Can we like contemporary art?

“Can we still like contemporary art? And what is conceptual art? What’s the difference between modern and contemporary art?”

These were the tag lines used by Studium Generale to entice potential attendees to their most recent lecture series, entitled, “An introduction to contemporary art”.

Bonnefanten Museum, Maastricht

The two lectures and art tour took place at the Bonnefanten Museum, a most fitting location, as one of the establishment’s mission statements is “to show international developments in contemporary art from 1980.”

And so on a wonderful sunny Sunday morning in Maastricht a number of eager art followers gathered expectantly at the doors of the museum. We were greeted most warmly by the Studium Generale representatives and shown to the auditorium. After a short introduction and the usual formalities we were handed over to Dr Guido Goossens. A historian and cultural philosopher, Dr Goossens teaches for the Faculty of Cultural Sciences at the University of Maastricht and is also chairman of Hedah, centre of contemporary art.

Dr Goossens outlined his aim by starting his talk with a quote from the foreword of the Whitney Biennal in 2006 by Adam D. Weinberg and Alice Pratt Brown, “Today’s situation is highly complex, contradictory and confusing. It is an environment few can make sense of.” From here he had laid the foundations of what should follow. After an explanation of how he would focus around the key collection of contemporary art at the Bonnefanten Museum he elaborated that this would allow him to illustrate important developments in contemporary art since the 1960′s.

The aptly named “Key Collection” at the museum is comprised of the work of twelve artists the likes of whom emphasize the museum’s focus on an international orientation with artists heralding from across Europe to the United States. The common factor throughout this list is that they are all contemporaries, belonging to the generation of 1968/69 or as we have come to think of that time the “Woodstock” generation.

Dr Goossens also informed us that there is another label for that period used by the art world, “When attitudes become form/On Loose screws” – at first seemingly nonsense, he admitted to chuckles throughout the auditorium. But further explanation taught us that the terms refer to two iconic exhibitions which were to become a landmark signalling the breakthrough of a new kind of art.
Dr Goossens outlined other important movements that were occurring concurrently in order to give a rounded picture of the times. Everything was becoming uncertain; the world was in a state of flux.

Exhibition Catalogue, When attitudes become form, 1969

Dr Goosens proceeded by showing a few slides with pictures of the artists work to demonstrate what sort of art was exhibited at these two landmark exhibitions.

Jannis Kounellis, Untitled, 1969

From these pictures Dr Goossens explained how unusual these exhibitions were at that time. It was the first time visitors would go to a gallery and not know what was art and what was not. These artists were completely undermining the traditional notion of art.

Here ended the first part of the lecture and a very concise of overview into the “Key collection” of the Bonnefanten Museum and the era we were addressing. A short break with tea and coffee from the museum’s café was provided as people chatted and mingled in the auditorium, taking a moment or two to stretch their legs.

When Attitudes become form, Berne 1969

The next part of the lecture focused on this “breakthrough of a new kind of art” and how a fundamental shift in outlook was necessary. This period of art in the 1960’s would later be seen in art history as a period of transformation, “the beginning of a new paradigm” as Dr Goossens put it.

He outlined how modern art is considered that from the mid 19th century to the late 1960’s, where we see the dawn of contemporary art, also known as postmodern art .

Dr Goossens next took us through an admittedly brief, but necessary pictorial landscape of the history of modern art from Impressionism and Expressionism through to Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism. With this brief outline we were now able to correctly place Contemporary Art in its historical timeline.

“How To Look At Modern Art In America” by Ad Reinhard

In the final stages of the talk Dr Goossens drew comparisons between the twelve artists exhibited at the museum and work of recent contemporary artists such as Tracy Emin and Damien Hirst allowing us to make the connection between the art that fills galleries now and how this art developed through the 1960’s to take galleries away from the more traditional focus on painting and sculptures to a more “anything goes” attitude or as Goossens put it “The expanded concept of art: Everything can be art!”

Tracy Emin, Everyone I have Ever Slept With, 1995

Finally Dr Goossens surmised that the essential crux of contemporary art is it has broadened our notion of art. It has opened up the art world to each and every individual allowing an unprecedented freedom where the idea is more important than the implementation. After some very open questions and equally as open answers regarding the future of the art world and the necessity of skill and talent in art, Dr Goossens wished us all a lovely Sunday and received a warm round of applause.

In short, we were provided with a coherent, concise introduction into the birth of contemporary art and an outline of some of its most eminent representatives. A wonderful way to spend a Sunday morning in Maastricht.

By Dani Older

Dani is a British student here for a three year course studying Art and Culture at Maastricht University.

The series of lectures continues on Sunday 14th November, visit Studium Generale for more information: Studium Generale”

Other sources for Contemporary Art in Maastricht:
http://www.hedah.nl – Centre of Contemporary Art
http://www.marres.org/nl - Centre for Contemporary culture