The Museum That Did Not Exist

Since the late 1960s Daniel Buren has been challenging the traditional methods of presenting art through museums and galleries. Through his conceptual works Buren audaciously argues that the art and its viewing environment are both inextricable and antithetical. This beautiful volume takes readers on a tour of a spectacular exhibition at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. The photographs depict Buren's employment of the museum as a whole; not only did he transform an entire floor, but also let his art spill out into the museum's cafe, terraces, roofs, and walkways. The pieces, which he destroyed immediately after the exhibition closed, included hundreds of open cubes, mirrors, banners, and even a car park. Also featured are fascinating, behind-the-scenes accounts of the installation by the curator, Buren's own pre-exhibition sketches, ideas, and floor plans, and perceptive essays that capture the significance of Buren's daring achievement.