jay rechsteiner

home       artworks       statement &  cv          contact
...............................................................................................................................................................................................

 

The archive of a thousand lives The Archive of a Thousand Lives stands as a continually evolving Wunderkammer, a collection of personal objects once owned by my late father, Franzueli Rechsteiner, who passed away in February 2015. These objects find their place on a meticulously arranged structure crafted from wood, bricks, boxes, and similar materials, located in Lugnez, Switzerland. In this context, my role transcends that of a traditional artist; rather, I embody the role of a curator in its truest sense, derived from the Latin word 'curare,' signifying 'to take care.' During each visit, across an undetermined span of time, I engage in a nuanced dialogue with the objects. I reconfigure the structure, making decisions on additions, removals, and displays. Should it be necessary, I undertake the task of cleaning. This practice extends beyond being a personal encounter with my father; it serves to question the conventions of contemporary art-making and curation. It epitomizes 'l'art pour l'art'—art for the sake of art. At its core, it embodies work in its purest form, work that finds its essence in the act itself. The initiation of the archive dates back to the 29th of April 2015.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright © 2015, Jay Rechsteiner. All Rights Reserved.