Spanning six decades, the multimedia oeuvre of Rebecca Horn (b. 1944, Germany) deals with the theme of existence, and the blurring of boundaries between nature and culture, technology and biological capital, and the human and the non-human. Whether one describes the artist as an inventor, director, author, composer, or poet, she sees herself first and foremost as a choreographer. Horn describes her artistic practice as carefully calculated relationships of space, light, physicality, sound, and rhythm, which come together to form an ensemble. In her performative, sculptural, and film works, the acts of becoming a machine, becoming an animal, or becoming the Earth present life as a visible, tangible, and audible existence that can be experienced through the body.
The exhibition “Rebecca Horn” traces the performative, that is, choreographic, aspects of the artist’s work for the first time. Horn repeatedly invokes the language of dance as a medium and catalyst for her artistic thinking. Early on, she created visionary symbols for the interconnectedness of bodies and technology. She has developed this theme from her first works on paper in the 1960s, through the early performances and films of the 1970s, the mechanical sculptures of the 1980s, and the expansive installations of the 1990s, up to the present day.
The artist makes networks of human and non-human actors visible, questioning the position of humans as one of many species. Virtuously interwoven references to the history of literature, art, and film run through her entire oeuvre. Horn’s work is a lifelong, significant exploration of the progressive decentering of the human being within a cosmic whole.
Curated by Jana Baumann with Radia Soukni.
The exhibition is accompanied by an audio guide, offering visitors the opportunity to explore the poems and prose texts of Rebecca Horn in the context of her works. For the artist, writing is the starting point of her work and thus of great significance. The audio tour can be listened to on your own smartphone or via an audio guide provided at the ticket desk.
A catalog will be released in German and English alongside the exhibition, featuring installation shots, historical material, as well as some insightful texts and interviews on the work of Jana Baumann, Hendrik Folkerts, Jack Halberstam, Nancy Spector, and Timothy Baum. The catalog will be available in July 2024 from Spector Books and can be pre-ordered at versand@hausderkunst.de.
On 17. & 24.9.24, film screenings dedicated to Rebecca Horn will take place in collaboration with the Stadtmuseum München.
As the closing event for the retrospective, encompassing six decades, Haus der Kunst is dedicating a one-day international symposium, titled “Bodies in motion,” to Rebecca Horn’s transmedia oeuvre. Taking place on 12.10.24, the event will include panel discussions, conversations, and film screenings, exploring the versatility of Horn’s work will be discussed from new perspectives.
For their annual support of our programme we thank our shareholders, the Free State of Bavaria and the Gesellschaft der Freunde Haus der Kunst e.V. We further thank our major supporter, the Alexander Tutsek-Stiftung for their generous commitment to our work, as well as Ulli and Uwe Kai-Stiftung. For the kind support of the exhibition we thank Kultustiftung des Bundes.
