, 68 pp.
published by Galleria Schema, Firenze, Italy
condition: very good, although cover carefully used
very rare
€ 300,- plus € 20,- Track & Trace registered mail

 

Schema Informazione is a catalogue published in magazine format on behalf of a group exhibition “Retuned to Sender” at Galleria Schema in Firenze, Italy. The exhibition was announced as ” Texts, musics, diagrams, scores, books, slides, notes, photographs, revues, video tapes, multiples, projects, statements, films, ideas………”.

List of participating artists:
Vito Acconci
Vincenzo Agnetti
Marcel Allocco
Adriano Altamira
Eleanor Antin
Eric Andersen
Giovanni Anselmo
Arakawa
Art & Language
Gabor Attalai
John Baldessari
Dana Atcheley
Imre Bak
Manuel Barbadillo
Robert Barry
Roberto Barni
Carlo Battisti
Lanfranco Baldi
Bernhard & Hilla Becher
Massimo Becattini
Mirella Bentivoglio
Maurizio Benveduti
Carlo Bertocci
Gerard Bjerlej
Joseph Beuys
Julien Blaine
Alighiero Boetti
Mel Bochner
Borillo/Mariotti
Werner F. Bonin
Christian Boltanski
Giovanni Bruscino
Enrico Bugli
Chris Burden
Daniel Buren
Bulkowski
Marcel Broodthaers
Pier Paolo Calzolari
Cioni Carpi
Luciano Caruso
Sylvano Bussotti
Giuseppe Chiari
Tullio Catalano
Cayc
Claudio Cintoli
Christo
James Coleman
Giusi Coppini
Roberto Cerbai
Marco Cordioli
Maria Teresa Corvino
Caum
Claudio Costa
Attila Csernik
Guido Corazziari
Feruccio De Filippi
Robin Crozier
Radomir Damnjanovic
Anne Darboven [sic]
Henry Dale
Giuliano Della Casa
Andrea Daninos
Gino de Dominicis
Branco Dimitrijevic
Nusa & Sreco Dragan
Herman de Vries
Paolo de Manincor
Antonio Dias
Wilfried Doerstel
Herbert Distel
Goran Djordjevic
Michele de Lucchi
Audrey Flack
Luciano Fabro
File
G. Fonio & P.L. Paolillo
Terry Fox
Joel Fremiot
Stano Filko
Hervé Fischer
Peter Finch
Hreinn Fridfinnsson
Andrea Granchi
Joseph Figueras
John Furnival
Bruno Gambone
Phil Glass
Paul Armand Gette
Zvi Goldstein
Jochen Gerz
Gilbert & George
Sigurdur Gudmundsson
Kristjan Gudmundsson
Groupe Ecart
Dan Graham
Milan Grygar
Lee Guen-Young
Groupe 70: Martin Miguel / Max Charuolen / Serge Maccaferri
Klaus Groh
John Hillard
Allan V. Harrison
Joseph Iglesias del Marquet
Hans Haacke
Alessandro Jasci
Christian Jaccard
Françoise Jannicot
Ray Johnson
Sture Johanesson
Joan Jonas
Allan Kaprow
Donald Karshan
Zdristan Jurkiewicz
Sasa Katamanova & J.H. Kocman
Hans W. Kalkmann
Per Kirkeby
Lazlo Kerekes
Annalies Klophaus
Joseph Kosuth
Richard Kostelanetz’s
Christof Kohlhöfer
Jannis Kounellis
Ketty LaRocca
Dick Landry
Auro Lecci
Ugo La Pietra
Jean le Gac
Andrea Lemmi
Sol LeWitt
Richard Long
Les Levine
Urs Lüthi
Sergio Lombardo
Inge Mahn
Robert Mangold
Maier AichenElio Marchegiani
Jean Claude Marquette
Stelio Maria Martini
Plinio Martelli
Paolo Masi
Slavko Matkovic
Eliseo Mattiacci
Mario Merz
Fabio Mauri
Albert Mayr
Edwind Morgan
Dora Maurer
Alberto Moretti
N.O. Mustill
Brenda Miller
Ito Motoyuki
Monique Nahas & Hervé Huitric
Massimo Nannucci
Maurizio Nannucci
Roman Opalka
Tomas Nillg [sic]
Dennis Oppenheim
Luigi Ontani
Claudio Parmiggiani
Charlemagne Palestine
Luca Patella
Giulio Paolini
Mario Poggiali
Andrzej Piergalski
Giuseppe Penone
Gianni Pettena
Miro Polacci
Alberto Pirelli
Josep Ponsati
Vettor Pisani
Edith Revai
Karina Raeck
Renato Ranaldi
Arnulf Rainer
Alan Riddel
Sue & Clive Robertson
Dorothe Rockburne
Gianni Ruffi
Fried Rosenstock
Edward Ruscha
Franca Sacchi
Sarkis
Lucas Samaras
Pedrac Sidjanin
Fulvio Salvadori
Salvo
Richard Serra
Fritz Schwegler
Frank Smith
Kishio Suga
Landfried Schöpfer
Alan Sondheim
Enzo Stella
Klaus Staeck
Petr Stembera
Superstudio
Jan Steklik
Nikola Stojanovic
Balint Szombathy
Shohachiro Takahashi
Paul Thek
Team A3
Tobas
Mikoljub Todorovic
Richard Tuttle
Jerzy Trelinski
Vittorio Tolu
Biljana Tomic
Rasa Todosijevic
Fernando Tonello
Endre Tót
U.F.O.
Jacqueline Urban Nicaud
Timm Ulrichs
Janos Urban
Franco Vaccari
Willy Vazan
Jiri Valoch
Ben Vautier
Luca Venturi
Jürgen Vogdt
Bernard Venet
Edgardo Antonio Vigo
Wolf Vostell
Dorothee Von Windheim
Lawrence Weiner
May Wilson
Paul Wordow
William Wegman
Antonio Ximenez
Orest Zagoricnik
Michele Zaza
Jacob Zekveld
Nicholas Zurbrugg
Gilberto Zorio