Christian Boltanski “Animitas”

Christian-Liberté Boltanski was born on September 6, 1944. During the Second World War his Jewish father was hiding and lived under the floor of their flat. The Ninth Fort, where 30,000 European Jews were executed, is connected to the artist’s family trauma. Boltanski's Animitas (Kaunas) consists of several hundred Japanese bells attached to metal rods so that they reflect the constellation of the night sky on the artist's birthday. When the bells move, they produce a sound, which, according to the author, may be compared to the “music of souls.” The work is named after roadside shrines, commemorating the relatives that have passed away. With this work, Boltanski expresses a desire to unite heaven and earth. He invites us to remember all the people who have been lost.

Curator: Josée Drouin-Brisebois
The artwork is a legacy of the project “Kaunas 2022 – European Capital of Culture”