ZERO: Countdown to Tomorrow, 1950s–60s

Heinz Mack, Lenses-Stela, Relief-Stela, Stela with 11 Wings, Diamond-Stela, Paravent for Light (1963-1997)

So after somewhat of a self-imposed mini hiatus from the art world, I’m picking back up. I managed to catch the ZERO exhibit at the Guggenheim in its second to last day before closing. The historical survey focused on the German artists’ group ZERO (1957-66) that was founded by Heinz Mack and Otto Piene and later tapped into a network of artists from Europe, Japan, and North and South American (among them: Lucio Fontana, Yves Klein, Yayoi Kusama, and Piero Manzoni to name a few). The group’s aim was to redefine art in the aftermath of World War II and go against the typical art of Europe at the time. The group mixes elements of Land art, Minimalism, Arte Povera and Conceptual art across a broad range of materials. The most striking part of the exhibition was the group’s ability to traverse geographic bounds in order to come together and create something with a common goal in mind.

Yves Klein, Blue Sponge, 1959