Interested in collecting artists that question the structure of what we think of the “now”, Thierry Geoffroy creates exhibitions where he invites artists to create installations that surround the idea of emergency, which then become a part of the DELAY MUSEUM. Here, Thierry Geoffroy shares works from the DELAY MUSEUM and talks about the emergency installations.

“My collection is called “Le Musée du RETARD / the DELAY MUSEUM” and it follows specific conditions on collecting.

It all began in 1988 when I was looking for art that could respond to emergencies and be connected to the “now”. Every art work in this collection of Le Musée du RETARD has been exhibited the same day it was created (within the space of 24 hours). All the works have been exhibited in a timely response to an artistic intention to make an art work be visible in the “now”.

Many of the art works were exhibited in the show “Emergency Room” – which was in a Biennalist format, or in very quick exhibition such as “Penetrations”. The DELAY MUSEUM is often shown in an exhibition room beside the “Emergency Room “. Some of the collection was shown in different museums such as the MoMA PS1, Palazzo delle Arti Napoli, The Museum of African Design and also in galleries such as Kalashnikovv Gallery, Martin Asbæk Gallery, and the Marianne Friis Gallery to name just a few.

My project for the future is to build a museum where the complete collection can be seen, as I believe it will capture a certain moment of our history and how artists have responded to the “now”. Emergency Art is an art movement with around 400 artists taking part. The Delay Museum is its history – where artists have respond in real time. In the Delay Museum it is possible to reflect on the aesthetics of Emergency Art and to reflect on different topics like global war, xenophobia in Europe and Africa, the financial crisis since 2006, global warming, the Iran – USA relationship, North and South Korea, surveillance society, fear etc.”