This original vintage brass-tone pin is an artist-designed multiple by Ben Vautier, better known simply as Ben, one of the key figures associated with Fluxus, conceptual art, and the École de Nice.
The pin measures approximately 4 × 3 cm / 1.6 × 1.2 in and is made from enamelled metal with a vintage brass-colored finish. It carries a production stamp on the reverse, an important identifying feature for confirming the original manufacturer.
A 1991 collection of enamelled metal pins by Ben Vautier manufactured by Saggay. Saggay also maintains archival documentation of Ben artist pins, establishing the company as an important producer of these wearable editions.
Because different vintage Ben pins were also produced by other manufacturers, including Lorry, the exact wording of the reverse stamp remains the best way to identify the maker of an individual example. A documented Lorry-produced Ben pin measuring approximately 3.7 × 3.2 cm demonstrates that several manufacturers participated in the production of his artist pins during this period.
Ben’s artistic practice is closely associated with handwritten statements, aphorisms, questions, and declarations that transform everyday language into art. His characteristic white handwriting on dark or contrasting backgrounds became one of the most recognizable visual languages in postwar French conceptual art.
Wearable objects such as pins fit naturally within his broader practice. Rather than limiting art to paintings or sculpture, Ben embraced multiples, publications, signs, objects, performances, and everyday items as legitimate artistic formats. This approach was closely aligned with Fluxus ideas about breaking down the distinction between art and daily life.
The compact scale of the pin allows Ben’s conceptual language to function as both an artwork and an object intended to be worn. Its vintage brass-colored appearance, stamped reverse, and period production make it particularly appealing from a collector’s perspective.
As an original vintage artist multiple from around 1991, the pin represents a small but distinctive example of Ben Vautier’s practice and the broader tradition of artist-designed jewelry and wearable conceptual art.
