History and the status of the image have long been animating concerns in the artwork of French artist Christian Boltanski (born 1944). In Boltanski: Souls from Place to Place, the artist reflects on the outcomes of some of the most significant historical events of the 20th century and the pressure these events have put on methods of representation. Boltanski's art asks: what images are appropriate in the wake of the 20th century's crises? What is the relationship between collective memory, recollection and oblivion? How can absence function to prompt memory and testify to loss?

This monograph explores the defining moments in Boltanski's life and work. The artist takes stock of his career in this volume on the occasion of a major commission from the city of Bologna, which has invited Boltanski to show work and organize programming at several venues across the city.