ZKM Karlsruhe Acquires Pioneering Archive of TV and Video Art by Gerry Schum and Ursula Wevers

The ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe has acquired the archive of Gerry Schum (1938–1973) and Ursula Wevers (born 1943), documenting their pioneering work in television and video art from 1968 to 1973. The purchase was supported by the Cultural Foundation of the German States. The archive, preserved by Ursula Wevers for over five decades, includes original 16mm films, videotapes, audio recordings, photographs, correspondence, press and publication materials, technical documents, and original video equipment. Schum and Wevers founded the 'Fernsehgalerie' (TV Gallery) in the late 1960s, a concept to produce art specifically for television. Their first broadcast, 'LAND ART' (1969), featured works by Richard Long, Robert Smithson, and Walter De Maria, and is credited with coining the term 'Land Art.' Subsequent broadcasts on ARD included works by Joseph Beuys, Daniel Buren, Gilbert & George, Mario Merz, Richard Serra, and Lawrence Weiner. After broadcasters ended collaboration, they opened the 'videogalerie schum' in Düsseldorf in 1971. The ZKM, with its in-house laboratory for antiquated video systems, will conserve, restore, and digitize the materials. The collection will be on view from May 30 in the exhibition 'The Television as Gallery: The Archive of Gerry Schum and Ursula Wevers' at ZKM. Additional funding was provided by the City of Karlsruhe and the State of Baden-Württemberg.