BEN (1935)

Every fortnight, Artprice provides a short round up of art market news.

Art Paris returns to its usual venue, the impressive Nave of the Grand Palais, where it will welcome around 48,000 visitors over four days. Doors will open to the general public on 31 March.

Ben is not just child-like writing on a pencil case or a fountain pen with J’écris pour la gloire. To understand the universe of Ben – beyond his ego and his derivative products – we need to look at Fluxus, at his eloquence, his doubts and his struggles.

The « new Swiss artistic scene » started to appear in museums and the major auction houses towards the end of 1990s.Switzerland has been the breeding ground of major contemporary artists like Jean TINGUELY, BEN, Niele TORONI and Felice VARINI. Collectively these artists experimented with new materials, produced interesting results from mixing art with life (and vice-versa), and generally broadened our fields of perception. Since then, other artists have caught our attention by using video and creating protean and uninhibited installations.