Marcel Duchamp: Boîte-en-valise (or of Marcel Duchamp or Rrose Selavy) Facsimile

One of the most important and enigmatic pieces of modernist art, Boîte-en-valise (Box in a Valise), was assembled by Marcel Duchamp between 1935 and 1941. The portable suitcase contains “the sum of his artistic work” up to that point. Perhaps in premonition of the coming war, and over years without a fixed address, Duchamp reproduced his work in a format that enabled him to easily transport his “complete works” at any time. Though the artist eventually made 300 copies of his box, many are behind glass in museums and private collections.

This is the first ever reinterpretation of the legendary book-object, conceptualized by French artist Mathieu Mercier and now available to a broader audience. At once a work in and of itself, and a reproduction in the Duchampian spirit, this miniature museum contains 69 reproductions of Duchamp’s most celebrated creations, including the famous Fountain, Nude Descending a Staircase and the Large Glass. Mercier has reproduced the bulk of the contents of Duchamp’s original box in paper form, designing everything to scale. Playful and accessible, the “Boîte” reflects Duchamp’s desire to display his works outside the museum and gallery system.