Thu. April 6, 12:30PM
Logbook of an engaged artist: Thomas Hirschhorn
Join us for the presentation and book signing of V.C.R.T, the one-of-a-kind autobiography of Thomas Hirschhorn, one of the most singular and committed artist of our time
TheMerode is delighted to welcome Swiss artist Thomas Hirschhorn for a conversation about “V.C.R.T.” his recently published artist’s book.
Meet Thomas Hirschhorn and delve into an intimate and unique perspective on his artistic practice. Take part in a conversation bringing to light Hirschhorn’s process, his personal commitments and his political, philosophical and art historical references.
V.C.R.T., (standing for Violent Crime Response Team) is an original concept proposed by Hirschhorn in the form of a logbook. Hi artist’s book, consists of an accumulation of writings, drawings, letters, emails and notes, which have accompanied his work in parallel since the beginning. Tracing the past 32 years (1989-2021), this artist’s book reveals initial sketches of his projects, private correspondence and critical analysis around his own artworks or exhibitions.
Join us over lunch on April 6, meet the artist and don’t miss on the opportunity to get your copy of V.C.R.T. signed by Thomas Hirschhorn.
About the artist
Thomas Hirschhorn is a contemporary Swiss artist whose work encompasses large-scale immersive and interactive installations, sculptures, devices… Originally trained as a graphic designer, Thomas Hirschhorn shapes public discourse that relates to political discontent, and offers alternative models for thinking and being. He creates sprawling installations from mundane materials (packing tape, cardboard, foil) that engage the senses. Using collage as a form of interpretation and critique, Hirschhorn presents intellectual history and philosophical theory much as he does everyday objects and images, and poses questions about aesthetic value, moral responsibility, political agency, consumerism, and media spectacle.
Hirschhorn has exhibited all over the world and his work was shown in numerous museums, galleries, and exhibitions such as the Venice Biennale, Documenta11, 55th Carnegie International, Pittsburg, La Triennale at Palais de Tokyo, Paris, 9th Shanghai Biennale, Manifesta 10 or MoMA PS1.
His new exhibition M.E.S.S.S.Y. will be on view at Dvir Gallery from April 8 until July 1.
Meet Thomas Hirschhorn and delve into an intimate and unique perspective on his artistic practice. Take part in a conversation bringing to light Hirschhorn’s process, his personal commitments and his political, philosophical and art historical references.
V.C.R.T., (standing for Violent Crime Response Team) is an original concept proposed by Hirschhorn in the form of a logbook. Hi artist’s book, consists of an accumulation of writings, drawings, letters, emails and notes, which have accompanied his work in parallel since the beginning. Tracing the past 32 years (1989-2021), this artist’s book reveals initial sketches of his projects, private correspondence and critical analysis around his own artworks or exhibitions.
Join us over lunch on April 6, meet the artist and don’t miss on the opportunity to get your copy of V.C.R.T. signed by Thomas Hirschhorn.
About the artist
Thomas Hirschhorn is a contemporary Swiss artist whose work encompasses large-scale immersive and interactive installations, sculptures, devices… Originally trained as a graphic designer, Thomas Hirschhorn shapes public discourse that relates to political discontent, and offers alternative models for thinking and being. He creates sprawling installations from mundane materials (packing tape, cardboard, foil) that engage the senses. Using collage as a form of interpretation and critique, Hirschhorn presents intellectual history and philosophical theory much as he does everyday objects and images, and poses questions about aesthetic value, moral responsibility, political agency, consumerism, and media spectacle.
Hirschhorn has exhibited all over the world and his work was shown in numerous museums, galleries, and exhibitions such as the Venice Biennale, Documenta11, 55th Carnegie International, Pittsburg, La Triennale at Palais de Tokyo, Paris, 9th Shanghai Biennale, Manifesta 10 or MoMA PS1.
His new exhibition M.E.S.S.S.Y. will be on view at Dvir Gallery from April 8 until July 1.
speaker
Thomas Hirschhorn
Thomas Hirschhorn is a Swiss artist who represented his country at the 2011 Venice Biennale. He is renowned for constructing dystopian environments from humble, discarded materials like plastic sheeting, cardboard, aluminium foil, packing tape and magazines. For Hirschhorn, this way of working is both an aesthetic stance and a political gesture. By overwhelming viewers with oversized imagery and immersive landscapes of debris, he urges us to reconsider our everyday patterns of consumption. Throughout his career, he has insisted that Art Matters because of its ability to generate presence, attention, and shared responsibility. His community-based monuments and socially engaged projects affirm that art is not a luxury but a civic practice: a space where complexity is embraced, disagreement can unfold, and collective reflection becomes possible beyond the constraints of politics or the market.
