Esther Shalev-Gerz

In the Age of Labor, a text wrote for Shalev-Gerz’ “Describing Labor” exhibition catalogue, 2012, The Wolfsonian-FIU, USA, Jacques Rancière writes:

“Time and again, Esther Shalev-Gerz shows us that things never speak for themselves. They speak to us, that is to say, they tell us about the community that is formed between us through them—provided we try to speak to them, albeit at the risk of approximation, to listen to their speech, to confront it with what our eyes see and with what our own words can say.”

For the exhibition “Esther Shalev-Gerz: Between Listening and Telling” at the Musée Cantonal des Beaux-Arts, Lausanne, Switzerland, 2012, Georges Didi-Huberman in turn wrote in the text ’Blancs soucis’ of our History:

“In her installations, Esther Shalev-Gerz has never ceased to instigate dialogues, to give shape to interlocutory situations: she asks this and that person questions, she confronts faces and points of view, she worries about stories –even simple opportunities to smile –from everyone, she questions objects (like those found in the earth of Buchenwald camp in the work MenschenDinge –The Human Aspect of Objects, 2004-2006), practices (like photography), in the prism of each unique story, as in collective history.20In doing so, she unceasingly questions transmission right down to its effects of disarray or perdition.”

Esther Shalev-Gerz, The Shadow, 2018 Permanent installation, 24,000 three-shade concrete pavers — 100 × 25m ©Studio Shalev-Gerz, 2018
Esther Shalev-Gerz, The Monument Against Fascism, 1986 Permanent installation, 1 lead–clad column with aluminium structure — 12 m × 1 m × 1 m, 1 text panel, 7 tons — one piece ©Studio Shalev-Gerz, 1986 (with Jochen Gerz)
Les Inséparables, installation permanente, Genève, Suisse, 2000-2016
Esther Shalev-Gerz, Les Inséparables, 2000-2016 (Les Inséparables, permanent installation, Geneva, Switzerland, 2000-2016) Permanent installation, animated double-clock sculpture — 300 × 180 × 35cm — edition of 3 ©Studio Shalev-Gerz, 2000-2016
Learning a Trade in a Garment Factory
Esther Shalev-Gerz, Describing Labor, 2012 (Learning a Trade in a Garment Factory) Natural pigments on archival paper — 70 × 90cm — edition of 5 ©Studio Shalev-Gerz, 2012
Sculptures en verre, vue d’exposition, Wasserman Projects, Détroit, États-Unis, 2016
Esther Shalev-Gerz, Glass Objects, Describing Labor, 2012 (Glass objects, installation view, Wasserman Projects, Detroit, USA, 2016) Glass sculpture — Variable dimensions ©Studio Shalev-Gerz, 2012 photo:Kleinefenn
Esther Shalev-Gerz, The Gold Room, 2016 Natural pigments on archival paper — 100 × 100cm ©Studio Shalev-Gerz, 2016
Esther Shalev-Gerz, Potential Trust, 2012 Animated neon — 150 × 95cm ©Studio Shalev-Gerz, 2012
Esther Shalev-Gerz, Dead Wood, 2016 Natural pigments on archival paper — Variable dimensions ©Studio Shalev-Gerz, 2016
Esther Shalev-Gerz, AUCIEL, 1, 2020 Natural pigments on archival paper ©Studio Shalev-Gerz, 2020

Esther Shalev-Gerz

Contemporary

Collage, drawing, installation, photography, poetry, sculpture, sound - music, mixed media, video

Artist born in 1948 in Vilnius, Lithuania. 

Localisation
Paris, France
Website
Official website
Themes
Condition humaine, espace public / espace urbain , histoire, identité, mémoire, mémoire collective

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