Zentrum für Künstlerpublikationen

The Centre for Artists’ Publications at the Weserburg, Museum für moderne Kunst covers several archives with approx. 80,000 publications from all around the world – the largest and most outstanding collection of published artworks in Europe. This unique assortment includes 25 different types of genres, i.e.:

-    Artists’ books
-    Multiples and book objects
-    Artists’ newspapers and magazines
-    Ephemera such as posters and invitations designed by artists
-    Photographs
-    Postcards, artists’ stamps, and stickers
-    Graphic works, Xerox copies, and stamp works
-    Sound art on records, tapes, and Audio-CDs, Radio Art
-    Multimedia editions on CD-Rom and DVD
-    Artists’ videos and films
-    Secondary literature and documentation material

One can find works by over 3.000 artists of all artistic currents since the 1950s. This implies pieces from the Fluxus movement up to works from the Computer Art of the 21st century, including for example the works of Richard Long or Christo from Land Art. The Pop Art movement is represented by artists such as Andy Warhol or Ed Kienholz. Nearly all the publications of Sol LeWitt and Daniel Buren from Minimal Art and Concept Art can be found. In addition, the Visual and Concrete poetry with works by Franz Mon, Gerhard Rühm, or Henri Chopin are strongly represented. The complete published works of Christian Boltanski or Ben Vautier likewise form an emphasis of the Centre for Artist´s Publications, as do publications from Latin America and Poland.

The pool consists of 20 different archives, estates, and collections. These are, for example, the archive artists’ publications of the Weserburg, the Archive for Small Press & Communication (ASPC), the exhibitions of “The Book” and “Books by artists” from the Institute for Foreign Relations (Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen e.V.), the documentary estate of the Art Information Centre of Peter van Beveren, the Mail Art Archive of PLG Frieslaender, the Radio Archive (Kunstradio ORF Vienna, Pro Musica Nova Radio Bremen, …), the digital Radio Art Archive, the Multimedia Archive and the Artists’ Funds about Gerhard Rühm, Franz Mon and others as well as donations and private loans.

The Archive for Small Press & Communication (ASPC), which was founded by Anne and Guy Schraenen in 1974, forms the cadre of the Centre for Artists’ Publications. This archive stands out from the rest because of its great importance and its extensive amount. The ASPC mainly focuses on artistic publications from the 60s and 70s. It “wants to preserve the patrimony built up by people, active from inside and not from outside the international art scene, and to be witness and memory of actions independent of all power and influences, where the breath of non-conformism, liberty, and creation still passes.” (Guy Schraenen)

In this spirit the Centre for Artists’ Publications has set itself the target to mediate a global image from the known, as well as from the alternative international art scene – from Joseph Beuys to Andy Warhol, from Roy Adzak to Carlos Zerpa. The Centre for Artists’ Publications regards it as its assignment to collect, develop and explore artists’ publications since the 1950s. Furthermore the mediation of the substantial works in the collections and archives plays a significant role. The medial diversity of the artistic publications is brought to a wide audience through exhibitions, publications, and events. Every year about four to six exhibitions about specific artists or certain topics deliver insights into the various assets. In addition to the archives and collections, the exhibitions and events, research is the third working sphere of the Centre for Artists’ Publications. Current research projects are for example the multimedia-based representation of intermedia artistic productions, such as of Gerhard Rühm’s works, and the archiving and scientific development of Radio Art.  

Scientists and representatives of the University of Bremen, the Jacobs University, the University of the Arts, the Research Centre for East European Studies, and of the Centre for Artists’ Publications at the Weserburg Museum of Modern Art Bremen form together the Association Artists’ Publications. The Association, which is located in the Centre for Artists’ Publications at the Weserburg, has made itself for business to start the fundamental research in the area of artists’ publications, to arrange this as a new academic field of work, and to publish the research results in the series of publications about artists’ publications. Additionally, the lecture series “Theoretische Tropen”, further symposiums, and conferences are being organised.