13.06.2010
Gustav Metzger, Project Stockholm, June, (Phase 1)
As a part of the main programme of the second edition of the ArtBoom Tauron Festival, Gustav Metzger has been invited – stateless person, anti-capitalist, and activist, born in an Orthodox Jewish family from Poland. He was one of the most prolific and independent artists of the twentieth century, and his work remains an important source of inspiration to this day.
The artist suffered a number of setbacks before the completion of his work Project Stockholm, June, (Phase 1), a documentary on which can be seen at evening screenings at the Festival Information Point next to the Town Hall tower on the Main Square. The history of the creation of this work, which you can learn about through this short description, comprises a fascinating series of events and situations.
In 1972, Metzger was to take part in two events. The first was to be the realization of the project entitled Project Stockholm, June, (Phase 1) during a United Nations Conference on the Human Environment taking place in Stockholm. At the same time Metzger was invited to take part in the prestigious Documenta 5 contemporary art exhibition, the curator of which was the legendary Harald Szeemann. The artist offered his work entitled Karba to exhibit in Kassel, Germany. It was an installation with a concept related to that of Project Stockholm, June, (Phase 1), but on a significantly smaller scale. It was made up of four automobiles, the exhaust pipes of which were connected to a nearby plastic pavilion. Unfortunately, due to an unlucky accident, the project was not completed, even though it was entered into the exhibition catalogue.
Metzger had received two letters inviting him to take part in Documenta. He did not respond to either, so Szeemann travelled to London to see him. The two spend the day talking over Indian dishes. It was then that Metzger sketched the design for Karba. After the meeting, Metzger had to send his biography and the proposal for the project very quickly, so he sent as material for review some photographs of the mock-up of Project Stockholm, June, (Phase 1) with the 120 vehicles prepared for Stockholm. The organisers probably mistakenly believed that Metzger’s concept had been expanded from 4 to 120 vehicles and as a result, the work was never produced. It was to be found only in the exhibition catalogue. In Stockholm, too, the project was not to reach the production phase. It was produced only later at the Sharjah Biennale in the United Arab Emirates in 2008, and it was then that the film seen at the ArtBoom festival was made.
The artist suffered a number of setbacks before the completion of his work Project Stockholm, June, (Phase 1), a documentary on which can be seen at evening screenings at the Festival Information Point next to the Town Hall tower on the Main Square. The history of the creation of this work, which you can learn about through this short description, comprises a fascinating series of events and situations.
In 1972, Metzger was to take part in two events. The first was to be the realization of the project entitled Project Stockholm, June, (Phase 1) during a United Nations Conference on the Human Environment taking place in Stockholm. At the same time Metzger was invited to take part in the prestigious Documenta 5 contemporary art exhibition, the curator of which was the legendary Harald Szeemann. The artist offered his work entitled Karba to exhibit in Kassel, Germany. It was an installation with a concept related to that of Project Stockholm, June, (Phase 1), but on a significantly smaller scale. It was made up of four automobiles, the exhaust pipes of which were connected to a nearby plastic pavilion. Unfortunately, due to an unlucky accident, the project was not completed, even though it was entered into the exhibition catalogue.
Metzger had received two letters inviting him to take part in Documenta. He did not respond to either, so Szeemann travelled to London to see him. The two spend the day talking over Indian dishes. It was then that Metzger sketched the design for Karba. After the meeting, Metzger had to send his biography and the proposal for the project very quickly, so he sent as material for review some photographs of the mock-up of Project Stockholm, June, (Phase 1) with the 120 vehicles prepared for Stockholm. The organisers probably mistakenly believed that Metzger’s concept had been expanded from 4 to 120 vehicles and as a result, the work was never produced. It was to be found only in the exhibition catalogue. In Stockholm, too, the project was not to reach the production phase. It was produced only later at the Sharjah Biennale in the United Arab Emirates in 2008, and it was then that the film seen at the ArtBoom festival was made.
