Artist 26: Francis Alÿs

 Francis Alÿs is Belgian performance artist and painter. Unlike many of the other artists covered within this blog, Alÿs's work is fundamentally concerned with concept rather than the physical product of his labors. In this regard, many of his works are intended to elicit reactions from the public--which is usually where his performances take place. Another characteristic of his works is movement; it is typical for him to perform while on the move in an urban area.

My favorite of his performances is "Sometimes Making Something Leads to Nothing."  In it, he pushed a large block of ice through Mexico city until it melted away to nothingness. Onlookers watched as he toiled at an ultimately pointless endeavor. Interestingly, this act mirrors the myth of Sisyphus, an ancient greek figure championed by Albert Camus as the everyman's hero. According to the myth, Sisyphus was doomed by the Olympian gods to push a rock up and down a mountain for all eternity. Alÿs faithfully recreated this myth for public in the streets of mexico city by pushing that block of ice. Interestingly, the street-dwellers were allowed to see it in-context so as to reflect upon their own more-or-less pointless toils. Overall, his concepts and execution are certainly admirable.


His website may be found here.