"Brennpunkt II, die siebziger Jahre, Entwürfe, Joseph Beuys zum 70. Geburtstag“ Kunstmuseum Düsseldorf im Ehrenhof, 1991

BRENNPUNKT 2 — DÜSSELDORF 1970 1991
The Seventies, Drafts, Joseph Beuys' 70th Birthday

After the first “Brennpunkt” exhibition in 1987(Düsseldorf / Aalborg / Stockholm / Malmö / Barcelona) focused on the international upheaval around 1968 in Düsseldorf and beyond, this second project in the series is a reassessment of a forgotten decade: “The Seventies.”

The 1970s were a period of rich artistic designs, which, however, eluded arbitrary availability: instead of thinking in institutional concepts or producing for the art market, the artists of that time sought to preserve the autonomy and independence of their work: these designs were situated between a narcissistic contemplation of their own person and radical proposals for social change.

The debate focused on new artistic media such as film, photography, video, and spatial installations. These works were oriented toward the here and now. Ecological awareness was also reflected in art—at a time when the energy crisis had made people aware of the preciousness of resources. The impetus of 1968 did not merely lead to an attitude of refusal, but was now, on the contrary, put to productive use. This decade is an exciting “blank spot” on the map of art history. The centerpiece of the exhibition will be a “silent documentation” in the form of a large model of a concrete utopia, the “Honey Pump at the Workplace,” which Beuys created for the 1977 documenta in Kassel. The exhibition, in which 25 artists are participating with well over 200 works, marks the 70th birthday of Joseph Beuys and brings his ideas of an expanded concept of art back into consciousness. Many of the participating artists are also represented with a current contribution.

Lothar Baumgarten, Bernd und Hilla Becher, Joseph Beuys, Anna und Bernhard Blume, Walter Dahn, Felix Droese, Robert Filliou, Terry Fox, Jochen Gerz, Hans Haacke, Ole John und die Düsseldorfer Filmklasse, Per Kirkeby, Imi Knoebel, Erinna Koenig, Bernd Minnich, Nam June Paik, Klaus Rinke, Diter Rot, Ulrich Rückriem, Klaus Staeck, Johannes Stüttgen, Andy Warhol, Hildegard Weber

Kunstmuseum Düsseldorf im Ehrenhof
19. Mai – 30. Juni 1991
Dates for the accompanying program (films, discussions) will be announced separately.
gefördert durch das Kulturministerium des Landes NRW
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Erinna König: Among other works, the film reel of her 16mm film “Oskar B. oder Der Imperialismus” (Oskar B. or Imperialism) was exhibited as an object, and the film itself was presented as part of the film program at the Filmforum.