The Unexamined Marcel Broodthaers

What do we know about Marcel Broodthaers (1924-1976)? Perusing the publications dedicated to this artist, including more than twenty separate museum monographs, the answer would seem to be both a lot and a little. Beyond the well-worn themes of Institutional Critique, word and image, art world role playing, and nationalism, this conference aims to offer new perspectives on this key postwar artist in ways that dramatically reconfigure our understanding of Broodthaers’ work and practice—historically, theoretically, thematically, and methodologically. Contributors draw upon newly gained knowledge of Broodthaers' beginnings as a visual artist and the development of his career, including hitherto unknown writings and projects and unexamined exchanges with artists, architects, curators, and gallerists. Additionally, this conference will draw on archival discoveries connecting Broodthaers to architectural theory, sociology,political theory, and critiques of capitalism.

This first part of this two-part conference, co-organised by Stefaan Vervoort and Joe Scanlan in collaboration with their respective institutions, took place at Princeton University in October 2024.