Christian Boltanski, 8-page offset multiple. Paris, 2002. Le point d'ironie N° 26, June 2002. Published by agnès b. Edited by Hans-Ulrich Obrist. 43 x 30,5 cm.
The journal is the second of three produced by Boltanski for Le point d'ironie. It is part of a series in association with Documenta 11. Le point d'ironie is a journal published in large editions containing as little text as possible, rather images, and about which Boltanski said it 'could be both a newspaper and a folded poster.' Because of its ephemeral nature, it most of the time ends up in the trash can.
The images are blown-up photographic fragments of a couple dancing. 'Their image reveals itself little by little, but it tells us nothing about their destiny. To make the image, you must take two copies of the newspaper.
Boltanski in an interview with Hans-Ulrich Obrist about his second issue of Le point d'ironie being more abstract than his first:
'The second comes from an image from a documentary I saw on television that touched me. Two young people dancing. But apart from that, what interested me is that she is like a key in a secret message. You have to find the message. When you look at the cover of the newspaper, it's quite pretty, but it's like a Chinese painting or a somewhat refined abstract painting. When you take two of them and look at them from a distance, you see an image. It's the coded, secret message that was important to me.'
First edition, first printing. A fine copy. A few minor scuffs on the fold.