The art book is published for the exhibitions held at the Kunstmuseum in Winthertur (September 6th / November 23rd 2003) and at Barbara Gladstone Gallery in New York (January 24th / February 21th 2004): it’s a black and white and color collection of drawings made by Marisa Merz between 2001 and 2004.
“Forty-three images on white paper, not contained within outlines but mere indications of figures: fine, dark visions which seemed to collect on the surface only to disperse again – barely any lines, just a suggestion. […] The drawings concentrate on the features of a face: eyes and a mouth, reference points which seem less to belong to a person than to occupy the space – not with any regularity, but sporadically like an assembly congregating, a throng of beings settling here and there. […] Speed and energy shape these drawings, the gesture of the artist’s hand audaciously denies what has been before and forges ahead instead of sinking into the paper.” (Dieter Schwarz)
Marisa Merz was born in Turin and has participated in the creative activities that coalesced in the Arte povera group, showing at the Deposito d’Arte Presente in 1967 and in the group show Arte Povera + Azioni Povere, in Amalfi in 1968. In addition to having participated in some of the most important group shows in the last thirty years, Marisa Merz has also exhibited at many editions of the Venice Biennale, winning the Prize in 2001 edition.