Timm Ulrichs, German 'Total Artist' of Provocative Works, Dies at 86

Timm Ulrichs, the self-proclaimed 'Totalkünstler' (total artist) known for extreme performances and conceptual works, died at 86 on Wednesday afternoon, as announced by the Kunstverein Hannover, where he was the oldest member. Born in Berlin on March 31, 1940, and raised in Oldenburg, Ulrichs pioneered body art, land art, concrete poetry, and light installations. In the 1960s, he exhibited himself as an object, got tattooed, and enclosed himself in a hollowed-out boulder. He anticipated later works like Isa Genzken's 'Weltempfänger' by attaching an antenna and power cord to a concrete block. Despite being invited to Documenta 6 in 1977 and collected by many museums, Ulrichs felt overshadowed by peers like Georg Baselitz and Gerhard Richter. He subscribed to a press clipping service to track mentions of his name and often complained about lack of recognition. Curator Peter Weibel called him 'one of the greatest and most prototypical artists of the 20th century.' In 2020, he received the Käthe-Kollwitz-Preis from the Akademie der Künste. Ulrichs had already ordered his tombstone in 1969, engraved with the paradox: 'Timm Ulrichs, *31.3.1940. Denken Sie immer daran, mich zu vergessen!' (Always remember to forget me!).