Henri Barande: the Work Beyond

For half a century, Henry Barande kept his life as an artist a closely guarded secret, while producing thousands of sculptures - abstract geometric forms, human torsos and heads - which he describes as objets retrouves (re-found objects), in reference to his own fascination with archaeological excavations like those he viewed as a child in Carthage. Reminiscent of talismans, the miniature forms are composed into ensembles that Barande refers to as ‘tombs’. More recently, he has destroyed or buried many of his sculptural works, but he has reawakened them in a stunning array of monumental paintings, whose tomb-like presence echoes that of their sculptural forebears. For his debut exhibition at the Zurich branch of Sotheby’s in 2000, there was no mention of the artist’s name, none of the works on view were titled, dated or signed, and none was for sale - principles he continues to observe today. This unique monograph examines his ethos through essays by curator David Galloway, and contributing authors Henri Cousseau, Romaric Sulger Buel, and Michel Weemans and documents Barande’s oeuvre, past and present. The book, an artwork in its own right, will have 50 cover variations and coincides with the only UK show of his work to be given in his lifetime at Saatchi Gallery in October 2016. AUTHORS: David Galloway is a curator and art critic. Professor Emeritus of Ruhr University, Germany, his most recent books include Abrams’ Barbara Nessim. Henry-Claude Cousseau has been Director of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris since 2000. Romaric Sulger Buel was French cultural attache in Rio from 1993 until 1998 and has since been involved in French-Brazilian cultural exchanges.