Philip Morris's Avant-Garde Sponsorship of 'When Attitudes Become Form'
In her essay for Afterall's Exhibition Histories series, Claudia di Lecce delves into the 1969 exhibition 'When Attitudes Become Form' held at Kunsthalle Bern, marking a significant instance of corporate involvement in the arts. The exhibition was financed by the American tobacco company Philip Morris, which contributed $15,000 for its preparation and an additional $10,000 for the catalogue, with assistance from PR firm Ruder & Finn and Fine Arts director Nina Kaiden. Although curator Harald Szeemann enjoyed complete artistic autonomy, the exhibition was required to travel. This initiative aimed to enhance Philip Morris's reputation amidst rising health issues related to smoking. The show showcased artists like Carl Andre and Richard Serra and later toured Museum Haus Lange in Krefeld and ICA London. Philip Morris's support of avant-garde events was framed as an early instance of 'art-based marketing.'
Key facts
- Exhibition 'When Attitudes Become Form' held at Kunsthalle Bern in spring 1969
- Sponsored by Philip Morris with $15,000 for preparation and $10,000 for catalogue
- Curator Harald Szeemann given full artistic freedom but required to tour the exhibition
- PR firm Ruder & Finn and its Fine Arts director Nina Kaiden orchestrated the sponsorship
- Philip Morris sought to improve corporate image after 1964 Surgeon General report linking smoking to lung cancer
- Szeemann had previously shown Philip Morris's Pop art portfolio at Kunsthalle Bern in 1966
- Exhibition toured to Museum Haus Lange, Krefeld and Institute of Contemporary Arts, London
- Philip Morris later sponsored Halifax Conference and exhibitions 'New Alchemy', 'A Plastic Presence', 'Air'
Entities
Artists
- Harald Szeemann
- Carl Andre
- Richard Serra
- Lawrence Weiner
- Andy Warhol
- Roy Lichtenstein
- Allen Jones
- Jim Dine
- Mel Ramos
- James Rosenquist
- Marcel Duchamp
- Öyvind Fahlström
- Michelangelo Pistoletto
- Dan Flavin
- Marinus Boezem
- Jan Dibbets
- Ger van Elk
- Piero Gilardi
- Richard Long
- Richard Artschwager
- Michael Heizer
- Walter De Maria
- Keith Sonnier
- Hans Haacke
- Eva Hesse
- Bruce Nauman
- Joseph Beuys
- Daniel Buren
- Mario Merz
- Robert Morris
- Robert Smithson
- Claes Oldenburg
- James Turrell
- Robert Irwin
- Douglas Wheeler
Institutions
- Kunsthalle Bern
- Philip Morris
- Ruder & Finn
- American Federation of the Arts (AFA)
- United States Information Agency (USIA)
- Stedelijk Museum
- Museum Haus Lange
- Institute of Contemporary Arts London
- Galleria d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea Rome
- Nova Scotia College of Art and Design
- Art Gallery of Ontario
- Jewish Museum New York
- National Gallery of Victoria Melbourne
- Whitney Museum of American Art
- Altria
- Esquire magazine
- Artforum
- Afterall
Locations
- Bern
- Switzerland
- Krefeld
- Germany
- London
- United Kingdom
- Rome
- Italy
- Halifax
- Canada
- Toronto
- New York
- United States
- Melbourne
- Australia
- Lausanne
- Amsterdam
- Netherlands
- Los Angeles
Sources
- Afterall —