With the exhibition Ich kenne kein Weekend. Archive and Collection René Block, Neuer Berliner Kunstverein (n.b.k.), in cooperation with Berlinische Galerie – Landesmuseum für Moderne Kunst, Fotografie und Architektur and Lentos Kunstmuseum Linz, is dedicating a show to the manifold and interdisciplinary work of gallery owner and exhibition organizer René Block. Block’s career began in 1964 in West Berlin, where he opened his gallery with the legendary show Neodada, Pop, Décollage, Kapitalistischer Realismus, presenting at the time unknown artists such as Joseph Beuys, Nam June Paik, Sigmar Polke, Gerhard Richter and Wolf Vostell. Being one of the pioneers to promote intermedia art, Fluxus and happenings, René Block played a decisive role in the Neo-Avantgarde. As director of the Visual Arts department of the DAAD as well as the ifa – Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations, Museum Fridericianum, Kunstraum Tanas and as the initiator and director of numerous biennials worldwide, Block established a unique story of tracking, showing, collecting and exhibiting modern art. Neuer Berliner Kunstverein presents works of art and favorite pieces from the curatorial work of René Block since 1964. The focus of the presentation at Berlinische Galerie is on materials, documents, photographs and films from the archive of Block. Additionally on show, there are works of art, which were created on the occasion of numerous exhibition projects.

Neuer Berliner Kunstverein

Geschichte und Geschichten (History and Stories)

Nevin Aladağ, Halil Altındere, Joseph Beuys, Claus Böhmler, George Brecht, KP Brehmer, Bazon Brock, Marcel Broodthaers, Elina Brotherus, Stanley Brouwn, John Cage, Cengiz Çekil, Giuseppe Chiari, Henning Christiansen, Braco Dimitrijević, Maria Eichhorn, Ayşe Erkmen, Robert Filliou, Terry Fox, Ludwig Gosewitz, Richard Hamilton und Dieter Roth, Al Hansen, Mona Hatoum, Dick Higgins, Karl Horst Hödicke, Jytte Høy, Pravdoliub Ivanov, Sanja Iveković, Nina Jansen, Aino Kanisto, Allan Kaprow, Gülsün Karamustafa, On Kawara, Arthur Köpcke, Julius Koller, Jarosław Kozłowski, Alicja Kwade, George Maciunas, Mangelos, Piero Manzoni, Olaf Metzel, Aydan Murtezaoğlu, Bjørn Nørgaard, Şener özmen und Erkan özgen, Ebru özseçen, Füsün Onur, Nam June Paik, Sigmar Polke, Gerhard Richter, Dieter Roth, Reiner Ruthenbeck, Sarkis, Tomas Schmit, Endre Tót, Nasan Tur, Mariana Vassileva, Ben Vautier, Wolf Vostell, Emmett Williams, Maria Wirkkala, Rémy Zaugg u. a.

Berlinische Galerie

Archive Block 1964–2014

Materials, documents, photographs and films; works by Hüseyin Bahri Alptekin, Halil Altındere, Joseph Beuys, Stanley Brouwn, Richard Hamilton, Dick Higgins, Karl Horst Hödicke, Allan Kaprow, On Kawara, Ute Klophaus, Olaf Metzel, Jürgen Müller-Schneck, Aydan Murtezaoğlu, Nam June Paik, Angelika Platen, Sigmar Polke, Tomas Schmit, Günther Uecker, Ben Vautier, Wolf Vostell a. o.

The exhibition is on show from March 18 to June 5, 2016 at Lentos Kunstmuseum Linz.

Publications

The exhibition is accompanied by an extensive publication with the collected texts by René Block and a detailed chronology. It is edited by Marius Babias, Birgit Eusterschulte and Stella Rollig, published by Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König, Cologne, 540 pages with numerous illustrations, 30 Euro for members / 39,80 Euro for non-members.

On the occasion of the exhibition there is a newspaper compiled by René Block containing numerous guest articles and materials of his curatorial work, 120 pages, 3 Euro.

Program Art Education

Thursday, October 1, 2015

5 pm – Introduction to the exhibition by Birgit Eusterschulte (art historian, Berlin)

6 pm – I am not a Curator
Panel discussion with Sabine Breitwieser (Director Museum der Moderne, Salzburg), Christian Jankowski (artist, curator Manifesta 11 – Zurich 2016, Berlin), Gabriele Knapstein (curator Hamburger Bahnhof – Museum für Gegenwart, Berlin), Jean-Hubert Martin (exhibition organizer, Paris), moderated by Kolja Reichert (art critic, Berlin)
In English
Venue: Berlinische Galerie

Thursday, November 5, 2015, 6 pm

Curators’ talk

With Marius Babias (Director Neuer Berliner Kunstverein) and René Block (exhibition organizer, Berlin)
In German
Venue: Neuer Berliner Kunstverein

Thursday, December 3, 2015, 6 pm

Joseph Beuys: Richtkräfte, 1974

With René Block (exhibition organizer, Berlin) and Eugen Blume (Director Hamburger Bahnhof – Museum für Gegenwart, Berlin)
In German
Venue: Hamburger Bahnhof – Museum für Gegenwart, Berlin
Meeting point in the foyer

Thursday, December 10, 2015

5 pm – Introduction to the exhibition by Eva Scharrer (art critic and curator, Berlin)

6 pm – Ich will hier nicht klären, warum (I do not want to clarify here why)

Panel discussion with Nevin Aladağ (artist, Berlin), Braco Dimitrijević (artist, Paris), Bjørn Nørgaard (artist, Bissinge / Denmark), moderated by Annelie Lütgens (Head of the graphics collection, Berlinische Galerie)
In German
Venue: Berlinische Galerie

Thursday, January 14, 2016

5 pm – Introduction to the exhibition by Silke Wittig (Head of communication and art education, Neuer Berliner Kunstverein)

6 pm – Ausfegen / Blockade ’69

Film excerpts by Jürgen Böttcher (filmmaker, Berlin) on the occasion of the action Ausfegen by Joseph Beuys (Berlin, May 1, 1972) and the series of actions and exhibitions Blockade ’69 with Karl Horst Hödicke, Bernd Lohaus, Blinky Palermo, Panamarenko, Sigmar Polke and Reiner Ruthenbeck (Berlin, 1969), with an introduction by Wulf Herzogenrath (Director Visual Arts, Academy of Arts, Berlin)
In German
Venue: Berlinische Galerie

Tours of the exhibition at Berlinische Galerie

Monday, September 21, 2015, 2 pm
Tour with Annelie Lütgens (Head of the graphics collection, Berlinische Galerie)

Monday, October 19, 2015, 2 pm
Tour with Birgit Eusterschulte (art historian, Berlin)

Monday, November 9, 2015, 2 pm
Tour with Silke Wittig (Head of communication and art education, Neuer Berliner Kunstverein)

Monday, November 16, 2015, 2 pm
Tour with Annelie Lütgens (Head of the graphics collection, Berlinische Galerie)

Monday, December 14, 2015, 2 pm
Tour with Eva Scharrer (art critic and curator, Berlin)