German Open: Contemporary Art in Germany - Softcover

Brodbeck, Andrea; Gorner, Veit

Softcover

ISBN 10: 3775709045 ISBN 13: 9783775709040

Publisher: Hatje Cantz Publishers, 2000

Synopsis

In the last two years the German art scene has experienced a tremendous growth unlike anything since the early 1980s-owing to a revitalized Berlin and an ever-expanding cultural diversity. German Open captures this energy by giving an overview of more than 30 of the best young artists working in Germany today. The artists documented represent the entire spectrum of visual art, from installation to painting to video, and their work can no longer be viewed as a matter of scattered individual gestures, but must be examined in a group context. Among the artists included here are Franz Ackerman, Kai Althoff, Simone Bhm, Coisma von Bonin, Matti Braun, Olafur Eliasson, Stefan Hoderlein, Stefan Kern, Michel Majerus, Tobias Rehberger, Daniel Richter, Heidi Specker, Johannes Wohnseifer, and Joseph Zehrer.

About this title

From Library Journal

Despite the inclusion of well over 50 German artists in Art Works and three dozen in German Open, there is no overlap here. This reflects the origins of the two books Art Works shows off the Deutsche Bank collection, German Open stems from an exhibition at one of Germany's most adventurous museums. That said, the Deutsche Bank collection is not as staid as one might expect from an august financial institution, and this book goes far in convincing the reader that the bank has a real, abiding commitment to supporting contemporary artists and enhancing the employees' surroundings. With 48,000 pieces, the largest privately held collection of contemporary works on paper, the full collection is barely tapped here, but the book does successfully represent big names and major trends of the last four decades. Organizationally, the book is an amalgam. An initial essay on the collection's history is followed by an elucidation of six themes among the selections at hand; four long chapters delineate the movements and players in each decade; 120 alphabetically arranged artists are given a page with one large illustration and short analysis; and, finally, short bio-analytical essays on artists are presented. Any one section seems to have no correlation with the next, but the very fine reproductions sprinkled throughout help the book to come together. All in all, this is a good, readable overview for general collections in public libraries as well as a peek into an important collection for academic libraries. German Open is better organized but less coherent, thanks to both the design and the subject matter. Taking on the subject of the art of the last five years in Germany, the editors admirably have avoided virtually any name that would be familiar to even Art Forum devotees. The reader will note a preponderance of large sculpture/installation art, and a good number of new media appears, as well as some skillful painting, but thankfully no thematic categorization is attempted. After a short, rambling introduction and installation views of the show, alphabetically listed artists are each given six pages, packed with smallish reproductions, analysis in both German and English, and vital biographical facts. The cramped feel, garish colors, and use of full bleeds do not help to show the work in the best light. Academic libraries supporting BFA/MFA programs should purchase, but other libraries can pass. Eric Bryant, "Library Journal"
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Hatje Cantz Publishers
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 3775709045
• ISBN 13: 9783775709040
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 312