Ben Vautier

(French, born 1935)

Ben Vautier is a French artist known for his text-based paintings, such as L'art est inutile. Rentrez chez vous (Art is Useless. Go Home) (1971). Vautier’s Fluxus works circled around defining art as a practice that unifies life, objects, and philosophy. “What is culture? Culture is a fairytale that we have created. It can be manipulative,” he has explained. “The purpose of culture is to amuse poor people and rich people alike.” Born Benjamin Vautier on July 18, 1935 in Naples, Italy, he moved with his mother to the South of France in 1949. In 1958, Vautier left his job at a book store and opened a stationary and record store. He ran Laboratory 32 (Le Magasin), from 1958 to 1973, creating a salon-like meeting place for people to discuss new ideas. During this time, Vautier met Yves Klein, John Cage, and George Macunias, becoming involved in the early stages of the Fluxus art movement. The artist continued producing work surrounding everyday life over the following decades, while also working as an advocate for minority rights in France. He continues to live and work in Nice, France. Today, Vautier’s works are held in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, the Centre George Pompidou in Paris, and the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, among others.

Ben Vautier Artworks

Artworks for Sale &
Auction Results

Ben Vautier (2,282 results)
Malle à bijoux Louis Vuitton, 1989

Arman, Ben Vautier, and Cesar

Malle à bijoux Louis Vuitton, 1989

Sale Date: January 20, 2019

Auction Closed

JE CRACHE DU FRIC JE M’APPELLE ART ET..., 1983

Ben Vautier

JE CRACHE DU FRIC JE M’APPELLE ART ET..., 1983

Sale Date: January 24, 2019

Auction Closed

PHOTAU AVEC FAUTE AU O, 1997

Ben Vautier

PHOTAU AVEC FAUTE AU O, 1997

Sale Date: January 24, 2019

Auction Closed

RAMASSEZ N'IMPORTE QUOI (BEN AND A. VILLERS), 1998

Ben Vautier

RAMASSEZ N'IMPORTE QUOI (BEN AND A. VILLERS), 1998

Sale Date: January 24, 2019

Auction Closed

SNOW IS EXCEPTIONAL IN NICE, 1997

Ben Vautier

SNOW IS EXCEPTIONAL IN NICE, 1997

Sale Date: January 24, 2019

Auction Closed

UNE PHOTO QUI SE REGARDE, 1997

Ben Vautier

UNE PHOTO QUI SE REGARDE, 1997

Sale Date: January 24, 2019

Auction Closed

Tête d'homme, 1991

Ben Vautier

Tête d'homme, 1991

Sale Date: January 14, 2019

Auction Closed

Ohne Titel (PROJECT: NOT TO EAT FOR 8 DAYS..., 1976

Ben Vautier

Ohne Titel (PROJECT: NOT TO EAT FOR 8 DAYS..., 1976

Sale Date: December 5, 2018

Auction Closed

Attention place pour la hache de guerre, 1989

Ben Vautier

Attention place pour la hache de guerre, 1989

Sale Date: December 6, 2018

Auction Closed

D'OÙ VIENT LA LUMIÈRE

Ben Vautier

D'OÙ VIENT LA LUMIÈRE

Sale Date: December 4, 2018

Auction Closed

A REGARDER, 1992

Ben Vautier

A REGARDER, 1992

Sale Date: December 4, 2018

Auction Closed

WHY LOOK, 1981

Ben Vautier

WHY LOOK, 1981

Sale Date: December 6, 2018

Auction Closed

„Art is only a question of signature and date“, 1972

Ben Vautier

„Art is only a question of signature and date“, 1972

Sale Date: December 1, 2018

Auction Closed

MOUSTACHE, 1980

Ben Vautier

MOUSTACHE, 1980

Sale Date: December 4, 2018

Auction Closed

Alles ist Schön, 1970

Ben Vautier

Alles ist Schön, 1970

Sale Date: December 5, 2018

Auction Closed

A quoi penser vous, 2007

Ben Vautier

A quoi penser vous, 2007

Sale Date: November 20, 2018

Auction Closed

Avancer à reculons, 2010

Ben Vautier

Avancer à reculons, 2010

Sale Date: November 20, 2018

Auction Closed

OISEAU DIT L’AMATRICE D’ART QUI PART EN..., 1987

Ben Vautier

OISEAU DIT L’AMATRICE D’ART QUI PART EN..., 1987

Sale Date: November 27, 2018

Auction Closed

À LA RECHERCHE DU TEMPS PERDU, 1986

Ben Vautier

À LA RECHERCHE DU TEMPS PERDU, 1986

Sale Date: November 27, 2018

Auction Closed

JE CRACHE DU FRIC JE M’APPELLE ART ET..., 1983

Ben Vautier

JE CRACHE DU FRIC JE M’APPELLE ART ET..., 1983

Sale Date: November 27, 2018

Auction Closed

Times are (not) changing, 2014

Ben Vautier

Times are (not) changing, 2014

Sale Date: November 19, 2018

Auction Closed

„I was jealous of Beuys“, 1986

Ben Vautier

„I was jealous of Beuys“, 1986

Sale Date: November 30, 2018

Auction Closed

L'Amour c'est de la Tendresse (Love is..., 2002

Ben Vautier

L'Amour c'est de la Tendresse (Love is..., 2002

Sale Date: November 27, 2018

Auction Closed

PORTRAIT DE LA JOCONDE PAR BEN, 1988

Ben Vautier

PORTRAIT DE LA JOCONDE PAR BEN, 1988

Sale Date: October 23, 2018

Auction Closed

English (US)

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