38 - BEN. Manifesto of Total Art.

BEN. Manifesto of Total Art. First edition in book form, accompanied by an original silkscreen print signed and numbered by Ben. Paris, Edition Jannink—“L’art en écrit” collection, 1997. Narrow 8vo (125 x 205 mm), paperback, black cover with flaps printed in yellow and white, cardboard slipcase. 48 pages (unpaginated). Minimal scuffing at the top of the spine. First book-length edition of this manifesto, which first appeared in 1965 in *Tout*, No. 9: *Esthétique*, a confidential magazine self-published by the artist. Limited edition of 290 copies; this is No. 24. It is accompanied by an original silkscreen print in white felt-tip pen on a black background, signed and numbered in pencil by the artist (No. 24/275), with the publisher’s stamp and the handwritten date of March 12, 1997, on the reverse. Written in the spirit of the Fluxus movement, the Manifesto of Total Art is the foundational theoretical text by Ben Vautier (1935–2024), advocating for the absolute fusion of art and life. Pushing the boundaries of Duchamp’s ready-made, Ben asserts—with irony and provocation—that everything is art—a gesture, a word, an everyday object—and that the simple act of signing is enough to transform reality into a work of art. A must-have for any lover of contemporary art. A very fine copy.