[JEANSELLEM VIEWER] — ANNETTE MESSAGER COLLECTIONEUSE: MA VIE ILLUSTRÉE 19-25.04.1974 — Categories: docs, letters, visual, press — Keywords: Galerie S:t Petri, Jean Sellem, archive — Category: docs — For one week, 19 - 25 April 1974, Galerie S:t Petri presents works by the French artist ANNETTE MESSAGER.In her typically feminine world we encounter various things that surround women. The intention is to criticize man's dominant position in society. Through his skilful verbal reasoning, man seems constantly to want to place woman in a role resembling that of a prisoner.This is one of the reasons why Annette Messager has not wanted to talk about her situation as a woman. Instead, she has chosen to give it visual form with the help of knitted objects, pattern cuttings, collected things, etc. Her works further reinforce the questioning of the identities imposed on women, among other things through commercialization. The works do not theorize about women. Nor do they offer any solution or explanation, but they are intended to act as elements of unease.It is precisely as a collector that we encounter Annette Messager in her first solo exhibition in Sweden. Images and texts are assembled in notebooks entitled "The Collector Annette Messager". The exhibition consists of three parts. One is called "Voluntary Torture" and consists of newspaper photographs of women treating their bodies in a rather frightening way. The second part is called "My Life in Illustrations" and contains drawings and photographs from various newspapers put together so that they appear extremely personal. The third part, finally, is called "How My Friends Would Make My Portrait" and consists of a large number of life drawings.Already a year ago, Annette Messager's work was presented for the first time in Scandinavia at Galerie S:t Petri. This was in a group exhibition called "Sequence". Together with Danergalleriet in Copenhagen, the gallery is now finally showing her works in a solo exhibition.Annette Messager has often exhibited on the Continent, among other places in Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Italy and France.The exhibition is open on weekdays from 3 pm to 8 pm, and on Saturday and Sunday from 12 noon to 5 pm. — — — Category: letters — <p><span style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17);">Lund, 7.V.74.</span></p> — Dear Annette Messager,I currently have some Danish friends who are presenting a film in Paris, THREE YOUNG GIRLS AND A PIG, in which the action consists of castrating a pig.In Scandinavia there is a particular interest in the problem of women in consumer society. The exhibition in Lund was a success on every level. Many visitors... discussions... etc...The exhibition itself was very beautiful and very restrained.I thank you warmly for this wonderful event/exhibition and hope very much to meet you during my next trip to France.Could you let me know whether Christian Boltanski would be interested in exhibiting in Lund at Galerie S:t Petri towards the end of the year or perhaps at the beginning of 1975. In that case we could do the exhibition with Galerie Daner. I would be grateful if you would keep me informed about your activities.Best regardsJean Sellem — — — Category: letters — CHRISTIAN BOLTANSKI (1975)«Le repas refusé»SILKE PAULL - HERVE WURZBoîte Postale 10606600 ANTIBES (France)21.11.76. following your letter of 18.11.76.Your Christian Boltanski exhibition, booklets and various documents13–25 Sept. 1974.Could you send me at least2 invitation cards from thisexhibition and any other documentsif you have any.Best wishesH.W.[Address]Galerie St. PetriJean SellemSt Petri Kyrkogata 5LUNDSUEDE — — — Category: letters — Dear Sir,I am sending you a photograph that I wanted to include in the exhibition you are organizing, “en promenade” – I had already spoken to Gette about it –You simply put it on the wall –[Added note: and beside it, could you translate the sentence and also my collection titles ... [unclear]]I do not know when your opening will be,I hope I can be there –I think I will arrive on 20 March.Very best wishesSee you soonAnnette Messager — — — Category: letters — Dear Sir,Thank you very much for your letter – Gette had just spoken to me about this exhibition and I entirely agree to take part in it –Christian Boltanski, who is returning from Copenhagen, got in touch with the gallery about me and also told me that the exhibition should take place around March, perhaps with the publication of a catalogue; this is not really certain –I am writing to the gallery by the same mail to tell them that I agree –For the practical questions concerning the sending of the documents, is it simpler for me to — go through you or through the gallery?I intend to present 3 different pieces:the 1st is called “Voluntary Tortures”; these are photographs of women taken from newspapers while they are taking care of their bodies in a rather terrifying way –the 2nd is called “My Illustrated Life”; these are photographs or drawings from newspapers, generally the illustration of a serial, with the exact caption, but which I have put into a personal mode as if it concerned me myself (around 60 photographs)the 3rd is called “How My Friends Would Make My Portrait”; these are sketches drawn by me and depicting me as if I really had the desire for my friends to make my portrait, on café tablecloths for example –Do you think this could be suitable?For the space, I think this could work.Thank you very much for the invitation and please accept my best regardsAnnette MessagerI am sending you a small catalogue from an exhibition in Belgium – I have just had an exhibition at the museum in Munich with a catalogue that I like very much; unfortunately it is sold out, so I cannot send you a copy. — — — Category: letters — Dear Friend,Thank you for your letter. As you ask, I am sending you 3 series of photographs that show a little of the 3 different pieces that will be presented in your gallery –John Hunov has, I think, received the material, and I sent him a letter in which I explain how to present the things; I think he will give it to you as well.One of the pieces is called “How my friends would make my portrait”; the piece itself consists of 100 sketches of myself –Another piece is called “my voluntary tortures”; it is rephotographed from newspapers –The last piece is called “my illustrated life” and comes from newspaper drawings that I appropriate as my own story –I hope these few photographs will suit you — as documentation.Here is a short biography; I have included only the solo exhibitions and those that are important to