Christian Boltanski - The Reserve of Dead Swiss, 1990, 42...

Christian Boltanski - The Reserve of Dead Swiss, 1990, 42 photographs on paper, 42 electric lamps, fabric and wood, displayed: 2834 x 6240 x 270 mm, Tate

“The photographs of anonymous dead people were selected by Boltanski from obituary notices in Swiss newspapers. The lengths of fabric gathered around the shelves are shroud-like and also evoke the curtain of the crematorium. Aside from this suggestion of ‘memento mori’ the harsh beams that spotlight each face evoke references to interrogation and torture. These aspects together with the sheer scale of death suggested by the title and by the repetitive presentation employed here have led commentators to find references to the holocaust. However by nominating the victims as Swiss, a neutral people, the association is muted and allows for more intimate, personal and wider, historical reflections.“ [Tate]