Lawrence Weiner - AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE

27th September, 2008 – 11th January, 2009

This exhibition was organized by the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York and The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.

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Media partner

Thanks to

WAZ Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung

Steigenberger Parkhotel Düsseldorf

For Lawrence Weiner art is about “relationships between human beings and objects, and between objects and other objects in relation to human beings”. This concept which is based on materials and their interconnection explains why he also refers to his language-based works as sculptures.

These works deal with an endless variety of physical and cultural phenomena. Figures of speech, punctuation and graphic elements are used in order to break down conventional hierarchies and boundaries. These works address both simple and complex issues, and are both theoretically and poetically challenging.

Initially Weiner favoured a particularly matter-of-fact typography for his works. However, since the eighties he has developed an increasingly wide spectrum of printing styles and graphic elements.

Weiner’s works are often created for specific places, although they are generally transferable to other situations. It is important to him that they should adapt to the culture in question. For example, as a rule, they are not only shown in English but also in the language of the country.

Fifty of these language based works and also several created later on, make up the core of the exhibition at K21. In addition, six early paintings, a sculpture and about 30 drawings will be shown.

Apart from that, over 200 artist’s books and multiples of all kinds, and also about 230 posters will be on display. An audio guide will give visitors an impression of Weiner’s acoustic works.

The exhibition in K21 will be supplemented by works in public places which show Weiner’s incredibly flexible kind of art in connection with everyday life.

The spectrum ranges from an almost 100 metre long work on the façade of the currently closed K20 building, to sporadic interventions in one of the most important daily newspapers of North Rhine-Westphalia, to a tram decorated with a language-based work which will be deployed in Düsseldorf during the show. The exhibition’s extension into the city’s environs is partly inspired by the fact that early on Weiner established intense connections with Europe and also with the Rhineland.

Since 1969 important shows on his work have been taking place here. Collectors and museums started purchasing his creations. Earlier than anywhere else, critics and audiences were confronted with the radical quality and extent of his oeuvre.

Catalogue

The English-language catalogue “AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE” of the partner museums The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles and the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York was published at Yale University Press. English, 412 pages, 202 colour plates.
Price 54,80 €.

A 60 page supplementary publication in German with an introduction, an interview and also comments by Weiner on his works will complete this offer.

Price: 9 €