Mounir Fatmi

Ibos, Le Parvis, Comprendra bien qui Comprendra le Dernier, 2004
Oslo, Stenersen Museum, Meeting Point, 2005
New York, The Metropolitan Pavilion, LA Art in New York, 2007, another example exhibited
Selestat, FRAC Alsace, Fuck Architect: Chapter III, 2009
Moscow, Moscow Museum of Modern Art, Res Publica, 2010

Condition: This work is in very good condition. Few books have minor signs of wear. Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are accurate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

There is more to Mounir Fatmi's Save Manhattan 01 than meets the eye - both literally and metaphorically. At first, we would appear to be looking at a relatively minimalist and random collection of books. What is less apparent, however, is the light that shines on these objects and the shadow it casts. Looking more closely we see the shadow of the pre-9/11 New York skyline, complete with the towers of the World Trade Center. The effect is both nostalgic and, as always with nostalgia, beguilingly alluring in its reconstitution of a pre-traumatic moment in recent world history.

The shadow of the World Trade Center still falls upon our current political context, its absence an uncanny presence in the globalised uncertainties that mark current affairs. In this context, Fatmi's Save Manhattan 01 becomes both a poignant eulogy to the now-absent World Trade Center towers and that most iconic signifier of glamorousness: the New York skyline. It would seem that Fatmi is looking to the past - in all its imminent contemporary presence - for answers to our current international quandaries. And in this context, Save Manhattan 01 is a timely incitement for us to begin a process of rebuilding and rejuvenation, both on a political and cultural level.