Biography of Claire Fontaine
Of the many art collectives working today, Claire Fontaine stands out as being one of the most distinctive and influential. Consisting of two "assistants", one English and one Italian, her provocative work strives to return serious ideas to contemporary art. She delights in taking swipes at the art world establishment, and made the unprecedented move of declaring herself a "readymade artist".
Claire Fontaine has never been averse to playing the fool "in order to point things out that do not make sense in society". Though this can be misinterpreted, it is typical of her brazen stance that is reflected in her engaged and acerbic work. A dedicated exponent of editions and multiples, Claire Fontaine does not try to effect sudden seismic change, but to continually undermine and alter perception, piece by piece, text by text, and print by print.
Taking her name from a famous French stationery company, Claire Fontaine is based in Paris and was formed in 2004. She has exhibited around the world including at Metro Pictures in New York in 2012 and Galerie Neu in Berlin in 2014. She also participated in the 4th Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art in 2011, and the 12th Istanbul Biennial in 2011.
