Collection presentation
minimal and beyond

till 24 June 2012
Gallery of contemporary art, 3.rd Floor

Robert Morris, Ohne Titel 1967, © Hamburger Kunsthalle / bpk. Photo: Christoph Irrgang

The emergence of Minimal Art in the 1960s radically changed the concept of the artwork.
Elementary forms, serial arrangements and the use of industrial materials and fabrication methods are key characteristics of this art movement, which originated in the USA and whose leading exponents include Carl Andre, Dan Flavin, Donald Judd, Sol LeWitt und Robert Morris. As "specific objects" (Donald Judd) in real space, Minimalist works are purged of all illusionism, symbolism and metaphor: the work is what it is. For all their self-referentiality, however, the artworks are not thought of as self-contained entities, but instead are viewed in relation to the space around them.
Many other artists have subsequently worked within the formal language of Minimalism, adapting it in a variety of ways and adding new layers of meaning. Along with formal and aesthetic aspects, contemporary approaches also address political, social and cultural issues, demanding a different, more critical form of involvement on the part of the viewer. The exhibition minimal and beyond presents sculptures, objects, paintings, photographs, works on paper and videos, dating from the 1960s to the present day.

Artists: Carl Andre, Hanne Darboven, Isa Genzken, Félix González-Torres, On Kawara, Kitty Kraus, Robert Morris, Bruce Nauman, Cady Noland, Gregor Schneider und Andreas Slominski.

Curator: Brigitte Kölle