Exhibiting the New Art

Book excerpt: The 'new art' of the late 1960s was shown in two landmark exhibitions in 1969: Op Losse Schroeven and When Attitudes Become Form. This book reveals how each brought together Arte Povera, Anti-Form, Conceptual and Land art, whilst challenging such categories and introducing innovative curatorial approaches. Christian Rattemeyer offers a rich comparative analysis of the two exhibitions, exploring the related but differing approaches of the two curators – Wim Beeren and Harald Szeemann – in two distinct institutional settings: the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam and the Kunsthalle Bern. Numerous installation photographs enable a virtual 'walk through' of each exhibition, while meticulous chronologies detail the negotiations that shaped them. Crucial texts from the time are complemented by new research and fascinating recent interviews with participating artists. Included are interviews with Marinus Boezem, Jan Dibbets, Ger van Elk, Piero Gilardi and Richard Serra. This book is Volume 1 in the Exhibition Histories series, which investigates shows that have shaped the way contemporary art is experienced, made and discussed.