UCCA, in collaboration with Institut Français, invites French writer Serge Bramly to give a lecture on Duchamp’s life.

Marcel Duchamp strove to keep his actions and engagements to an minimum. His finest work, it may be said, is his schedule: an empty diary marked only by chance encounters. His absence, his silence, his reclusive lifestyle mean that for succeeding generations, every word and work of his that remain is extremely important. But what have we taken on from his philosophy? As we pull apart and analyze his work, are we not missing the point?

Duchamp made efforts to avoid becoming a public figure. His most impressive work could perhaps be his social calendar--which could be imagined as a an empty notebook. He rarely went out and spoke little, but his "blank diary" would have a profound effect on future generations of artists. What can be learned from this? Are we missing something?

Note:

FREE, ticket required. See Ticketing & Participation*.

Serge Bramly is a French writer born in Tunis (Tunisia), in 1949. As a novelist, he won many book prizes for his intriguing stories that turn on themes of mystification, lies, and illusions. He has written several essays on art and photography. His biography of Leonardo da Vinci is a worldwide bestseller and has been translated into over twenty languages. Rose, c’est Paris, a tribute to Marcel Duchamp, is his first feature film. It was presented in Hong Kong in May 2011, during the French May Festival. Bramly’s last novel, Orchidée Fixe (2012) is based on the trip Marcel Duchamp made to Casabalanca during World War II, when fleeing occupied France.