Claire Fontaine

The neon sign “Fremde überall” (Strangers Everywhere) glowed in 60 languages and countless colors in the Werfthalle at the Arsenale; it became the leitmotif of the last Venice Biennale. The work is by the Paris-based conceptual art duo Claire Fontaine, founded in 2004 by Fulvia Carnevale and James Thornhill. It traces back to an installation from 2004 and is emblematic of the duo’s critical stance, as they repeatedly engage with issues of alienation and migration.

The commonplace name Claire Fontaine is a deliberate appropriation: on the one hand, it refers to the French stationery manufacturer, behind whose brand image the collective conceals its identity. On the other hand, “Fontaine” (fountain) also alludes to Marcel Duchamp’s epoch-making readymade. This double-edged play on appropriation and emptying forms the foundation of his working method, which is driven by the conviction that today’s conditions of production give rise to “readymade artists.”

In his work, Claire Fontaine draws on everyday objects that can be interpreted both as references to art history and as incisive social and ideological commentaries. By decontextualizing these objects and transforming them into something “foreign,” the collective uncovers hidden layers of meaning that take on a new urgency within the exhibition space. Neon signs, sculptures, films, texts, and performative elements address themes such as property, consumption, and political disillusionment. While the formal reduction is reminiscent of Minimal Art, the explosive content and political directness follow in the tradition of artists such as Hans Haacke and Felix Gonzalez-Torres. In recent years, the Kunst Museum Winterthur has Kunst Museum Winterthur presented exhibitions dedicated to everyday objects in the art world. Claire Fontaine continues this exploration and, in its exhibition, expands the critical potential of conceptual strategies in sculpture and installation.

Curated by Lynn Kost

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Claire Fontaine