Thomas Hirschhorn

Thomas Hirschhorn’s installation celebrates the life and thought of philosopher Simone Weil in the form of a spontaneous popular memorial.

Simone Weil (1909–1943) was a French activist, philosopher, and mystic, considered by some to be a saint for her selfless life and her untimely death. Her embrace of religion as a political radical who had worked in factories and fought in the Spanish Civil War seemed to herald a new kind of liberal theology—opening the doors to new forms of selflessness, solidarity, and love. Thomas Hirschhorn counts himself among Simone Weil’s admirers, though he only discovered her relatively recently. His works about her made over the last few years communicate the joy of finding out about her bit by bit.

Hirschhorn’s installation at Esperantoplatz takes the form of a spontaneous memorial, akin to the one that emerged in Paris after Lady Diana’s tragic death, for instance. It lends new meaning to one of Graz’s many pieces of public art—supposed to beautify social housing without too much symbolism. Hirschhorn’s work latches onto its lasting and universal qualities but recodes it as a focal point for the memory of Simone Weil, what she might mean to him, and what she might mean to others. In building his work, Hirschhorn engages with the local community, finding caretakers to keep the candles lit and the flowers up, weaving Simone Weil and her thought into Graz’s everyday life.

Bio
Thomas Hirschhorn (1957, Bern, Switzerland) is an artist famous for his installations, collages, and community projects. His installations and public works often use common everyday materials such as cardboard, foil, and duct tape, bringing together mind maps, found images, and drawings in complex arrangements. Committed to a non-exclusive relation to the public, Hirschhorn’s work often reaches out to audiences excluded from contemporary art. His work is shown in numerous museums, galleries, and exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale (1999 and 2015); Documenta 11 (2002); the 27th São Paulo Biennale (2006); 55th Carnegie International, Pittsburg (2008); the Swiss Pavilion at the 54th Venice Biennale (2011); La Triennale at Palais de Tokyo, Paris (2012); 9th Shanghai Biennale (2012); Manifesta 10, Saint Petersburg (2014); Atopolis, Mons (2015); South London Gallery (2015); Kunsthal Aarhus (2017); Fotogalleriet, Oslo (2017); The National Gallery of Kosovo (2018); and MoMA PS1, New York (2019). He lives in Paris.