In & Out of Amsterdam: Travels in Conceptual Art, 1960–1976
July 19–October 5, 2009
Special Exhibitions Gallery, third floor
In conjunction with the exhibition In & Out of Amsterdam: Art & Project Bulletin, 1968–1989
This exhibition examines approximately seventy-five works by artists of different nationalities relating to travel and the city of Amsterdam, which was the nexus of intense art activities in the 1960s and 1970s, when artists converged there from all over the world. Hanne Darboven, Gilbert & George, Sol LeWitt, Charlotte Posenenske, Allen Ruppersberg, and Lawrence Weiner, among others, spent considerable amounts of time in Amsterdam and often produced works in direct relation to the city. The Suriname-born Stanley Brouwn came to Amsterdam as a young adult in the mid-1950s, where he developed work that plays with the idea of dimensions and distances and prefigures a number of conceptual-based art practices. Reciprocally, some of the most influential Dutch artists traveled abroad extensively before establishing themselves in Amsterdam: Jan Dibbets studied in London, while Ger van Elk and Bas Jan Ader trained in Los Angeles. Because cross-influences between Dutch and American art scenes were so abundant, it is impossible to understand the historical significance of these artists without acknowledging their new mobility. In addition to drawings, installations, wall drawings, and films, the exhibition includes a large number of posters and ephemera.
Organized by Christophe Cherix, Curator, Department of Prints and Illustrated Books, The Museum of Modern Art.
The exhibition is made possible by MoMA's Wallis Annenberg Fund for Innovation in Contemporary Art through the Annenberg Foundation; Sue and Edgar Wachenheim Foundation; Mondriaan Foundation, Amsterdam; and Jerry I. Speyer and Katherine G. Farley.
Additional funding is provided by Stichting Over Holland and The Consulate General of the Netherlands in New York.
The accompanying publication is made possible by The International Council of The Museum of Modern Art.
The exhibition is made possible by MoMA's Wallis Annenberg Fund for Innovation in Contemporary Art through the Annenberg Foundation; Sue and Edgar Wachenheim Foundation; Mondriaan Foundation, Amsterdam; and Jerry I. Speyer and Katherine G. Farley.
Additional funding is provided by Stichting Over Holland and The Consulate General of the Netherlands in New York.
The accompanying publication is made possible by The International Council of The Museum of Modern Art.
Jan Dibbets. Untitled. 1969. Photolithographed postcard, 4 1/16 x 6” (10.3 x 15.2 cm). Publisher: Seth Siegelaub, New York. Printer: unknown. Edition: approx. 1,200. The Museum of Modern Art. Art & Project/Depot VBVR Gift. © 2009 Jan Dibbets/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. The Museum of Modern Art Digital Imaging Studio, photograph: Jonathan Muzikar
Related Publication
In & Out of Amsterdam: Travels In Conceptual Art, 1960-1976
Christophe Cherix. Essays by Christophe Cherix, Rini Dippel, Christian Rattemeyer, and Phillip van den Bossche