Richard Serra recounts 1969 Amsterdam and Bern exhibitions

In a 2009 conversation with Lucy Steeds for Afterall's Exhibition Histories, Richard Serra reflects on his involvement in two exhibitions from 1969: 'Op Losse Schroeven' at the Stedelijk Museum and 'When Attitudes Become Form' at Kunsthalle Bern. At both locations, he produced a lead Splash Piece (1968/69), which sparked protests from local artists at the Stedelijk. Accompanying him was composer Philip Glass, who performed Two Pages (1968) and infamously struck a spectator who joined in. Serra viewed these exhibitions as enlightening for European artists such as Joseph Beuys and Richard Long, emphasizing a common focus on process. He favored the Amsterdam exhibition for its design and praised curator Harald Szeemann for fostering connections among artists, highlighting a pivotal moment for younger European creators.