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Daniel Spoerri Biography
Daniel Spoerri, born Daniel Isaac Feinstein on March 27, 1930, in Galați, Romania, is a Swiss artist and writer renowned for his innovative contributions to the visual arts, particularly in the realms of assemblage and object art. His life and work have been marked by a profound engagement with the material culture of everyday life, a fascination with the transient nature of existence, and a playful yet critical approach to the conventions of art and its intersection with the quotidian.
Spoerri's early life was shaped by the tumultuous events of World War II. After his father, Isaac Feinstein, who had converted from Judaism to Christianity, was arrested and killed in 1941 following Romania's alliance with Nazi Germany, Spoerri's Swiss-born mother, Lydia Spoerri, managed to emigrate with her six children to Switzerland in 1942. There, Daniel was adopted by his maternal uncle, Professor Theophil Spoerri, and took on the Spoerri surname, which he has retained throughout his life.
In Switzerland, Spoerri's artistic inclinations began to manifest. He pursued classical dance, studying with Olga Preobrajenska and becoming the lead dancer at the State Opera of Bern in 1954. His involvement in the performing arts extended to stage directing and set design for avant-garde plays, including works by Ionesco and Picasso. This period was also significant for Spoerri's encounters with Surrealist artists such as Jean Tinguely, Marcel Duchamp, and Man Ray, as well as figures associated with the Fluxus movement like Robert Filliou, Dieter Roth, and Emmett Williams.
In 1959, Spoerri's artistic journey took a decisive turn when he moved to Paris and founded Editions MAT (Multiplication d'Art Transformable), a venture that produced and sold multiples of three-dimensional constructed artworks by artists such as Duchamp, Roth, Tinguely, and Victor Vasarely. This initiative reflected Spoerri's interest in challenging the uniqueness of the art object and making art accessible to a broader audience.
The year 1960 marked a pivotal moment in Spoerri's career when he created his first "snare-pictures," assemblages that captured the remnants of meals, including plates, silverware, and glasses, fixed to a table or board and then displayed on a wall. These works encapsulated the artist's fascination with the accidental and the ephemeral, offering a snapshot of a moment in time that connected the realms of art and life.
Spoerri's involvement with the Nouveau Réalisme movement, which he co-founded with Yves Klein, Tinguely, Arman, and others, further solidified his position as an innovative force in the art world. The movement sought to re-explore everyday objects by diverting them from their primary function, often in a critical and unconventional spirit.
Throughout the 1960s and beyond, Spoerri continued to expand his artistic repertoire. He developed "Détrompe-l'œils," works inspired by surrealism, and "Word Snares," which humorously illustrated proverbs and expressions. His engagement with food as an artistic medium led him to declare himself the inventor of Eat Art, creating temporary restaurants and opening a real restaurant in Düsseldorf in 1968, where he offered "disguised meals."
In the early 1990s, Spoerri founded Il Giardino di Daniel Spoerri, a sculpture park in Tuscany, which today boasts a collection of 112 works by various artists. His own work has been the subject of major retrospectives, including shows at Paris's Centre Georges-Pompidou and the Tinguely Museum in Basel.
Daniel Spoerri's contributions to art are not limited to his visual creations. He is also a published author, with works such as "An Anecdoted Topography of Chance," which has become significant for object art. His eclectic personality and multidisciplinary approach have made him one of the last living original members of the Nouveau Réalisme movement, and his legacy continues to influence contemporary art.
Living in Seggiano, Tuscany, Spoerri remains an active figure in the art world, his work a testament to a career that has consistently blurred the boundaries between art and life, inviting viewers to reconsider the value and meaning of the objects that surround us every day.
Daniel Spoerri Quotes and
Sales of Works
Ponti Art Gallery selects and deals with paintings by the
artist. Upon request, we provide free estimates and
evaluations, communicate prices, quotations, and current
market values.
If you are interested in BUYING or SELLING works by the
artist, contact us immediately.
If you wish to sell or receive an evaluation of the
works:
Send us a frontal photo of the painting, one of the back,
and one of the signature. Also, indicate the dimensions of
the work. Inform us about the purchase origin of the work
and any kind of available documentation (purchase
receipts, certificates of authenticity, publications). One
of our operators will respond to you on the same day. We
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professionalism.
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