Kunstverein München

Rip It Up and Start Again

10 Oct - 22 Nov 2009

Arthur Russell, photo by Chuck Russell, © Audika Records
RIP IT UP AND START AGAIN
October 10 - Novmeber 22, 2009

William S. Burroughs co-curated by John Giorno
Charles Henri Ford co-curated by Christopher Müller
Ray Johnson co-curated by Stefan Kalmár
readymades belong to everyone® co-curated by Claire Fontaine
Arthur Russell („I’m Sorry, But This is How I Learn“) co-curated by James Merle Thomas

Kunstverein München is pleased to present the first show, predominantly organized by co-curators. Simultaneously „Rip It Up And Start Again“ will also be the last exhibition conceived by its departing director Stefan Kalmár, who has been heading Artists Space in New York since July 2009.

As an exceptional conclusion of Stefan Kalmàr’s quinquennial curatorial work “Rip It Up And Start Again” combines the oeuvres of five deceased artists. Four out of the five artistic positions shown will be individually presented by host-curators from their contemporary, scholar and artistic surroundings.

The artists exhibited – William S. Burroughs, Charles Henri Ford, Ray Johnson, Arthur Russell und Philippe Thomas (readymades belong to everyone®) – form a unit of artistic positions, which were highly estimated in the artists’ lifetime but also posthumously in New York City of the 1970s and 1980s by a small group of artists, gallery owners and friends. In an official art historical discourse, however, they received little attention and remain virtually unrecognized to a wider public till today.

According to „Rip It Up And Start Again“ all five artists work in the broadest sense with the artistic practice of the collage – which will be expressed by means of pictures, films, installations and music.

The exhibition is supported by Bundeskulturstiftung, Bureau des Arts Plastiques, Herr von Eden, Kulturreferat der Landeshauptstadt München, Stadtwerke München
 

Tags: William S. Burroughs, Claire Fontaine, John Giorno, Ray Johnson, Christopher Muller