Spiritofboz

Julien Friedler presents “The Spirit of Boz” at Mube

For the first time in Brazil, the Belgian artist Julien Friedler presents “The spirit of Boz” exhibition, from October 22 to November 22, at Mube (Sculpture Brazilian Museum). The exhibition is a chance to know his multiple featured work. Friedler has already exposed his work in countries like Belgium, USA, Bulgaria and Italy. “The Spirit of Boz” is also present in countries like Germany, France, Morocco, Rwanda, Togo, Benin, China, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Israel.

Boz is a complex universe created as a “modern myth”. Permeated by philosophical concepts and pop art and art history references, the show brings to light several coexisting mythologies. Just like the word Boz, a construction with no specific meaning, the entire art project has a playful and humorous, but also psychological aspect. Seeking to regain a humanist ideal, the artist shows his displeasure with the worship of celebrity, membership in cults, social poverty and isolation in itself present in our consumer society.  

The exhibition has 30 works and it comprehends various fields of art: painting, sculpture, literature, video, photography, installation and performance. There are still works in more different supports, like comics strips, t-shirts and a 7 meters height doll which will be located at the museum external area.

The artist will also be present at the exhibition opening to discuss his art work “BeBoz BeArt”, which took place in many countries. Under the motto that there’s an artist inside everyone, he proposes a new kind of art that, beyond reaching the public, includes them in the creative process.    

Before an artist, he is a psychoanalyst. "His art instigates reflection on topics that are part of all human wishes”, says Renata Azevedo, International Relations Director of Mube. Connection with divine, childhood, the Big Bang theory and his large experience as psychoanalyst and writer, arise chaotically in his work, which goes beyond the traditional scope of arts.

“The purpose of ‘Boz Spirit’ is to express a global perception of the world, a complete way of perceiving and revealing existence”, says Jacob Klintowitz, in the release. According to Klintowitz, Friedler’s work is “complete art because he uses all possible elements of language and style. It’s something like an opera from the age of information technology”.

Inside this universe, there’s always the presence of his “persona” Jack Balance, a sort of metaphysical clown revolted against his creator, whose name is a joke on the name of the actor Jack Palance. He always emerges wearing false mustache and nose and a cap that says “Therapy?” (One of his works shows Balance is in a baby chair with a nursing bottle where we can read “whisk”). This character will receive visitors as a seven meters height doll in front of Mube.

Balance will be also replicated in an action in wich performers, dressed as the character, will conduct a sort of public opinion poll. This performance is part of “The Tour of Boz in 80 Years” project that is based on an existentialist questionnaire answered by many people in different parts of the world.  There are questions like “Does God exist?”, “How would you explain this time in which you live?” and “Are you happy?”. According to the artist, his purpose is to create a testimonial work to “keep the spirit of an entire population and to raise no less than a forest of souls”.

For Jacob Klintowitz, the visual shapes of Friedler’s work “resemble those of mass comunication, with fast and humoristic drawing, uniform colors, with delimitated spaces”. The exposition has representative painting works like “Le Shaman” and “La Parole des Anges”, and his three-dimensional view for “Les Demoiselles D’Avignon”, by Picasso. “There’s no claim to the subtle chromaticity of traditional painting or to the classic three-dimensionality”, says Klintowitz. 

About Julien Friedler

Born in 1950, in Brussels, Friedler studied directly with Jacques Lacan, he founded La Moire center of research in psychoanalysis and has lately joined to (or awaked to) the universe of art. In 1997, he rediscovered painting, so present in childhood. Currently he runs a contemporary art foundation (Friedler for Contemporary Art). This year, he performed solo expositions at the National Gallery for Foreign Art, in Bulgaria, and at the Christopher Henry Gallery, in New York.

