BEN’S ROOM
artworks 1969-1975

On Thursday, April 1st, 2025, starting at 11:00 AM, Studio Gariboldi opens to the public Ben’s Room.

In the intimate space of a room, a selection of works by artist Ben Vautier, created between 1969 and 1974, will be on display. Iconic paintings, carefully chosen, in line with the gallery’s taste and philosophy. Among the exhibited works, powerful words written in uppercase, such as LIBERTÀ or IDEA, stand out, alongside simple and symbolic phrases in italics, like Regardez parterre (Look at the ground). Ben Vautier’s invitation resonates as a suggestion: look down, at the ground, near us. The hope is not to step on anything or anyone. The wish is to find something new or rediscover what we have temporarily lost. Everyone can use the questions and words proposed by the artist, as a compass to orient themselves in the present.
Ben Vautier (Naples, 1935 – Nice, 2024) was a French artist born to an Occitan-Irish mother and a Swiss-French father. His work explores the concepts of identity, ego, and especially the relationship between art and life. His artistic research employs various media and techniques, from paintings to installations, to performances. Ben is considered one of the key figures of 20th-century avant-garde movements, and his “written paintings” are present in major museums worldwide.