Sheet from documentation box 1971

Curator: This is a sheet from a documentation box by Wolf Vostell, created in 1971. It contains a list of concrete nouns prefixed by 'Beton' in German. What strikes you initially? Editor: The stark contrast between the clinical white page and the gritty list creates an immediate tension. The composition feels almost like a concrete poem itself. Curator: Precisely. Vostell was deeply engaged with the symbolism of concrete, representing urban decay and the coldness of modern society. He often juxtaposed it with softer, more organic elements. Editor: Right, 'Beton Wind,' 'Beton Grass,' even 'Beton Vagina' disrupt the material's connotations of hardness, introducing a sense of vulnerability, even absurdity. It's a powerful deconstruction. Curator: The list itself becomes a textual sculpture, its very form reinforcing the conceptual weight. The raw handwriting reinforces this sense of immediacy. Editor: I see the date, Berlin, 1971… it roots the work in a specific time and place of division and reconstruction, adding another layer of symbolic meaning. Curator: Indeed. He captures a sense of displacement by re-contextualizing words and creating surprising new meanings. Editor: Overall, it's a simple piece, but powerfully evocative. The texture and materiality of language itself become something to consider. Curator: A testament to Vostell’s genius for finding potent forms through unexpected pairings of text and image.