Page 21 - Studio International - July 1965

The Story of Zero

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by Alfred Schmela. The third followed later that year.
Photo: Volker Kramer clarity. They broke down frontiers. In 1958 Mack
when Mack in Milan met Lucio Fontana.
These contacts not only gave impulse. strength and
showed a set of aluminium Light Reliefs at Iris Clert's in
Paris. Yves Klein wrote in the catalogue of the 'delicat
amour pudique et timide qu'i/ ressent pour la cou!eur
depuis toujours, tout en refusant de s'en approcher·.
Piene. opening his one-man show at Schmela's gallery
in May next year. performed his Light Ballet for the first
time. Even in its 'archaic' form. tied torches flashed
through a punched board. it was quite magical. It
caught one in a net of light which built up a new space
from movement. About this time. Uecker made his
invention of the Nail Reliefs. They translated light,
vibration. virtual movement into plastic form and from
the start possessed a curious poetry. The three showed
for the first time outside Germany in 'Vision in Motion'
at Antwerp's Hessenhuis in 1959. together with
Tinguely, Pol Bury, Soto and Daniel Spoerri among
others, none very well known yet. 1960 was a year of
confrontations. implicit or actual. By including Zero in
his exhibition 'Konkrete Kunst' in Zurich. Max Bill
made a quiet attempt at annexation. It was resisted.
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