WHAT YOU BUY

CR 447. Year 1995

What You Buy Jochen Gerz Cr 447 Web 2
What You Buy Jochen Gerz Cr 447 Web 1

WHAT YOU BUY IS
WHAT WE FEAR

Der kritische Ansatz bei Jochen Gerz, der es dem Betrachter nie möglich macht, sich an ein Objekt, an etwas positiv Dargestelltes und Gestaltetes zu verlieren, weist als solcher schon über den Kunstbereich hinaus. Die Kunst wird bei Jochen Gerz nicht zur autonomen Wirklichkeit, sondern zur Kritik an der Konsumhaltung, die das Bild für die Wirklichkeit nimmt.

Erich Franz 1981

Gerz’s work invites the viewer to act as ‘author’. In keeping with the utopian aspect of his practice, Gerz expects the viewer to supply the ‘additional’ content of the work, to ‘undo’ what he, as an artist, has done.

Bojana Pejic 1993

…Gerz introduces viewer participation into his Mixed Media Photography – a central feature of his projects in public space. Examples of such participation are "THE ANSWER", "WHAT YOU BUY" and "ON BUYING" – with texts which are no longer scripted only by Gerz as the author but by students or visitors to the exhibitions.

Renate Petzinger, Volker Rattemeyer 2000

Mixed Media Photograph

15 framed b+w negatives behind glass, 6 of them with text (red vinyl), each 40,5 x 50,5 cm, total 206,5 x 153,5 cm, white charcoal

Visitors of the exhibition are invited to paint with white charcoal on the work. Several painted versions exist.

Exhibitions

Vancouver 1994 (Newport Beach 1995. Purchase 1996). Paris 1995. Berlin 1996

Bibliography

I: Zürich 2000, p. 91

II: Red. 34, 1996. Kreis 1996

Access general bibliography

My name is Jochen Gerz