DEINE KUNST (4) “Informel, das / Stil, der – Das Schweigen der Bilder als stupide Zumutung oder Die Sprachlosigkeit”

Michael Müller was invited by the Städtische Galerie Wolfsburg to curate an experimental presentation of the institution's collection, titled Deine Kunst, to celebrate its 45th anniversary. Deine Kunst is a series of exhibitions presented across two years from 2019 to 2021. Taking a selection of works from the museum's in-house collection as the pretext to experiment with the conditions and possibilities of composing an exhibition, Müller creates completely new, surprising references.

The fourth chapter of Deine Kunst: “Informal, the / Style, the—The Silence of the Pictures as a Mindless Imposition or the Speechlessness” opened on 26 May 2020. The first part of the title makes reference to the post-war art movement: Art Informel. After the Second World War, the world was disoriented. Fascism has turned progressive artistic tendencies to a standstill in Europe. There were persecution, ostracism, expulsion or even murder of artists. The art world was calling for a radical reorientation. In turning away from form, representation and theory, the focus shifted onto material, signs and gestures. Gestural painting and drawing as an act of departure as well as individual and artistic liberation developed simultaneously in Europe and America.

Michael Müller created artist rooms, each room featuring an artist representative of Art Informel. However, there will be no references or information about the artworks or the artists in these rooms, as indicated in the second part of this chapter’s title. Michael Müller lets the artworks speak for themselves and removes them from the didactic description and historical art context—a mindless imposition!

Selected works by 19 artists are presented, including pioneers of Art Informel: Peter Brüning, Carl Buchheister, Emil Cimiotti, Karl Fred Dahmen, Jean Dubuffet, Karl Otto Götz, Hans Hartung, Gerhard Hoehme, Henri Michaux, Michael Müller, Gerhard Richter, Emil Schumacher, K.R.H. Sonderborg, Pierre Soulages, Fred Thieler, Mark Tobey, Hann Trier, Fritz Winter, and Wols.