Mantoliaktionen

Mantoliaktionen refers to a series of public art installations created by Swiss artist Daniel Buren. These actions, which began in the late 1960s and have continued intermittently, involve Buren applying his signature 8.7 cm wide vertical stripes to various public spaces. His work often challenges traditional notions of art, its display, and its relationship to its surroundings.

Buren's stripe motif, initially developed as a critique of the art market and the concept of the artist's unique signature, has become a recognizable symbol of his artistic practice. The Mantoliaktionen specifically highlight his interest in the site-specific nature of art and how it interacts with the existing environment. He often chooses locations that are already visually complex or have a strong social or historical significance, using his stripes to both disrupt and integrate with these contexts.

The installations are typically temporary, emphasizing the ephemeral quality of the artistic act and its impact on a particular place and time. Buren's work prompts viewers to question their perceptions of art, public space, and the boundaries between the two. The term "Mantoliaktionen" itself can be understood as "coat actions," hinting at the way his interventions can be seen as a temporary covering or modification of existing structures.