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Newspaper Jan Mot Afgiftekantoor 1000 Brussel 1 Verschijnt vijfmaal per jaar in V.U. Jan Mot januari – maart – mei – Antoine Dansaertstraat 190 augustus – oktober 1000 Brussel No. 88, augustus 2013 Erkenningsnummer P309573 141 –143 Jaargang 17 No. 88 Hhe Stuff That Matters’ public for the first time. It also of the time after he left the (2012) presented a selection provided an insight into what art world. The exhibition of Seth’s collection to the Seth had been up to for some was, I think, a • Manon de Boer’s filmone, two, many is composed of three parts. In the last part four singers (Marianne Pousseur, Lucy Grauman, Vincent Bouchot, Paul Alexandre Dubois) perform a song from the Tre Canti Popolari by Giacinto Scelsi. This most recent work by De Boer was produced for Documenta 13 and explores in each part the existential space of the voice. (film still) (advertisement) The culmination of th’s activities in thorship has also been recognized; see for the art world would be the artist’s contract instance, the Visual Artists Rights Act 1990 (1971), intended to be a ‘self-help docu- (US). The contract, however, was also deep- ment’ for artists. The contract came out of ly impractical. Founded on the premise that research into the inequalities of the art sys- the collector of the artwork when selling it tem and the question of how artists could would have to find another collector to ratify 141 better protect their rights. Before drafting the same agreement was never going to be Opening Exhibition it, Seth interviewed hundreds of artists an attractive proposition. Unsurprisingly, 6/9, 14-20h 7/9-26/10 and galleries to canvas their views. From the contract was only adopted by a few art- this he drew two main conclusions which ists, most notably by the uncompromising he framed in the contract: first, that artists Hans Haacke. needed a mechanism whereby they could From the early 1980s onwards, Seth MANON DE BOER benefit from the re-sale of their work and would begin amassing his collection of tex- second, that they needed to control the ex- tiles. This is a remarkable collection –large- hibition of their works even after ownership ly of fragments -consisting of textiles from had been transferred. different cultures/periods (from ancient ONE, TWO, MANY The artist’s contract was prophetic. The Peruvian rugs to 18th century French em- artist’s resale right has now been adopted broidered cloth) that Seth had been able to Jan Mot in the laws of many countries, includ- acquire gradually on modest means. To be- Rue Antoine Dansaertstraat 190 ing throughout the European Community gin with, Seth, the incorrigible bibliophile, 1000 Brussels, Belgium whilst the protection of artists’ rights of au- bought books on textile 2 Newspaper Jan Mot In Memoriam 141 – 143 3 Newspaper Jan Mot Siegelaub 141 – 143 Seth Siegelaub: The People Who Matter By centricity was reflected in his dress sense, well as Barry, Huebler, Kosuth and Weiner. Daniel McClean in particular in his penchant for colourful The Xerox Book had been inspired by the Hawaiian style shirts and loud trainers. He idea that the exhibition could be cheaply LONDON, AUG 12 - I first met Seth in could have stepped off a greyhound bus multiplied through photo-copying and 2008 at the Berlin Biennale where we both somewhere in the US and indeed, Seth and would be sponsored by Xerox. Sadly, this participated with the artist, Maria Eichhorn Marja always insisted on travelling by bus did not happen and the book only came to in an event dedicated to his legendary con- whenever possible. be produced in a limited form on a regular tract and manifesto of artists’ rights, ‘the I soon discovered that I had many affini- printing press. Artist’s Reserved Rights Transfer And Sale ties with Seth (I am an art lawyer and cura- The exhibitions also include, ‘One Agreement‘ (1971) also known as the art- tor), in particular we shared a preoccupation Month’ (March 1969) in which the time of ist’s contract. with conceptual art and with authorship in the exhibition was mapped onto its organi- During the relatively short time that I its widest sense, including its cultural and zational structure – with a different day be- knew Seth we became close friends. We legal articulations. It was probably no ac- ing assigned to each of the thirty-one artists skyped and met regularly. We spoke to- cident that we came to meet through the who participated in the exhibition through- gether at events (Tate, Art Basel) usually de- artist’s contract. Seth proposed within a few out the month of March 1969. As with the voted to discussing the artists’ contract and months of our meeting that we should work Xerox Book, the exhibition existed again its legacy. I often stayed with him and his together on various art law projects, includ- through its publication. long-term partner, Marja Bloem (a curator) ing for