It is these two artists who, starting in the late 1950s, radically centered the Shoah (the Hebrew equivalent of the Holocaust) in their art. In a time when the war was unspeakable for many, they chose to create art that would confront viewers with this painful past. By combining the most gruesome images of war crimes with superficial advertising, their work also serves as a critique of the post-war consumer society, which continued to steam ahead and failed to acknowledge the trauma endured by Jews and others. To incite a shocking effect, both artists incorporated modern techniques into their art.
After meeting in New York in the early 1960s, American Lurie and German Vostell maintained a deep friendship, as evidenced by their years-long correspondence. A selection of these letters will be made public for the first time in Art after Auschwitz. In addition to these letters, there will be dozens of paintings, drawings, and objects from both Lurie and Vostell on display. Vostell’s installation Thermoelektronischer Kaugummi from 1970, which can travel from Museum Ostwall for the first time after a recent restoration, will also be featured in the Kunstmuseum.
www.ftn-books.com has the invitation fro the KUNSTMUSEUM DEN HAAG exhibition now available.
