Page 49 - Studio International - September 1974

absence of relevant criteria made it home, when the public drifted in to Düsseldorf was organized by the Kunstverein. The main body of
impossible to decide. On the morning stare at insignificant objects, strange Konrad Fischer, Projekt in Cologne the hall was installations, including a
after the opening, Ger Dekkers' films, malfunctioning machines and was controlled, more discreetly, by real piece of Fluxus history in the
contribution appeared to be vitiated tatty conglomerations which, Paul Maenz. Briefly the three levels of shape of Charlotte Moorman and her
by malfunction : four slide-projectors, perhaps fortunately for the great politics in the arena are : firstly, TV cello. Dan Graham's action-
presumably intended to throw international community of artists, Germany as the leader of the replay-look-at-yourself-on-video-
matched sets of images of Dutch could surely offer little real insight European art world ; secondly, to-infinity room was very
landscapes, were no longer working into the actual conditions of their internal German museum politics; disorientating. There were also two
in synchronization. Where there was production. The energy of the vast thirdly, the power politics of viewing rooms and more than 60
now contrast there should have been majority of the exhibitors was commercial galleries. It should also hours of tapes. The only problem was,
compatibility. (I only knew this directed at the former episode rather be remembered that the economic when were the 25 mins you really
because I'd seen it previously at a than the latter. The works themselves support of the galleries, like most wanted to see going to be screened ?
time when it was reasonable to remain a function of that life in which German finance, has a dollar The media turns into the malady.
assume that it was working right.) installations and openings are flavour.
Was it a part of Dekkers' decision- highlights ; that is to say they are the The question in most minds was 6. Performance. The opening weekend
making in advance of the exhibition outcome of scandalous social the future of the big gang bang shows. included a series of four Phil Glass
that responsibility for the adequate circumstances. Yet, increasingly There still remains unresolved money concerts. Later performances
presentation of his artwork should over the last five years, artworks problems from Documenta 5. The included Simone Forti, Charlemagne
have become a matter for the such as these have been presented Venice Biennale sank earlier this year. Palestine and Yvonne Rainer. Beuys
maintenance men ? Did the possibility as if no real problems were raised Contemporanea, the Roman was also down to appear, 'when he
of malfunction perhaps not occur to in claiming significance for them extravaganza, froze all enthusiasm in can and will'.
him ? Much work such as this depends in large cultural contexts. What an underground garage. The last This area also included a good
upon a level of understanding of the is really odd is that many of the Prospect set the seal of confusion on selection of films, but there was only
technology which amounts to no artists behave as if they thought everyone's mind. The only a projectionist for two hours each
more than superstition, and a level they had a right to go on like this, and international events which are going day. Marcel Broodthaers showed his
of involvement with the local labour as if this right were secured in terms from strength to strength are the new film Eau du Cologne at the
force which signifies much less than of some sophisticated notion of Kunstmärkte. Biograph. Another solution was
sympathy. democracy. The organizers described the Cologne's own Paris Pullman, partly
As for the rest of the work shown, Charles Harrison categories as follows : 'Areas of owned by Rudolf Zwirner. It was t here
it was mostly inconsiderable. (As problems (replacing the old stylistic that Jack Smith showed his
I didn't see any of the film shows, 1974 is the 150th anniversary of the orientations and remaining open- remarkable film, at midnight — 'so
performances etc, it might be Wallraf-Richardtz Museum in ended with respect to each other) that the poor people could come' — to
considered that this judgement Cologne. From 5July to 8 were only decided on after the the most exclusive audience. David
can't be intended to apply to them.) September the museum, the selection had been completed, in Lamelas also showed his latest film
The large and almost entirely trivial Kolnische Kunstverein and the order to avoid preconceived at the Pullman. A film which proved
contribution from the American Kunsthalle Köln celebrated with an limitations.' The results were : that given a sensible budget, an
avant garde was shown up by a exhibition called Project '74. An early 1. Time. A distinctly open-ended artist/film-maker can produce a
single recent work from Robert press release described the theme category, which had been competitive commercial movie.
