AT YOUR OWN RISK /Omalla vastuullasi – Fabrice Hybert

MEDIA RELEASE (Translated with ChatGPT)

AT YOUR OWN RISK
16.09.2000 – 05.11.2000
FABRICE HYBERT

The exhibition At Your Own Risk by French artist Fabrice Hybert (b. 1961) transforms the exhibition hall of the art museum into a playing field for the world’s first quadrangular ball tournament. A total of 8 matches will be played, with the final match held on November 1, 2000.

The quadrangular ball (POF no. 65), the centerpiece of this game, is one of Hybert’s POF objects (prototype d’un objet en fonctionnement – prototype of a functioning object). The starting point for Hybert’s POF objects is often a ready-made item whose form or purpose he alters and then tests for functionality using “scientific” methods. These creations, or “exhibition products,” often blur the line between art and consumer goods, requiring audience interaction. Marketing is managed by UR (Unlimited Responsibility), a company founded by the artist to handle the distribution of his products/artworks just like any other business. The purpose of UR is to promote exchange and support projects in the fields of art, research, and economics.

Hybert’s art builds on the avant-garde tradition, striving to integrate art and life. His works are characterized by a constant state of flux; an exhibition is not a static construction but a “field” that facilitates the creation of experiences, ideas, and connections. The exhibition at the Pori Art Museum serves as both a concrete and conceptual playing field, addressing the rules of social interaction and humorously commenting on the art world and its internal “rules of the game.”

Winner of the Golden Lion at the 1997 Venice Biennale, Hybert is one of the most renowned contemporary French artists. A multidisciplinary creator, he continually pushes the boundaries of traditional artistic conventions. His work spans drawings, paintings, films, publications, installations, and collaborations with well-known cosmetic companies. Recent projects include an environmental art installation surrounding the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and an upcoming peace memorial in Palermo.

About the Game

In this unique game, five teams compete for victory. Four teams are on the field simultaneously, with substitutions occurring every 5 minutes. Each team consists of three players, and teams are distinguished by differently colored t-shirts. The total duration of the game is approximately 30 minutes.

The square field features goals in each corner, whose colors can be changed so that all five teams can play. To score, the quadrangular ball must be placed in a goal—it cannot be thrown. Teams earn 2 points for scoring in their own-colored goal and 1 point for scoring in another team’s goal. Before a goal can be scored, the ball must pass through the hands of all three players on the scoring team. If an opposing team member touches the ball during this sequence, the goal does not count.

Players can throw the ball but cannot run with it; only two steps are allowed. The game pauses for goals or fouls, during which the referee throws the ball into the audience. The audience member who catches the ball can then throw it to any player of their choosing.

Publication:

ISBN 951-9355-68-5
Fabrice Hybert: Nelikulmaisen pallon pelisäännöt (Rules of the square ball)
Pori Art Museum 16.9.-5.11.2000