None of the Above, 2004 – 2020

For this exhibition, John M Armleder invited around 50 artists from all over the world to present a work of art either no bigger than a postage stamp, or one that is immaterial: the result is an exhibition in which the works are either there to be discovered, or they are invisible.

Produced for the first time in 2004 at the Swiss Institute in New York, None of the Above is based on the rule of a game conceived by John M Armleder. At the time he invited around 50 artists to present a work of art subject to one simple condition: it should be no bigger than a postage stamp, or it should be immaterial.

At KANAL-Centre Pompidou, Armleder revisits None of the Above in an updated version. To the initial list of New York guests, the artist has added some new personalities, friends, emerging artists or recently discovered artists. This project, which will form the inauguration of the programme conceived by Armleder for It Never Ends, is completely consistent with the philosophy of the artist, whose maxim when it comes to organising exhibitions is to be radical.

And in that respect None of the Above does not disappoint; it offers a highly unusual experience. The number of artists on the programme hints at an exhibition with density at its heart. And the areas of specialisation of the artists, mainly painters and sculptors, promise an explosion of shapes and colours. Yet the space that appears almost empty, forces visitors go looking for the works exhibited in the form of a conceptual treasure hunt conceived by the artist.