Présentoir: les plaintifs, les bêtes, les politiques

Thomas Hirschhorn made his name during the nineties with large-scale, three-dimensional collages made from cheap disposable material like cardboard, tape, plastic and aluminium foil. He combines these and other packing materials with texts, pictures from newspapers and magazines, and home-made objects like aeroplanes, watches, gold bars and streamers. Much interest has been shown in his works for public spaces, in which Hirschhorn criticises a society dominated by money and power. Hirschhorn’s work can be described as an extremely individual search for positive engagement with everyday social and political reality.

Présentoir: les plaintifs, les bêtes, les politiques, 1995 can be regarded as a historical synthesis of Hirschhorn’s creativity and visual language. The artist himself is visible on a promotional video, on a stage decked in green material. The monitor is surrounded by hundreds of collages, made by Hirschhorn from the proof of a catalogue, some of which are piled up and some set out on display. In the role of an enthusiastic Tel Sell presenter, Hirschhorn tries to bring his forms of social engagement to mankind.