Robert Filliou (January 1926 – December 1987)
“Art is what makes life more interesting than art”
– Robert Filliou
Robert Filliou was a French artist associated with Fluxus; he was a filmmaker, ‘action poet’, sculptor and happenings maestro.
Following the Second World War during which he participated in the Resistance and was a member of the Communist Party, Filliou emigrated from France to the US in 1946 where he worked for the Coca-Cola Company until 1948.
In 1949, he studied economics in Los Angeles and then moved to South Korea in 1951 where he worked for the UN reconstruction agency for Korea. In 1954, Filliou moved to Egypt and then lived in Spain between 1955-1957. In 1959, after a period in Denmark where he met his wife, Marianne Staffels, Filliou finally returned to France.
According to a biography on the Conz Archive:
“in his actions, exhibitions and works, [Filliou] repeatedly designed opposing worlds, categorically challenged rational logic and knowledge and emphasized the autonomy of individuals.”
Links:
Biographies:
Biography (German): http://forschung-kuenstlerpublikationen.de/Robert-Filliou.html
Biography: https://www.madrenapoli.it/en/collection/robert-filliou/
Biography & visual exhibits: https://ocula.com/artists/robert-filliou/
Conz Archive biography: http://archivioconz.com/artist/robert-filliou/
Biography & visual exhibits: https://hundertmarkartfair.com/collections/filliou-robert
Biography & literature links: https://mailartists.wordpress.com/2011/12/11/robert-filliou/
Biography: https://metropolis.free-jazz.net/robert-filliou-art-is-what-makes-life-more-interesting-than-art/artist-portraits/70/
Works:
MoMA profile & 43 works online: https://www.moma.org/artists/1873
Artsy biography & notable works: https://www.artsy.net/artist/robert-filliou
Greetings From ‘L’, We Are All Green (1977): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMGiDnPRnBg&ab_channel=Celestialrailroad
Works from Barbara Wien Gallery, Berlin: https://www.barbarawien.de/artist.php?artist=12
Visual works on Artnet: http://www.artnet.com/artists/robert-filliou/
Visual works: http://www.hundertmark-gallery.com/artist-robert-filliou.0.html
Permanent Creation – Tool Shed (1987) & explanation: https://www.skulptur-projekte-archiv.de/en-us/1987/projects/151/
And So On, End So Soon: Done 3 times (1977): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxckexTBEPk&ab_channel=KindredKristina
Visual exhibits: https://www.van-ham.com/de/kuenstler/robert-filliou.html
Visual exhibits: https://harvardartmuseums.org/collections/person/18050?person=18050
Whispered History of Art: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eApqLeu0pi8&ab_channel=hansenradiosatelite
Visual exhibits: https://www.contemporaryartdaily.com/project/robert-filliou-at-noguerasblanchard-madrid-12102
This Flag Is Meant to Straddle National Borders (1997): https://archive.transmediale.de/content/this-flag-is-meant-to-straddle-national-borders
Hand Show (1967): https://www.kettererkunst.de/kunst/kd/details.php?obnr=420000308&anummer=499&detail=1
Articles/Essays:
‘Life as Art, or Art as Life: Robert Filliou and the Eternal Network’ essay: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Robert-Filliou-Stamp-of-the-Principle-of-Equivalence-c1968-ss-Copyright-the-Estate_fig1_327892893; Summary of the essay: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0263276418796563?journalCode=tcsa
References to Filliou in press: http://theartistsinstitute.org/archives/robert-filliou/
‘La cédille qui ne finit pas: Robert Filliou, George Brecht, and Fluxus in Villefranche’ article for download: https://www.jstor.org/stable/41413136
Video resources:
Profile of Filliou –‘Robert Filliou – The secret of permanent creation’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LVRNurZa7w&ab_channel=ARTtube
Video clip taken from ‘Porta Filliou’ (1977), the videotape produced by Filliou, Clive Robertson and Marcella Bienvenue for ARTONS VIDEO, Calgary, Canada: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BgOfsG7J0Q&ab_channel=CliveRobertson
Exhibitions:
‘Robert Filliou: The Secret of Permanent Creation’ exhibition & biography: https://www.e-flux.com/announcements/9793/robert-filliouthe-secret-of-permanent-creation/; accompanying book: https://www.moussemagazine.it/shop/robert-filliou-the-secret-of-permanent-creation/
Exhibition & biography: https://artviewer.org/robert-filliou-at-m-hka/
Dear Skywatcher exhibition 2019-2020: https://wsimag.com/art/59892-robert-filliou
Further resources:
Robert Filliou: Genie ohne Talent: https://www.hatjecantz.de/robert-filliou-1262-0.html
Robert Filliou et sa recherche (‘Robert Filliou and his Research’): https://inter-lelieu.org/produits/robert-filiou-et-sa-recherche/
Robert Filliou: Touch The Sky film, a living portrait of the artist: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10873526/