Not Vital: Sculpture 1964-2021

The first monograph entirely devoted to the sculptural work of Not Vital, one of the most important international sculptors.

The career of the artist Not Vital (b. 1948, Sent, Switzerland) spans over fifty years and today he is considered one of the leading and most radical voices in the world of contemporary sculpture. This monograph aims to provide an extremely broad selection of his output and an enlightening picture of a remarkable career that spans five decades, constituting an indispensable reference point for those who want to learn about the artist and his unique sculptural and architectural practices.

The volume begins with a thematic analysis of Vital’s work, breaking it down into five themes (Transformation; Dreams, Experiences and Identity; Humour; Nature, Animals and Folklore; Materiality and Sculptural-ness); these themes are subsequently addressed and expanded to create a narrative of sorts. The book is divided into ten chapters that are primarily titled and defined by the different places in which Vital has lived and worked since his birth in 1948, bringing us up to the end of 2021. The largest portion of the book consists of a chronological, descriptive catalogue of circa 455 sculptures, SCARCH and related artworks. This central section is accompanied by a generous selection of Vital’s drawings and original writings, plus archival photographs, and technical drawings in the case of the architectural works. Notably, much of this material is published here for the first time. The final section of the book comprises a brief biography of the artist, lists of group and solo exhibitions, a bibliography, webliography, and an index.

The term ‘SCARCH’ was coined by the artist to describe his unique combination of sculpture and architecture, an intersection that he returned to repeatedly and that over the last twenty years has come to prominence, and in the last ten it has become a core aspect of his practice.