At the beginning of the 20th century, non-representational art developed, which experienced its first blossoming above all in Russian Constructivism (Kasimir Malevich) and in Dutch De Stijl (Piet Mondrian). The so-called Concrete Art describes a geometric non-representationalism, which finds its pictorial object solely through forms and colours. At the Dessau Bauhaus, the ideal connection between applied and free art opened up for the first time. During this time, Wassiliy Kandinsky painted concrete and colleagues designed strict, minimalist products and furniture.
In the post-war period, the Hochschule für Gestaltung in Ulm continued this tradition. Concrete artists like Max Bill worked both as product designers and painters. Especially the “concrete” artists like Ib Geertsen always had a great affinity to develop designs for everyday objects as well, thus combining art and everyday life. Good and beautiful form usually competes with meaningful function. More will be heard on this evening about the interplay between art and design using the example of this particular art movement.
Dr. Simone Schimpf is an art historian and has been director of the Museum of Concrete Art in Ingolstadt since 2013. It is the only specialist museum on this art movement in Germany.
A lecture to the exhibition “Ib Geertsen”.