Rare chance to see works by major C20 artists

Media Release

16 September 2005

Rare chance to see works by major artists from the late 20th century

The Govett-Brewster Art Gallery in association with the Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations (ifa) presents the major international exhibition Artspace Germany opening 1 October – 27 November and featuring some of the most acclaimed artists from the late 20th century including:

Armando, Tony Cragg, Marianne Eigenheer, Ay e Erkmen, Christine Hill, Magdalena Jetelov , Per Kirkeby, Joseph Kosuth, Marie-Jo Lafontaine, Simone Mangos, Nam June Paik, Giuseppe Spagnulo, Wawrzyniec Tokarski, herman de vries.

Curator of Contemporary Art, Mercedes Vicente says: “This is a rare and unique opportunity for New Zealanders to see works by some of the key artists of the late 20th Century including Joseph Kosuth, Nam June Paik and Tony Cragg who have chosen to live in Germany and whose influence have been integral in shaping this country’s art scene”.

Joseph Kosuth an icon of American conceptual art has been exhibiting regularly in Germany since the 60s and taught in Hamburg and Stuttgart during the late 80s and early 90s. His conceptual art had a tremendous impact on his students, among them Wawrzyniec Tokarski. Allured by Germany’s electronic music scene, Nan June Paik attended the legendary 1st Fluxus concert in Wiesbaden in 1956 that set off this movement and became one of its major exponents. Likewise, many artists in this exhibition came to Germany attracted by its welcoming artistic policies and the opportunities given by academies. Artists like Tony Cragg, Marianne Eigenheer, Magdalena Jetelov , Per Kirkeby, Marie-Jo Lafontaine and Giuseppe Spagnulo left their imprint not only in the artistic scene but through their teaching as well.

In association with Artspace Germany and the Goethe Institut, the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery presents a series of free lectures by artist Simone Mangos. Born in Sydney, Mangos has been working in Berlin since 1988. At a time where Peter Eisenman’s Holocaust Memorial in Berlin has taken its definitive shape, Mangos questions the historical sense and sensibility of a culture that still appears to be highly uneasy about the predicament of its own history. Mangos will discuss selected works as well as her current research project on the “Denkmal f�r die ermordeten Juden Europas/ Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe” in Berlin.

Lectures will take place in Wellington on Wednesday 28 September at 6.00pm at Massey University and also in Auckland on Monday 3 October at 6.00pm at Elam Lecture theatre at the Elam School of Fine Arts.
The Govett-Brewster Art Gallery is the only New Zealand venue for the Artspace Germany exhibition which is in association with ifa the Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations in Germany. Also showing at the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery is Saskia Leek: 2005 New Zealand artist in residence 1 October – 4 December 2005.

ENDS

Notes to editor:

Opening weekend special events
Sunday 2 October at 2.00: Exhibition tour
Join Gallery staff and Artspace Germany artists for a tour of the exhibition.

Simone Mangos lecture series details
Wednesday 28 September 6.00pm
10AO2 Lecture theatre in the old museum building
Massey University, Wellington

Monday 3 October 6.00pm
Main entrance, ground floor, building 431
Elam School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland

Entry to both lectures is free

© Scoop Media