Alys, Francis | Untitled (documenta 13), 2012 — available on Composition Gallery

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Housed inside a cardboard portfolio. Hand-signed and numbered recto.

Francis Alÿs’ Untitled (documenta 13) (2012) is a color photograph produced for documenta 13, the major contemporary art exhibition in Kassel. The image presents an intimate close-up of a nursing animal, focusing on texture, proximity, and bodily connection rather than narrative context. Cropped tightly, the composition transforms a familiar natural scene into an almost abstract study of warmth, dependency, and vulnerability. Alÿs often uses understated imagery to evoke broader emotional or social associations, allowing simple observations to carry poetic weight. The photograph’s modest scale and editioned presentation within a portfolio format reinforce its quiet, contemplative character while emphasizing themes of care, survival, and intimacy.

Francis Alÿs (Belgium, 1959) is a conceptual artist based in Mexico City, known for poetic, interdisciplinary works blending performance, video, painting, and drawing. His projects often explore urban dynamics, geopolitical tensions, and the ephemeral nature of everyday life. Iconic works like Paradox of Praxis 1 reflect his profound engagement with labor and futility in modern existence.

Francis Alys

Untitled (documenta 13), 2012

Name: Untitled (documenta 13), 2012
SKU: 17539
Price: 590.00 EUR
Availability: InStock

Form

Photography

PhotographyPhotography is the process of creating an image on light sensitive materials. The image is produced by using a camera, which has a lens that focuses on light either reflected or emitted from an object. These visible wavelengths are used to reproduce the image seen.

Medium

Photograph

PhotographA photograph is an image captured with a camera. Traditionally, photographs were made by exposing film and then developing the image on light-sensitive paper using chemicals. Today, photographs can also be captured digitally and printed or displayed electronically. The process requires a camera, whether film or digital, and a photographer.

Edition

Edition of 200

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Housed inside a cardboard portfolio. Hand-signed and numbered recto.

Francis Alys

Untitled (documenta 13), 2012

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I have no problem twisting the facts if it's the only way I can be true to the moment.

- Francis Alÿs

Francis Alÿs (b. 1959 Belgium) is a conceptual artist known for his interventions and performative actions that blur the boundaries between art and everyday life. Working across a range of mediums including painting, video, and installation, Alÿs often engages with themes of politics, urbanization, and social phenomena. His works are frequently site-specific, with notable projects set in locations such as Mexico City, where he has resided for much of his career. Influenced by Surrealism and the Situationist International, Alÿs's art is characterized by a poetic sensibility and a critical approach to contemporary issues. His interventions, such as "The Green Line" in Jerusalem or "When Faith Moves Mountains" in Lima, question the absurdity of political and social boundaries. Alÿs’s practice reveals the complexities of daily life, inviting viewers to reflect on the nuances of human experience. (Artist website)

Artwork by Bruce Nauman

What is Process Art?

Process Art is an artistic movement and creative approach where the focus is on the act of creation rather than the final product. The term process in this context refers to the various stages of art-making, including gathering, sorting, associating, and organizing materials and actions. This movement emphasizes the artistic journey and the human expression involved in creating art, rather than the finished piece itself. Process Art is driven by inherent motivation, intentionality, and the rationale behind the actions, viewing the creative process as the true artwork.

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Francis Alys

Untitled (documenta 13), 2012

28 x 21.5 cm

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Francis Alys