Jacques Lizène, who describes himself as a “little master from Liège” of the second half of the 20th century, draws on a wide range of media. His works, all based on an absurd modus operandi, reveal a deep interest in provocation as a means of engaging with the public, reflecting an attempt to overturn established value systems. Through his work, Lizène seeks to reveal what the social, cultural, and political order seeks to erase, contain, or subdue. He focuses on the notions of mediocrity, derision, and worthlessness. Regularly using his own body as both subject and tool, the artist ceaselessly damages it, sometimes going so far as to carry out extreme actions; thus, he decided to undergo a vasectomy to affirm his desire to remain “unproductive ” (Vasectomy, Internal Sculpture, 1970). The following year, he founded the “Institute of Stupid Art,” of which he is the sole member.
In his film *Attempt to Train a Camera, Followed by Attempt to Escape Camera Surveillance* (based on an idea from 1971), Lizène plays with technology in such a way that it appears as an entity in its own right—a living entity whose attention and recognition he seeks. Here, the video blurs the line between art and life, between representation and concrete action.