Rauschenberg. Presumably due to with three questions :'What have preconceived in the earliest But a big show isn't just work, on
ludicrous lack of foresight on the been the turning points in the information to artists. It included the contrary, the reality is nearly all
part of the local administration, this development of art since the 60s ? ecological and excavational time— play. The conceptual tradition is to
could not properly be installed in the What changes can be seen to be Newton Harrison, Allan Sonfist, the transport the artist rather than the art.
space allotted to it and was removed taking place ?Where are the new Poiriers and Mark Boyle; conceptual He arrives at the airport with either
altogether shortly after Leo Castelli paths and aims of the 70s to be time— Hanne Darboven, Agnes photos and text under his arm or
appeared on the opening day. The found ?' With a budget of 660,000 Denes and Klaus Rinke; reconstructed plans for the installation in his pocket.
point to be made is twofold : DM. (£110,000), researchers were time— Roger Welch and Vito When the exhibition included around
(1) you could at least tell that it was sent to the world's art capitals to Acconci. Unfortunately this section fifty per cent American artists, this is a
not properly installed ; (2) it mattered. discuss the project with artists, camouflaged the main hall of the big part of the budget. (Apart from
The vast majority of the exhibits dealers, curators and critics. They Kunsthalle so successfully that it was artists there were few Americans in
were wholly unsurprising as produced a list of 300 artists, which almost impossible to find the good Cologne. The exceptions were
functions of a kind of social life which was reduced, with confusion, to 75 pieces, which anyhow had no logical Castelli and Sonnabend, confirming
involves hanging around the world invited artists. (The actual number connection with time. side by side, the practical aspect of
seeing what everyone else is doing, was nearer 113). The Wallraf- their economic merger.) What is often
listening to what everyone's talking Richardtz Museum houses an 2 & 3. Perception and Formal Systems. forgotten in London is that the
about and trying to identify 'current historical collection, mainly School These areas merged together on the lunatic fringes of the avant garde are
concerns'. This year's new promotion of Cologne, French Impressionism first floor of the Kunsthalle. rather fashionable people in some
is Arch. and Anth., pursued at a and German Expressionism. It is also Perception flashed, from a classic parts of Europe. The atmosphere is
kind of pre-school playgroup level. the home of the Ludwig Collection of Nauman corridor, in a devious line to what I imagine a mini Cannes Film
As some soap-opera character American Pop Art. The decision that the New Realists. Pausing for breath, Festival would be like. People like to
said on my TV the other night, the exhibition should concentrate on there were also pieces by Oppenheim, stay at the same hotel —a sort of
'We've grown accustomed to radical the 70s indicates that the museum felt Askervold, Baldessari and (more) Butlins by the Kunsthalle —with a
phenomena'. the need to up-date its image. In Rinke. Formal systems had swimming pool, sauna, table-tennis,
As is now customary at such recent years activity in Cologne has suffered from the withdrawal of billiards and a bar. The redcoat
exhibitions, there were two distinct been concentrated around the annual Andre and LeWitt (see below). It atmosphere was further enhanced by
episodes in Cologne. The first Kunstmarkt and the progressive was left to Richter and Ruckriem en mass attendance at the right
involved the period of installation and galleries: Friedrich, Zwirner, Ricke, to give a glimpse of the standard the performance/restaurant/film/party/
opening, when interested people Werner and Paul Maenz. show could have set. nightclub of the night. Also Germany
hung about to see what was going Big exhibitions have the habit of won the world cup that weekend.
on, artists hustled to secure access occurring in Germany. Each town 4. Conceptual Systems. This proved Hans Haacke was informed on 20
to labour, equipment, funds and seems to have a functioning to be the most coherent area. June that his work had been refused.
publicity, organizers went spare, museum, and there is a great deal of Quarantined in the corridors He had selected Manet's Bunch of
journalists looked vacant, and the competition amongst curators, surrounding the auditorium, it Asparagus from the museum's
local labour force got on with it at especially those in the contemporary ranged from Art & Language, Kosuth, permanent collection and intended to
whatever pace they considered fields. The competition is particularly Burgin and Stezaker to Weiner, Barry display the painting alongside ten
suitable in the circumstances. keen between Cologne and and Buren ,with minimal confusion panels discussing 'the social and
(Apparently there's no trouble Düsseldorf. The past few years have from Bochner and a few others. economic position of persons who
getting the old master exhibitions seen Cologne master the hare of P.S. There was a sign for Gilbert & have owned the painting over the
installed ; the workers recognize diversity, and Düsseldorf George, who were not exhibiting, years and the prices that were paid
authority when they see it.) The master the tortoise of integrity. outside the ladies' lavatory. for it'. The painting had been
second episode presumably Cologne has the galleries, presented to the museum by the City
opened once all the artists had gone Düsseldorf has the artists. Prospect in 5. Video. The video section occupied of Cologne and the Friends of the