Renowned French artist Ben, famous for his handwritten slogans against a black background, passed away at the age of 88, taking his own life just hours after his wife of 60 years, Annie, died, his family announced on Wednesday.
Annie suffered a stroke on Monday evening and passed away on Wednesday, according to a statement from the couple's two children, Eva and Francois.
"Unwilling and unable to live without her, Ben killed himself a few hours later at their home in Saint-Pancrace," a district of Nice, the French Mediterranean city where they lived, the family said.
"The world of culture has lost a legend," stated Culture Minister Rachida Dati, praising Ben as a "goldsmith of language" known for his "humorous, sometimes satirical writing." She added that his "art will continue to make France shine throughout the world."
President Emmanuel Macron also expressed his condolences, noting, "On our children’s pencil cases, on so many everyday objects, and even in our imaginations, Ben left his mark, made of freedom and poetry, of apparent lightness and overwhelming depth."
Police remained stationed outside Ben’s residence in Nice throughout Wednesday, and a forensics investigator and public prosecutor arrived midday to investigate the deaths, as reported by AFP. The exact cause of Ben's death was not immediately clear.
Born in Naples in 1935 as Benjamin Vautier to a Franco-Swiss family, Ben co-founded the Nice school of artists along with figures like Yves Klein. His distinctive "writings" — often phrases in white paint on a black background — appeared deceptively simple but challenged contemporary art norms with questions like "What is the use of art?", "Is the new always new?", "What are you doing here?", and "My biggest worry is me".
Ben championed the integration of art into everyday life. His works have been reproduced on school bags, pencil cases, and notebooks, and they also adorn tram stops in Nice, leaving a lasting imprint on the community.
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