Robert Filliou 1926-1987

Seminal French fluxus artist Robert Filliou is one of the most radical French artists of the second half of the twentieth century, who opened up endless possibilities in the medium of sculpture through his performative approach and use of chance and play. Filliou challenged the role of art in everyday life and its status as a finished product.

Filliou’s collection of humorous assemblages, drawings, and sculptures led to the foundation of his first gallery in 1961, which existed in the form of a hat in which he would place small artworks so that he could travel with both the space, and the works themselves. 

 

His participation, with this work, in the 1962 London Festival of Misfits introduced him to a wide circle of Fluxus artists and festivals that he soon became a part of. His later video works and text-based works from the 1970s and 1980s show a progression towards relational aesthetics, requiring the audience as both author and participant. Long-term collaborations with George Brecht, with whom he founded the shop La Cedille Qui Sourit (aka Centre of Permanent Creation), Daniel Spoerri, and Emmett Williams cemented his standing as a member of the Fluxus group. He would remain a prominent member for the rest of his career.

 

Important solo exhibitions include Robert Filliou: The Secret of Permanent Creation, Museum van Hedendaagse Kunst, Antwerp (2016) and Robert Filliou: The Institute of Endless Possibilities, Henry Moore Foundation, Leeds (2013). His work is included in private and public collections worldwide.