Bazon Brock: March of Desire Through the Landscape of Theory

An art exhibition is as different from a theoretical aesthetic landscape as a chemists laboratory is from a clothes stall at a flea market. Bazon Brock’s work always aims to confront the arts directly and to work alongside them, rather than to regard them as if conveniently nailed against a wall and thus “made safe”. Brock’s aesthetic thinking allows greater perspectives to unfold. Theorems like “God and Rubbish” or “The Forbidden Serious Case” demonstrate how eternity can be gained from doubt, and how meaningful relationships can be found from the arbitrary. Art teaches us to respect and honour our greatest fears; for Brock, museums are temples for atheists who believe in art.
Brock gives guidance for “Fin invests”, ie, investing in the End; in consciously disavowing the given truths of the 20th Century, he builds complete rescue strategies. These are Action Teachings of a special kind, the aim of which being to arm oneself with burial offerings for the generation of 1968, thereby improving the chance of resurrection.
 

“March of Violence through the Exhibition”

Bazon Brock, Professor for Aesthetics and Theory of Design at the Wuppertal University integrates scientific and artistic work (film, theatre, radio plays and exhibitions) when discussing form and communication. On the occasion of his 70th birthday Bazon Brock sketches the 10 topologies with which he has been working for the past 50 years in the fields of literature, theatre, aesthetics, film, television, radio play, Action Teaching, and exhibitions. Every day the exhibition at ZKM will open with a guided tour given by Brock himself. The so-called “March of Violence” will take place from 4 - 5 pm, the “March of Desire”, in the evening, from 6 - 10 pm.
 

Short Biography

Bazon Brock (*1936) describes his role as a “high official mover” who in his unusual Theory and Practise propagates his aesthetic of reception. As a professor for non normative aesthetics, culture criticism and as a multi medial “Generalist” (Brock’s word for a lateral thinker able to make conclusions from a broad range of disciplines) he has published a large number of works, books, writings, manifestos, projects for radio, film, audio visual Performances and Happenings, as well as collaborating with other artists such as Joseph Beuys and Wolf Vostell. His main work is “Aesthetics as Communication. Biography of a Generalist”.

Further stations of the “March of Desire” have been scheduled for: Frankfurt(Main), Cologne, Hannover, Wuppertal, Graz, Berlin, Leipzig, Pfaeffikon/Zurich and Hamburg.