the Egress Foundation website. Seth, however, was modest about these in their magical apartment in Amsterdam – Over the next few years, our intimacy exhibitions, acknowledging that they were a tiny attic apartment crammed with tribal grew. As well as becoming an important born out of their radical artistic and political artifacts and village textiles and one solitary friend along with Marja, I found Seth context. He was also disarmingly practical. artwork (belonging to Marja) a small white hugely inspiring. Seth was intuitively bril- I remember when he was once asked during letter painting by Boetti. liant. He always had a way of breaking ideas one of our talks what had led him to organ- When Seth died unexpectedly of a heart down and keeping them simple. It was not ize the ‘Xerox Book’, he answered simply • Robert Barry, Seth Siegelaub at the Julian Pretto Gallery, New York City, 1976, listening to Barry’s sound piece Portrait. attack in Basel earlier this summer, we were simply his history that was important; he that it was because it was cheaper to make collaborating on the art law section of his was an invaluable sounding board when dis- an exhibition this way. Egress Foundation website - a website under cussing exhibition projects. Economy was always at the heart of The culmination of Seth’s activities in most notably by the uncompromising Hans Seth was also attracted to textiles for construction consisting of different projects Looking back at Seth’s life it is extraordi- Seth’s projects which were produced on the art world would be the artist’s contract Haacke. other reasons. He liked the way in which relating to Seth, including his involvement nary to think of the number of incarnations a shoestring budget. The wonderful thing (1971), intended to be a ‘self-help docu- From the early 1980s onwards, Seth textiles were produced collectively (des- in conceptual art, the history of textiles and that it encompasses: dealer, curator and pro- about conceptual art was that it didn’t re- ment’ for artists. The contract came out of would begin amassing his collection of tex- ignated through guilds or factories) and art law. As well as being an online archive, moter of conceptual art, publisher, archivist, quire vast production costs: the work could research into the inequalities of the art sys- tiles. This is a remarkable collection –large- anonymously – we are rarely aware of the the website was intended to map his poly- historian and collector of textiles. be produced and, importantly, reproduced tem and the question of how artists could ly of fragments -consisting of textiles from individual authors of textiles in the way that math activities. Seth’s projects as a dealer and exhibi- on paper or on walls: words typed and in better protect their rights. Before drafting different cultures/periods (from ancient we are aware of authors of artworks. Though Shortly before I met Seth, I had read tion organizer (when he was only in his some instances drawn. Often the advertising it, Seth interviewed hundreds of artists Peruvian rugs to 18th century French em- I did not consider it when Seth was alive, I Alexander Alberro’s book, ‘Conceptual Art early twenties) are well-known. At his gal- of the artwork (in magazines such as Artfo- and galleries to canvas their views. From broidered cloth) that Seth had been able to now see his collection of textiles as comple- and the Politics of Publicity’ (a book which lery, Seth Siegelaub Contemporary Art rum) or its publicity (on posters that Seth this he drew two main conclusions which acquire gradually on modest means. To be- menting his earlier exhibitions/publications Seth liked) devoted to his pioneering activi- (1964-1966)(New York) he pioneered the would lovingly help to design) was more he framed in the contract: first, that artists gin with, Seth, the incorrigible bibliophile, of conceptual art: if the latter explored the ties as a dealer and curator of conceptual art exhibition of a new art that was based not expensive than the production of the work needed a mechanism whereby they could bought books on textiles (providing the il- ‘dematerialisation’ of the artwork then his in New York during the 1960s and early on objects, but rather on ideas or ‘primary itself. benefit from the re-sale of their work and lusion as he said that he could own the con- textile collection took this process a step 1970s. In particular, the book focuses on information’ as he called it as well as on In 1971, Seth abruptly withdrew from the second, that they needed to control the ex- tents of the books themselves), but this was further, revealing the disappearance of the Seth’s involvement with his ‘fab four’ art- radical notions of art’s communication and art world to pursue other activities, in par- hibition of their works even after ownership soon supplemented by collecting textiles.

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