Tommaso Trini on 1969 Exhibitions in Bern, Amsterdam, Rotterdam
In a 1969 essay that was later reissued by Afterall in 2010, Tommaso Trini critiques three exhibitions: 'When Attitudes Become Form' at Kunsthalle Bern (22 March–27 April 1969), 'Op Losse Schroeven' at Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam (15 March–27 April 1969), and Michelangelo Pistoletto's solo exhibition at Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen Rotterdam (22 March–24 May 1969). He characterizes the Bern and Amsterdam displays as a 'museographic emergency,' with artworks scattered at the feet of attendees. Trini emphasizes notable pieces by Richard Long, Robert Morris, and Bruce Nauman while addressing media usage, referencing Seth Siegelaub's Xerox book and Gerry Schum's Land art film (15 April 1969). He also mentions a Naples incident where the Inexistent Gallery sparked chaos by igniting motor-tyres in the Vesuvius crater. Trini commends Italian artists and concludes that while the Bern exhibition is significant, it is at risk of failure.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'When Attitudes Become Form' at Kunsthalle Bern, 22 March–27 April 1969
- Exhibition 'Op Losse Schroeven' at Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, 15 March–27 April 1969
- Michelangelo Pistoletto solo show at Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen Rotterdam, 22 March–24 May 1969
- Gerry Schum's Land art film broadcast on German TV on 15 April 1969
- Inexistent Gallery created an eruption inside Vesuvius crater on 15 April 1969
- Seth Siegelaub published a Xerox book on artists
- Robert Morris's Earth work involved combustible materials to be set on fire on closing day
- Bruce Nauman screened films of himself playing violin and walking in his studio
Entities
Artists
- Tommaso Trini
- Michelangelo Pistoletto
- Richard Long
- Robert Morris
- Bruce Nauman
- Jan Dibbets
- Hans Haacke
- Dennis Oppenheim
- Robert Smithson
- Günther Uecker
- Seth Siegelaub
- Gerry Schum
- Marinus Boezem
- Barry Flanagan
- Michael Heizer
- Walter De Maria
- Gianni Pisani
- Giannetto Bravi
- Robert Rauschenberg
- Allan Kaprow
- Anton Ehrenzweig
- Ger van Elk
- Reiner Ruthenbeck
- Mario Merz
- Wim Beeren
- Harald Szeemann
- Claes Oldenburg
- Noam Chomsky
- Marisa Merz
- Paolo Icaro
- Pier Paolo Calzolari
- Richard Serra
- Joseph Beuys
- Emilio Prini
- Pino Pascali
- Giovanni Anselmo
- Gilberto Zorio
- Piero Gilardi
- Hieronymus Bosch
- Vincent van Gogh
- Johannes Vermeer
- Richard Artschwager
- Robert Barry
- Jared Bark
- Ted Glass
- Jo A. Kaplan
- Bernd Lohaus
- Roelof Louw
- Bruce McLean
- David Medalla
- Paul Pechter
- William G. Wegman
- Keith Sonnier
- Frank Viner
- Eva Hesse
- Richard Tuttle
- Robert Ryman
- Alain Jacquet
- Sarkis
- Alighiero Boetti
- Janis Kounellis
- Edward Kienholz
- Yves Klein
- Piero Manzoni
- Germano Celant
- Kynaston McShine
- Willoughby Sharp
- Maurice Tuchman
- Michael Asher
- Larry Bell
- Karlheinz Stockhausen
- Christo
- Velimir Chlébnikov
Institutions
- Afterall
- Kunsthalle Bern
- Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
- Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen Rotterdam
- Dwan Gallery New York
- Museum of Modern Art New York
- Cornell University
- Andrew Dickson White Museum of Art
- Gerry Schum Gallery Berlin
- Inexistent Gallery Naples
- Sperone Gallery Turin
- Los Angeles County Museum of Art
- Domus magazine
Locations
- Bern
- Switzerland
- Amsterdam
- Netherlands
- Rotterdam
- New York
- United States
- Ithaca
- Berlin
- Germany
- Naples
- Italy
- Portici
- Ercolano
- Vesuvius
- Turin
- Paris
- France
- Krefeld
- Stockholm
- Sweden
- Bologna
- 's-Hertogenbosch
- Otterlo
- Delft
- Hasebroekstraat
- Rome
Sources
- Afterall —