SERVICE:

Exhibition: “The Spirit of Boz” – Julien Friedler

Venue: Mube – Sculpture Brazilian Museum of Sculpture - Av. Europa, 218 – Jardim Europa – São Paulo/SP
Date: From october 22 to november 22
Tuesday to Sunday, from 10h to 19h.
Free admission

www.mube.art.br

Informations for press

KRP Relações Públicas (11) 3086 3550
Kelly Lobos 
Gudmila Régis – mobile – 55 – 11 - 7690-4767
gudmila.regis@krpnet.com.br
Renata Margoni – mobile – 55 – 11 - 8698-0126
renata.margoni@krpnet.com.br


On March 4, 2008, Stella Rouskova was interviewed by Vladi Sevov, for "4+1", a TV show on the national Bulgarian network Eurocom. She presented Julien Friedler and his workl, with a focus on the "Around the Boz in 80 Years" art project. The interview includes images of  the  "Innocents" installation.

Read also :

> Around the Boz in Bulgaria

> "Around the Boz in 80 Years" : details and highlights

> The Innocents, une installation de Julien Friedler

BeBOZ: AROUND THE BOZ IN 80 YEARS

The BeBOZ Trilogy 

Julien Friedler, an artist, writer and psychoanalyst is the ancestor of THE SPIRIT OF BOZ. His work comprises paintings, installations and performances.

By means of one performance, three exhibitions and a symposium the curator Erno Vroonen will introduce BeBOZ of Julien Friedler in selected locations to the city of Munich opening the door to enter the world of BOZ. This series of Munich events has been called "The BeBOZ Trilogy".

BeBOZ: AROUND THE BOZ IN 80 YEARS

 
Thurs., 2008/05/08, 19:00 – 23:00, Hl. Kreuz-Kirche, Ichostr. 1, München-Giesing
BeBOZ: AROUND THE BOZ IN 80 YEARS, Vernissage in the manse, Gietlstr. 2
Exhibition until 2008/06/29, Tue. – Sun. 13:00 – 18:00, Wed. 10:00 – 18:00

This is the first event of the Trilogy, after a kind of prelude, a video-performance featuring Jack Balance, which took place on March 1st 2008. The theme of this first exhibition will be Julien Friedler’s "Around the Boz In 80 Years" project.

With this project, Friedler invites people to get part of the world of BOZ by filling out a questionnaire. While answering the questionnaire everybody breaks through the secular course of the world and pauses for a little while to get into the six existential questions :

 
DOES GOD EXIST?

HOW DO YOU CHARACTERIZE THIS PERIOD?

HOW DO YOU SEE THE FUTURE?

ARE YOU HAPPY?

IS SEXUALITY IMPORTANT?

WHO AM I?

 
The questionaires are being collected around the world for 80 years, i.e. until 2086 – mind the title of the exhibition AROUND THE BOZ IN 80 YEARS.

The answers on these questions are going to build the fundament of the artwork "Forest of Souls” and constitute the materialized animus of the world during a certain age.

Friedler wants to create new icons for a better future world. Therefore the artist aims a long term, idealistic strategy supposed to overlast his own lifetime. Art should be more than an object of prestige. Given the fact that art nowadays often is reduced to its market value, one tends to miss the original surplus value of it. Isn’t art supposed to touch people deep down inside and to excavate the inner spirit and soul?

According to this a sacred room is ideal to present the first exhibition because, as religion, Julien Friedler’s work is engaged in existential questions.

The Catholic Parrish Hl. Kreuz in Giesing, as patron of this exhibition, also raises these questions. During the Sunday church services and several evening receptions, with changing speakers, there will be searched for answers.

In the church the searching for answers while the exhibition will be underlined by a sound installation of Cornelia Faist. In the entrance of the church the visitors will have the possibilty to fill out the questionnaires and get part of BeBOZ.

In May and June the Sunday church services at 10 o’clock will refer to the above mentioned questions of BeBOZ.

 In June there will be several evening lectures with different speakers who treat following items.

 On Sunday at 18.30 PM.