me(biographies frighten me, I am afraid of them...)october 72: galerie Aurora – Genève – Suisseapril 73: musée de Grenoblejune 73: musée Rude de Dijonoct 73: musée de Munich – Allemagnedec 73: galerie Yellow now – Liège – Belgiquefebruary 74: galerie Diagramma – Milan – ItalieApril 74: musée d’art Moderne de Paris –section ARCI hope you will not have too many difficulties with my work and I hope that you will be pleased with the exhibitionvery best wishesAnnette MessagerPlease, could you keep in the exhibition the designation I have given myself, “Annette Messager collectionneuse”, because for me the collection is very important; it is a kind of preservation and appropriation of what surrounds us – — — — Category: letters — 55 stk.2nd pieceTitle: “my illustrated life”I rephotographed these photos from different newspapers; some show airplane disasters or Palestinian attacks, others illustrate novels, but they all seem to illustrate the same story, and although there are several different artists, they all seem to answer and correspond to one another –I kept the same caption as in the newspaper; I only put “I” instead of the name of the man or the woman –There is no need for you to translate the captions; that would be too much work for you.This piece is placed on the wall from top to bottom, without any precise order.Altogether I think it will cover a wall of 2 m × 2 m. — 3rd pieceTitle: “my voluntary tortures”There are 5 series of photographs; present each series on the same row.1st series: for my face2nd series: for my thighs3rd series: to lose weight4th series: for my breasts5th series: for my bodyWrite below each series, or beside it, the name of the series (for my face etc....)These photos are taken from newspapers and magazines; only one of the photos is really me myself, mimicking these tortures and integrating myself into them (it is one from the series of faces.... which one, in your opinion!)I hope you have understood all these explanations, but you can also always modify things a little according to the space in your gallery.I hope you will be pleased with the exhibition.Very best wishesAnnette MessagerCould you send me invitations (small posters) so that I can send some out before the exhibition – thank you – — — — Category: visual — — — Category: visual — Dear Jean Sellem,I am sending you a small catalogue of the exhibition in Paris; I think the exhibition is being quite well received, so much the better!Thank you very much for sending my things back to me and also the newspapers. I think it is very good that documents that come from newspapers return to a newspaper; I really like that and it makes me want to make a work out of it –It is very kind of you to tell me that the exhibition went well; it is always worrying, when one has not gone there oneself, to wonder what may have happened – — “Three Young Girls and a Pig” – I like the title very much; I am going to try to go and see the film.Christian Boltanski fully agrees to the exhibition with you; I think he will write to you later.Last night I saw Paul Armand Gette at the opening of his exhibition. Among other things, he is showing the book called “le flag”, made in Malmö. The book is really very good; I like Gette’s work very much, and his books or publications are also very good, very carefully made, very precise, like a real scientist...Very best wishes,thank you again for the newspapersAnnette M. — — — Category: visual — <p><span style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17);">1995</span></p> — — — Category: visual — 1975 — — — Category: visual — 1978 — — — Category: visual — 1974 — — — Category: press — APB 18.4.74French woman artist makes her Swedish debutLUND: For one week, 19–25 April, Galleri S:t Petri presents works by the French artist Annette Messager. Already a year ago, her works were presented for the first time in Scandinavia at Galleri S:t Petri. It was a group exhibition. Together with Danergalleriet in Copenhagen, her works are now being shown in a solo exhibition.It is as a collector that we encounter Annette Messager in her first Swedish solo exhibition. The exhibition consists of three parts.I “VOLUNTARY TORTURE”● One is called “Voluntary Torture” and consists of newspaper photographs of women treating their bodies in a rather frightening way.● The second part is called “My Life in Illustrations” and contains drawings and photographs from various newspapers assembled so that they appear extremely personal.● The third part is called “How My Friends Would Make My Portrait” and consists of a large number of life drawings.This is what the organizers say about the exhibition:From Annette Messager’s exhibition at Galleri S:t Petri in Lund.— In her typically feminine world, we encounter various things that surround women. The intention is to criticize man’s dominant position in society. Through his skilful verbal reasoning, man seems constantly to want to place woman in a role resembling that of a prisoner.— This is one of the reasons why Annette Messager has not wanted to talk about her situation as a woman. Instead, she has chosen to give it visual form with the help of knitted objects, pattern cuttings, collected things, etc. — — — Category: press — — — Category: press — — — Category: press — SDS 19.4.74Exhibition attacks male dominanceThe French artist Annette Messager now has her first solo exhibition in Sweden: at Galerie S:t Petri in Lund. She criticizes man's dominant position in society and wants her art to act as an element of unease. — — — Category: press — SKD 19.4.74She describes the oppression of women with imagesAnnette Messager is a French artist who is exhibiting at Galerie S:t Petri from Saturday and for one week. In her typically feminine world, we encounter various things that surround women. The intention is to criticize man's dominant position in society.— Through his skilful verbal reasoning, man seems constantly to want to place woman in a role resembling that of a prisoner, says Annette Messager. This is one reason why she has chosen to express herself in images instead of words.The exhibition consists of three parts. One is called "Voluntary Torture" and consists of newspaper photographs of women treating their bodies in a rather frightening way. The second part is called "My Life in Illustrations" and contains drawings and photographs from various newspapers assembled so that they appear extremely personal.The third section is called "How My Friends Would Make My Portrait" and consists of a number of life drawings.Annette Messager uses, among other things, drawings from various newspapers.