Circle! Square! Progress!: Zurich's concrete avant-garde

Abstract

"Amid the turmoil of World War II, Zurich was an enclave where modern art held its ground. In the aftermath, Concrete Art, design, and the 'Swiss Style' became emblematic of a modern Switzerland. Influenced by De Stijl, Russian Constructivism, and the Bauhaus, the Zurich Concretists aimed to transform society through aesthetics, design, and architecture. This book brings together the main protagonists along with precursors such as Sophie Taeuber-Arp, Theo van Doesburg, and Anton Stankowski. Contemporary witnesses, the artist Peter Fischli and curator Bice Curiger, add their unique perspectives. It vividly describes the Zurich Concretist's connections to the European avant-garde, delving into the hostilities, scandals, and their ultimately successful struggles for recognition against the backdrop of the upheavals of the 20th century"-- On back of cover.

Contents

Intro -- Foreword / Andreas Durisch -- Introduction: at the dentist / Thomas Haemmerli -- A short history of the Zurich concretists -- Thomas Haemmerli -- Timeline -- Pioneers, progenitors, pathfinders -- Missionary of a new society. Theo van Doesburg / Brigitte Ulmer -- Translatof universal structures. Georges Vantongerloo / Britta Schröder -- Mentor of the modernists. Johannes Itten / Brigitte Ulmer -- Beaded grenades and rebellious dance. Sophie Taeuber-Arp / Brigitte Ulmer -- Our most active member, our number one. Leo Leuppi / Thomas Haemmerli -- Cooking fats: constructivist. Coke: collaged. Anton Stankowski / Thomas Haemmerli -- The four Zurich Concretists -- Max Bill: responsible for everything from spoons to cities / Thomas Haemmerli -- Richard Paul Lohse: painting by plan, arguing by default / Thomas Haemmerli -- Verena Loewensberg: a leap out of the grid / Brigitte Ulmer -- Camille Graeser: the sentimental rationallist / Brigitte Ulmer -- The concrete universe -- Group theory and twelve-tone music / Vera Hausdorff -- Fritz Glarner: Paris, New York, Zurich: the middleman / Thomas Haemmerli -- Hans Fischli: building, painting, sculpting / Thomas Haemmerli -- My house, Bauhaus / Peter Fischli -- Binia Bill: new photography and Bill advertisements / Thomas Haemmerli -- Anne Indermaur: Zurich's energetic avant-gardist / Brigitte Ulmer -- The venues of the Concretists / Brigitte Ulmer -- A Petri dish of the Zurich avant-garde: the Galerie des Eaux Vives -- Amusement arcadia: Corso -- Rubbing shoulders with Zurich's establishment: Club bel Etage -- A place of refuge: Café Select -- Debauchery: Rhino Bill and birds of a feather / Willi Wottreng -- Scandal: "Bogeyman Bill"? - reconstruction of a dispute / Dora Imhof -- Gottfried Honegger: the lone warrior / Ewa Hess -- Suzanne Bollag: brave, charming, persistent / Brigitte Ulmer -- The Mission: concrete art in the workplace / Muriel Pérez -- Concrete art and self-branding: emblems of rational action / Wolfgang Ullrich -- The global presence of Constructivist aesthetics / Christoph Doswald -- 39 truths -- Essays, Critique, Market -- Of complexity and concrete clarity / Bice Curiger -- "Everyone has always been quoting everyone else" / John M. Armleder -- The infinite loop of pure expression / Martin Heller -- Of cats and dogs / Juri Steiner -- on the untimely relevance of the Concretists / Jörg Scheller -- Belated triumph: the Concretists on the market / Dirk Boll -- Names, Networks, Books -- From a to z -- Network -- Read on! -- Index -- Honors, Rights, Impressum -- Contributors -- Copyrights -- Thank you. Danke. Merci -- Impressum