HAPPENING & FLUXUS, Kölnischer Kunstverein, Cologne, 1970
Subtitle: Dokumentation – Selbstdarstellung der Beteiligten – Environments
Artists: Joseph Beuys, Günter Brus, Allan Kaprow, Charlotte Moorman, Otto Muehl, Hermann Nitsch, Ben Vautier, and Wolf Vostell
Curator: Harald Szeemann
Duration: November 6, 1970–January 6, 1971
Opening: November 6, 1970, 6–8 p.m.
Dimensions: 10 x 21 cm
Further Information: The exhibition included a two-day festival held between November 6 and 8, 1970, with several events that can be seen in the program. The opening began at 5 p.m. with a concert by Robert Watts, and was continued with a Fluxconcert at the Volkshochschule at 8 p.m. On Saturday, November 7, 1970, Allan Kaprow staged his Happening SAWDUST, which was described as a ‘dé-coll/age’ for Wolf Vostell. The activity went on for three days and participants would receive a briefing every morning at 9:30 a.m. Simultaneously, Wolf Vostell staged his Happening Salat, for which you can find a detailed description here. At 9 p.m., Dick Higgins, the husband of Alison Knowles, staged another Happening. On Sunday, November 8, the day began with a concert by John Cage, followed by performances from the Vienna Actionists Otto Muehl, and Hermann Nitsch. A catalog, titled Materialien and published by Hanns Sohm, is also held at the Archiv der Avantgarden in Dresden.
Harald Szeemann, who is often said to be the first professional curator, curated this exhibition two years before his polarizing documenta 5 in 1972. Known for collaborating with artists working in Actionism, Happening and Fluxus, Szeemann scandalized visitors, who were not familiar with these new and often extreme expressions of art and performances.
ALW
Reviews: An original review by German national newspaper DIE ZEIT is available via www.zeit.de/1970/46 and another by local newspaper Stadtrevue via www.stadtrevue.de/archiv/artikelarchiv/. Both reviews are written in German.
Images: Images of the invitation and all other archival documents shown on this page are part of the online collection of Archiv der Avantgarden, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden.
