Readings around silence

Abstract

Some of the pieces by Belgium poet and artist Marcel Broodthaers (1924-1976) are presented in this article as a way to raise thoughts on the intersection between literary and artistic practices, having as its main pilar readings surrounding silence. Attempting a new relation between poetry, arts and media, Broodhtaers creates pieces highlighting the graphic interests of the poet as he obliterates words. This destabilization of the power of words brought to Broodthaers’s works an emphasis on the image through in a writing space. In Un coup de de?s and Pense-Be?te, for example, Broodthaers works mainly over existing pieces, distorting the idea of originality, and most importantly, exploring the vulnerability of words and meaning. By covering words and plastering books, Broodthaers calls attention to the substract, definied by American poet and critic Craig Dworkin, in No Medium, as what is left to be read. This way, between the said and non-said, word and image, Broodthaers arouses a new look at the role of literature, arts and media.

Keywords: Broodthaers; silence; substract