Hanne Darboven
15 Apr - 18 May 2008
Hanne Darboven
Buch der Bilder – Fin de Siècle
The dates presented in “Buch der Bilder – Fin de Siècle” (Book of Pictures – Fin de Siècle; 1992-1993) by German artist Hanne Darboven encompass the years 1988 – when preliminary work commenced – to 1999, the close of the 20th century. Darboven began by registering these dates in note and exercise books; displayed alongside this data were photographs, including those showing objects from the artist’s collection. Finally, these booklets were photographed page by page, and these images mounted on sheets. Groups of 25 sheets were then collected into altogether 52 large format albums. There are also 376 working sheets with collaged photographs and 42 illustrated panels. The title of this work alludes to Rainer Maria Rilke’s volume of poems Buch der Bilder (Book of Images) of 1902, and hence casts a backward glance from the late 20th century to the epoch of Jugendstil and the turn from the 19th to the 20th centuries.
In collaboration with the Freunde der Nationalgalerie (Friends of the Nationalgalerie), the museum is attempting to purchase this important work.
Buch der Bilder – Fin de Siècle
The dates presented in “Buch der Bilder – Fin de Siècle” (Book of Pictures – Fin de Siècle; 1992-1993) by German artist Hanne Darboven encompass the years 1988 – when preliminary work commenced – to 1999, the close of the 20th century. Darboven began by registering these dates in note and exercise books; displayed alongside this data were photographs, including those showing objects from the artist’s collection. Finally, these booklets were photographed page by page, and these images mounted on sheets. Groups of 25 sheets were then collected into altogether 52 large format albums. There are also 376 working sheets with collaged photographs and 42 illustrated panels. The title of this work alludes to Rainer Maria Rilke’s volume of poems Buch der Bilder (Book of Images) of 1902, and hence casts a backward glance from the late 20th century to the epoch of Jugendstil and the turn from the 19th to the 20th centuries.
In collaboration with the Freunde der Nationalgalerie (Friends of the Nationalgalerie), the museum is attempting to purchase this important work.