• 01.06.: Art and Church/ Is there any need for?: Pastor Rainer Hepler, artist-referent

• 08.06.: Art and Spirituality: Abt Odilo Lechner
• 15.06.: Art and Mission: Dr. Petra Giloy-Hirtz, independent curator & Bo Christian Larsson, artist
• 22.06.: Art and Therapy: Prof. Dr. Gertraud Schottenloher, Director of Postgraduate Studies Art and Therapy at the Academy of Fine Arts Munich &  Stefanie Höll, artist and therapist
• 29.06.: Concert: Musica Ritmica, composed by Thomas Renner

 The evening lectures will be moderated by pastoral reverend Gereon Kühr and curator Erno Vroonen BeBOZ, Munich 2008.

 
Initiative by: Julien Friedler, www.beboz.org
Hosted by: Catholic Parrish Hl. Kreuz, München-Giesing
Soundinstallation: Cornelia Faist
Curator: Erno Vroonen

Organisation: Britta Hölzer
Design:  Schmid+Widmaier Design
PR :  Goldmann PR                 

Next exhibitions of BeBOZ by Julien Friedler:

 
Wed., 2008/06/18, 18:00 – 21:00, Sotheby’s, Odeonsplatz 16
BeBOZ: LE CLOCHARD CELESTE, Vernissage
Exhibition until 2008/06/29, Tue. – Sun. 13:00 – 18:00, Wed. 10:00 – 18:00

 
Fri., 2008/10/24, 18:00 – 21:00, Galerie der Künstler, Maximilianstr. 42
BeBOZ: GIVE UP, Vernissage
BeBOZ: Symposium 15:00 – 18:00 h
Exhibition until 2008/11/23, Wed. – Sun. 11:00-18:00

Imprint:
 

Initiative by:                 Julien Friedler   Curator:                      Erno Vroonen       

Organisation:              Britta Hölzer

Design:                       Schmid+Widmaier Design

PR:                             Goldmann PR                                   

With his article "The Artist and his Universe", Philipp Württemberg introduces the readers of Sotheby’s magazine Preview (January issue) to "the eclectic and iconoclastic work of Julien Friedler". He writes about the course and the influences of the artist, the Book of Boz and "Around the Boz in 80 Years".

"It is not easy to draw Julien Friedler’s portrait in a few words. A complex, intellectual, creative mind, and artist and writer, a psychoanalyst, ethnologist and philosopher, he has created a rich body of works. Deploying highly diverse media from paintings and sculpture to installations and photography, Friedler has exhibited works all over Europe, culminating in his current project, an entire imaginary universe entitled The Spirit of Boz.

This project has two elements : the first, a 600-page book The Book of Boz, which features a complex discussion between three clowns and their epic metaphysical journey. Visual works interact within the book, transforming it so that, as Friedler says, ‘it consists of many things you can’t see of feel, which are important for our entire history and development.’ To my questions of where the title ‘BOZ’ originates, he answers : ‘I do not know. The principle idea is that different thoughts can construct a greater ‘BOZ World’ across cultural borders, languages, religions and creeds.’
Involvement is an essential aspect of Friedler’s artistic world. Everyone is invited to participate at www.spiritofboz.org, not to simply add comments, but to interact. Friedler recently enlarged his world with a vast collective project based on responses from across the world to six questions, offering insight, in the words of the artist, into ‘the soul of the world’. Printed copies of the questionnaires will be sealed, 500 at a time, into metal boxes, which, when stacked in columns of ten, will create a ‘forest of souls’.
With an 80-year lifespan, this ambitious project will no doubt develop other, currently unforeseen, initiatives, expanding and adapting Friedler’s universe. The artist has created a foundation - Friedler for Contemporary Art - to supervise its conclusion, preserving all works of arts created around the World of Boz. The foundation will organise exhibitions, promote artistic research and, working on Marcel Duchamp’s theory that "all is art’, follow the objective to accept all works by both artists and non-artists.
The art of Duchamp, Wassily Kandinsky, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Joseph Beuys have inspired The Spirit of Boz as they are the works that Friedler has in his own collection. In taking these influences and combining his own particular vision, Julien Friedler is indeed an artistic entrepreneur."

