BeBoz (english)

Julien Friedler’s installation, "l’Envol" (The Soaring), in the "BeBOZ : Rund Um Boz In 80 Jahren" exhibition (in the Heilig Kreuz Church, Munich), the first art show dedicated to Julien Friedler’s "Around the Boz in 80 Years" art project and the first part of the BeBoz Trilogy in Munich.

The "L’envol" installation and the panel presenting the 6 questions of the project, in the choir of the churchet le panneau présentant les 6 questions du projet, dans le choeur de l’église

The music of the "Forest of Souls" was composed by Cornelia Faist, for this exhibition,  (in the Heilig Kreuz Church,  Munich). It expresses the scope and the human dimension of Julien Friedler’s "Around the Boz in 80 Years" project.

D-Mode, a fashion magazine from Argentina features a interview of Carmen, who is in charge of the "Around The Boz In 80 Days" project in South America.

 "A restless student, currently completing Bachelor degrees in both History of Art and French at Columbia University in New York, Carmen Ferreyra is spending her summer months bringing "Around the Boz in 80 Years" to South America. An offspring of the artist’s previous work, Be Art,  Julien Friedler’s "Around the Boz In 80 Years" focuses on a simple questionnaire. Since the opening "NIght of Boz" event in Brussels on December 2, 2006, the piece has rapidly propagated throughout the world. Over 7,000 questionnaires have been recollected from different cities in Israel, China, Belgium, Rwanda, France, the United States, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. It’s art for the masses, created by the masses - simple and accessible to everyone.

How did you come to work with Julien Friedler ?
Through Columbia. Universities in the US are an indisputable source for job-seekers.

What is this piece about ?
It’s based on a questionnaire, which may seem simple at first sight but is made up of existential questions, that many of us prefer to avoid. For example, "are you happy ?" Not everyone dares to answers such a question.

What is your role in this piece ?
Basically, to reproduce it in this part of the world. I create different work teams across various cities, and they go out and talk about the piece to other people, as well as hand out and collect the questionnaires.

What sort of methodology do these teams use ?
This group of students and young professionals move through different cultural centers and public spaces, inviting people to envision a forest inspired by the fantasies of an artist.

Where is this piece currently taking place ?
Everywhere in the world : China, Israel, USA, France, Rwanda, Belgium… and now South America, which I’m in charge of.

Which cities have you visited for this project ?
Beginning in March, when I officially began my travels, I’ve created work teams in Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Rosario, Lonco hué (Neuquén province), Gualequaychu, Santiago de Chile, and Montevideo.

What will you do with all the questionnaires ?
They will go from vulnerable pieces of paper to indestructible metal structures. For every 500 questionnaires, we will fill a metal box, and all these boxes will form a "Forest of Souls" in Monaco, at the Friedler Foundation for Contemporary Art.

Who is this questionnaire targeted towards ?
Everyone, absolutely everyone- regardless of credo, age, or background - is invited to participate in the creation and nurturing of this forest.

What upcoming events does Julien Friedler have in mind ?
Well… there will be quite a few, considering that this piece will be active thoughout 80 years! For now, we have ‘In Quest" on August 4 in Ostend, Belgium, followed by "La Demoiselle d’Avignon Revisited" in New York, starting in November 16 at the Francis Naumann Gallery. We are also planning an event in Buenos Aires, so there should be a Night of Boz event in BA territory very soon."

Montevideo, Uruguay

After  Rwanda and Argentina, the "Around The Boz In 80 Years" project stopped in China, in Uruguay and in Chile. Check all details and pictures in the "Forest of Souls" section.

Shanghai, China

When she left for Rwanda, taking with her about 400 pieces of Julien Friedler’s "Around the Boz In 80 Years" questionnaires, Agnès didn’t expected she would come back with so many vivid emotions and images. This trip was nearly unintentionally coinciding with the commemoration of the 1994 genocide. Her first stop was the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre, where she went and meditated.

Part 1 - The KIgali Genocide Memorial Center

Then, she met with some street children in Kigali. Orphans  or abandoned boys, who live in the street and sleep in a waste ground, under adults’ disregard. Taking with her paper and pencils, she offered them to draw. They drawed houses and hearts, expressing their dreams of love and homes, telling their need for care and respect. These drawings have been collected for the "Celestial Tramp" project.

Part 2 - Meeting Street Children

Part 3 - Where Street Children sleep

The last stop of Agnes’ trip was a conference she gave at the Université adventiste d’Afrique centrale. In front of a 400 people audience, she presented the "Around The Boz In 80 Years" project and its questionnaire.

Part 4 - The Questionnaire

The Argentina "Boz Girls", who already collected a lot of  "Around The Boz In 80 Years" questionnaires.  More informations very soon.

BE ART can be defined as an endeavor to transcend art field so as to project it in the social field.

Unlike POP ART, which brought popular icons into a privileged circle, Be Art will intend to reach people to transform them in artist’s avatars. Here, people will thus produce works, through the individuals who compose it. So, you’ll only need to be part of it to become one; following this axiom : in everyone sleeps an artist.

In this intent, different strategies will be used :

A profit making company designed in its whole as an esthetic performance (Boz Company).

Nights of Boz, displayed through three years.

The first one took place in Brussels, on December 2nd 2006. Electronic music, laser projections, light inscriptions on the dancers : this night was essentially the starting point of another adventure : “Around the Boz in 80 Years” (see later).

Simultaneously, three works will have been started. They will be conceived as an art for the masses, created by the masses, on the basis of a minimal support.

1 “Around The Boz In 80 Years” will be centered around a simple questionnaire. Having started on December 2nd 2006 with the diffusion of the above mentioned questionnaire, the work will end on December 2nd 2086. So it’s a Vanity, in the classic sense, which will be perpetuated by a “Forest of Souls”.

2 “Give Up” will be built from an usual object given by anyone. Based on free association and the “transitional object” concept, this work will work around a collective imagination. Conceived for a period of 10 years, its ultimate meaning will be something of a chimera.

3 “The Celestial Tramp” will collect sketches, sometimes very minimal (a line, some points aligned, the uneasy drawning of a curve,…). This work will be conceived as ascetism dedicated to despair. Confronting it, one will discover the intimate coherence of the world we try to invent.

Its focal point will always be the same : to produce a supplement of soul where pain only rules.