Karl Oskar Blase
Archive
Karl Oskar Blase (1925 in Cologne – 2016 in Kassel) was a German painter, sculptor, graphic artist, and curator. From 1964 onwards, he shaped the visual identity of the documenta exhibition in Kassel as a graphic artist. Blase, who taught as a professor of art and visual communication at the Kunsthochschule Kassel from 1966 to 1992, understood commercial graphic design as an integral part of visual culture that must follow the trends of modern communication society. Thus, he designed award-winning posters, typographies, logos, and even stamps.
In 1972, Blase developed the »Audiovisuelle Dokumentation« of documenta 5. This was part of the »new information structure« of documenta under the artistic direction of Harald Szeemann. Blase systematically documented the preparations and the exhibition of documenta 5 with a video camera. The collection of performances, interviews, and conversations with artists, mediators, and visitors grew from an initial twenty tapes to around seventy during the course of documenta. Blase recorded groundbreaking performances such as Joseph Beuys’ »Boxing Match for Direct Democracy« (1972) and Franz Erhard Walther’s demonstration of his »1st Work Set« (1972). Visitors could view the videos on two monitors on the ground floor of the Fridericianum in Kassel during the exhibition.
In addition to the » Audiovisuelle Dokumentation,« the »Besucherschule« by Bazon Brock, whose audiovisual archive is also located at the ZKM, was part of the new information structure of documenta 5, which is now considered a groundbreaking exhibition practice of the 20th century.
In 1977, Blase’s project was continued in the »Videothek« of documenta 6, curated by Manfred Schneckenburger. It comprises 36 U-Matic tapes with interviews.
The tapes, recorded by Karl Oskar Blase in 1972 before and during documenta 5 in Akai quarter-inch format, were transferred to Digibeta at the ZKM in 2001 and exhibited in an interactive playback station in 2002. In 2005, they were digitized again with significantly better results, and in 2008/2009, some of the recordings were digitally re-edited. The Karl Oskar Blase Archive contains supplementary documents on the »Audiovisuelle Dokumentation« as well as the tapes from the »Videothek« of documenta 6.
Karl Oskar Blase’s son, Christoph Blase, established the laboratory for antiquated video systems at the ZKM and headed it until 2010.