Philipp Württemberg is vice chairman, Sotheby’s Europe.

Julien Friedler and his "Demoiselle" (from Picasso’s world famous painting) headlined in this article of New York magazine(www.nymag.com,  Entertainment section), alongside some other "Demoiselles d’Avignon" "covers",  as seen during the "Demoiselles Revisited" art show( Francis Naumann Gallery, New York), which ended at the end of December.

"Spirit of Boz : Les voyages imaginaires de Julien Friedler" (The imaginary travels of Julien Friedler) is an article by Frederic Giet published in "La Célibataire" (number 15, winter 2007). This issue of the French journal of Lacanian psychoanalysis, directed par Charles Melman, is the first one in a trilogy about the three religions of the Book ("Les Trois religions du Livre") and is titled "Le bonheur juif" (The Jewish Happiness).

The first part of the article is about the Book of Boz and its connections with the Ancient Testament and Julien Friedler’s own visual art works. The second part details the art project "Around the Boz In 80 Years", which has just finished its first year.

La première partie de l’article ("de la lettre à l’esprit") est consacrée au Livre du Boz, analysant à la fois les liens tissés avec l’Ancien Testament et la dialectique établie avec les oeuvres plastiques.  "De l’esprit à l’être", la deuxième partie, glisse du "singulier vers l’universel" en détaillant le projet "Le Tour du Boz en 80 ans", qui vient de boucler sa première année.

Read also :

• Le summary of Célibataire, on the website of the publisher, Edk.
• Testimonies about the Book of Boz (Denise Lachaud, psychoanalyst; Sandrine Rochez)
• Around the Boz In 80 Years : presentation of the project.

In the article "Le Tour du Boz en 80 ans fait escale à Tanger", the Moroccan weekly newspaper La Chronique  mentions Julien Friedler’s  "Around the Boz In 80 Years" and the website www.spiritofboz.org.

"Dans le cadre d’une œuvre artistique international de l’artiste Julien Friedler commencé en 2006 et qui se terminera en 2086.
Mr. Chaoui et Mlle. Brouwers se font porte parole et messager de l’artiste au Maroc.(…)"

This interview of Majo, who coordinates the Boz team in Buenos Aires, in Argentina, has been posted on www.cronicasmoviles.com.ar with a text by Cecilia Santoro.

"Capturar las almas de la mayor cantidad de gente posible. Ese es el (original, ambicioso, utópico ¿tal vez?) objetivo de The Spirit of Boz, un proyecto dirigido por el artista plástico Julien Friedler.

Aunque esa no es la única característica llamativa de este trabajo, que abarca a varios países (Argentina, Estados Unidos, Ruanda, Francia) y que el creador apunta a que se vea finalizado en… ochenta años.

La cacería de almas se hace a través de cuestionarios que los grupos de trabajo – uno por cada tierra elegida – entregan a quien quiera participar, sin importar razas, credos, afinidades políticas o formación.

Las seis preguntas que deben responder los participantes son las que suelen desvelar a mucha gente: "

1) ¿Existe Dios?
2) ¿Cómo caracterizarías este período?
3) ¿Cómo ves el futuro?
4) ¿Sos feliz?
5) ¿Es la sexualidad importante?
6) ¿Quién soy?

La idea es inmortalizar los cuestionarios recolectados en todo el mundo guardándolos en cajas de metal, que serán trasladadas a – se estima – Italia, para instalarlas en un “Bosque de Almas”.
Pero excepto este primer paso, los cuestionarios, nadie sabe aún cómo continúa el proyecto, puro misterio ronda al Espíritu de Boz. (…)"

More details about the "Around The Boz" project and the questionnaire itself can be found here. The English translation of this text has been posted here.

Published in Art in America and Art Forum, April 2007.