Munich: Galerie Apollon die Insel, 1977 (12), 16,5×24 cm. Installation view. Original photograph by Nancy Reddin, 5th wife of Kienholz and close collaborator of his. Photographer’s stamp verso. Also verso hand-dated ‘Dec. 6 1977’.
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“Edward Kienholz’s satirical work The Art Show was first conceived in 1963, but was only later visualized on a concept board in 1967. On this concept board he explained that, ideally installed in a commercial gallery, the exhibition would present objects by a fictional artist named Christian Carry. Around the works would be placed sculptures representing exhibition visitors, inspired by typical vernissage guests such as curators, gallerists, collectors or museum directors. The sculptures would emit sounds: conversations about art, criticism, nonsense, and ironic comments. (…)
He started working on the environment in L.A. in 1973 and finished it during his scholarship at the DAAD in Berlin in 1977. It was a touring exhibition that traveled from Berlin’s Volker Skulima to Centre Beaubourg in Paris, to the Kunsthalle in Düsseldorf (invitation above), to Galerie Apollon die Insel in Munich, before finally returning to Berlin, where it was shown at the Akademie der Künste in February 1978. (…)” [Anna-Lena Werner, AdA invitations]
condition: Excellent.
