L'Ecole de la Grosse Hamburger Straßen 1938, 1991
Art by Christian Boltanski

Christian Boltanski relies on the photograph's deceptive capacity to authenticate the existence of a thing, person or event. The artificially aged tin biscuit box in this piece also suggests—along with a prewar snapshot of German schoolgirls—an archeological find. A group photograph has been marked by hand, enlarged, and shrouded with white cloth. Each tin in the edition contains a different photograph. "Everything," Boltanski has said, "possesses the power to connote. The more commonplace the object, the more profound its allusions can be."

Courtesy of the artist and Marian Goodman Gallery, New York.

Edition of 40, signed & numbered
New Museum Limited Edition; 1991; 8" x 9" x 2"; tin box and photographs, each unique.