LEFTies

»Singular / Plural. Collaborations in the post-pop political arena. Art in Düsseldorf in the 1970s« is  ­dedicated to artists who lived and worked ­together in Düsseldorf during the 1970s, and who ­actively influ­enced the his­torical program of Kunsthalle Düsseldorf. The loosely yet cosmopolitically ­orient-ed group develop­ed its strategies in the context of, and against the legacy of, German fascism. Through ­various artistic processes – painting, photography, slide projec­tions, performances, film, and music – political themes such as colonial history, economics and gender were thoroughly examined in this post-pop political arena. Works and further documentary ­material, includ­ing comics, ephemera, and records, are presented in this exhibition, not chronologically, but rather in the same labyrinthine way as the processual collaborations and debates of the ­artists during the 1970s. The exhibits ­generate resonances with current interest constellations when they display political conscientiousness and ­humorous ­self-depre­cation. The loose Düsseldorf artist group tried out life models and was interested in challeng­ing and suspending singular authorship. Kunsthalle Düsseldorf has served as a central stage for these activ­i­ties, which is why refer­ences to historical exhibi­tions are a defining part of this volume of the exhi­bition on the ­occasion of the 50th ­anniversary of its new build-ing. Accordingly, »Singular / ­Plural« casts a fresh look at the differentiation of the arts of the later post-war period, as well as on subcul­tural impulses in German-speaking and European countries.

Artists:
Michael Deistler, Bruno Demattio, Achim Duchow, Astrid Heibach, Candida Höfer, Christof Kohlhöfer, Ingrid Kohlhöfer, Lutz Mommartz, Tony Morgan, Angelika Oehms, Sigmar Polke, Ulrike Rosenbach, Stefan Runge, Conrad Schnitzler, Emil Schult, Memphis Schulze, Katharina Sieverding, Klaus vom Bruch, Ilona & Wolfgang Weber

Exhibition:
Kunsthalle Düsseldorf, 8/7– 1/10/2017