BOOK: Quand Les Faibles Se Prennent Pour Des Forts, Éditions Macula

Between 2014 and 2019, Thomas Hirschhorn corresponded with philosophers Alexandre Costanzo and Daniel Costanzo. During this period, as he created several emblematic projects—most notably the “Flamme Éternelle” exhibition at the Palais de Tokyo in 2014 and the “Robert Walser Sculpture”, inaugurated in Biel in 2019—these exchanges provided the Swiss artist with an opportunity to refine his working methods, reassess his ambitions in light of a piece’s realization, and clarify what he himself calls his “plans.” Throughout the correspondence, Hirschhorn’s unique way of structuring political, aesthetic, and social thought emerges, blending collective artistic experiments with theoretical readings. The discussions consistently frame art as a form of “combat,” emphasize the necessity of creating works that adhere to the principle of “non-satisfaction,” and stress the importance of remaining “positive in the face of the hard core of reality”. The book “Quand les faibles se prennent pour des forts” by Éditions Macula, is introduced by an essay by Alexandre Costanzo and Daniel Costanzo, who isolate, reorganize, and define the theoretical terms, methods, and aesthetic strategies at play in Thomas Hirschhorn’s work. It is accompanied by a richly illustrated section.-Efi Michalarou