150 / 187
| 106
PostWar & Contemporary
3453 DANIEL SPOERRI(Galati/Romania 1930 - lives and works in
Vienna)
Die Spieler. 1985.
Bronze. Sculpture composed of 7 figures
and a ball.
Each with the incised signature: Daniel
Spoerri, as well as with the incised number:
3/8.
Height ca. 150 cm each.
We thank the artist and Mrs. Barbara Rä-
derscheidt for the confirmation and for the
kind support.
Provenance: Private collection Switzerland.
Literature: Violand-Hobi, Heidi E.: Daniel
Speorri. Biographie und Werk, Munich
1998, p. 120.
“I never wish for anything – I let things
happen” – Daniel Spoerri’s curiosity about
life drove him constantly in the search for
renewal, and not only within art. This ten-
dency may have come from the fact that
he describes himself as stateless.
Daniel Spoerri was born in Rumania. His
father, a Rumanian, lost his life in 1941
under the National Socialists, whereupon
his mother fled with her son to Switzer-
land, which was her native country. There
Daniel Spoerri studied commerce and
some years later studied at the performing
arts school in Zurich, where he obtained a
grant to study ballet in Paris. In Bern he was
subsequently appointed principal dancer
at the state theatre. In 1956 he took over
the production of an avant-garde piece by
Picasso. From then onwards, Daniel Spoer-
ri was surrounded by numerous artists,
directors and writers. In 1959 he moved
to Paris, where he became cosignatory
of the “Nouveau Réalisme“ manifesto,
and developed his trademark work: the
“Tableaux piège” (snare-picture) which
he was to develop over the next 50 years
in various forms. His “Tableaux piège” are
characterised by an assemblage of eve-
ryday objects such as plates, cutlery and
glassware, which has come about through
“chance with deeper meaning”. This is a
play on reality, in which he seeks to avoid a
reproducible configuration, otherwise the
tension would be lost if repeated. On the
other hand, a work remains alive, provided
that the mystery is predominant.
In Tuscany, near Monte Amiata, the
famous sculpture garden “Il Giardino di
Daniel Spoerri” was opened in 1997. Over
an area of 14 hectares Daniel Spoerri
has exhibited his art works, as well as a
collection from his close artist friends.
In the last 20 years his sculpture garden
has grown rapidly, with approximately 100
installations by 55 different artists, which
can be found in this paradisiacal landscape
amongst olive trees, cypresses and open
meadows.
Above a hill, an edition of “Die Spieler”
is erected, of which we are offering at
auction the complete third set from an
edition of 8: the seven sculptures, which
also function as autonomous works, each
stand on a circular lower body support,
with the head parts personified using
simple means. Together they appear
as “circus performers”, who apparently
without much success are fighting over
a ball, the “globe”. Daniel Spoerri has
identified the participants of this game as
follows: the priest, recognisable through
his head gear in the form of a Catholic
priest; the prey, held by a long pincers; the
dandy, who bows elegantly holding out
his hand in greeting; the lady scratching
herself, with the bent claw, as if she wishes
to scratch herself; the writer, recognisable
presumably by the sword of sharp words;
the horseman, wearing an ornamented
helmet; and the SS-officer, wearing an SS
cap and armed with an axe.
CHF 60 000 / 120 000
(€ 55 560 / 111 110)