In the exhibition Collected Attitudes, we are fascinated by artistic positions that become especially apparent in the artists’ biographies. Individuals like Roman Opałka or Stanley Brouwn pursued their originally chosen artistic path with remarkable consistency throughout their lives. So from the very beginning, in the 1960s, Stanley Brouwn surveyed not only himself and his activities, but also the world based on respectively applicable norms, situating the two adjacently (Ein Schritt (film sequence from Identifications, an exhibition by the television gallery Gerry Schum) and This way Brouwn, both 1970). Roman Opałka, in turn, worked his entire life on a large “time” project. He photographed himself in the same clothing and the same pose again and again, thus documenting the process of his own aging (Opałka 1965/1 – ∞ détail 2089549, détail 4382539, and détail 5433571).
Throughout his life, Michael Asher did not actually create art objects in a conventional sense (The Michael Asher lobby, 1983, and Installation Münster Skulptur.Projekte, 2007). What kept capturing his interest were “only” locations, spaces, and their history, which he often made visible through architectural interventions. Donald Evans, in turn, painted deceptively real stamps throughout his life and created ever-new dream worlds there (Sabot – poisonous mushrooms (a series of eight stamps), 1973, and Tropides Islands (a series of three stamps), 1977). Evans was able to tote his entire oeuvre in a stamp album, his Catalog of the world.
The approach taken by On Kawara, whose works touch on his whereabouts and activities over many years (I went I met I read journal 1969, 1999) – is also very consistent. His other big artistic theme is time (One million years, 1993–2010).
In contrast, artists like Ian Wilson, Cady Noland, and Charlotte Posenenske decided to set off on a completely new path. By 1968, Ian Wilson had stopped creating actual artworks to be grasped visually to instead engage in discussions about art, while Charlotte Posenenske initially created work elements, a modular work that each person could put together as he or she saw fit (Vierkantrohre Serie D, 1967–2017). She later went even further along this participatory path, completely turning away from artistic production to instead study sociology and work on social projects. Since the abrupt end of her career as an artist, Cady Noland (Blank for a serial, 1989 and untitled, 1996) has focused on having her oeuvre pulled from the art market.
The artist Daan van Golden is regarded as a pop artist, but there is a very specific artistic position evident in his work. Throughout his life, he touched on the personal, his daughter, and beauty – and did so with astonishing and striking consistency. The same few motifs appear year after year, and even his exhibition catalogs always cite themselves again and again.
Other artists stand for a stance of rejection. A good example is Piero Manzoni with his “artist’s shit” (Merda d’artista, 1963/2013), or Michael Krebber, who did not show any works in his first gallery exhibition. Instead, he presented an interview that Dan Graham conducted with Robert Smithson (Dan Graham interview, Noema, 1990).
In addition, the exhibition Collected Attitudes shows artistic approaches like that of Mason Williams, a childhood friend of Ed Ruscha. Williams himself says that he was a conceptual artist for exactly two years. During this time, he developed a series of works in cooperation with Ed Ruscha, including the art books Crackers and Royal Road Test. He also put a Greyhound Bus down on paper in its original size (Bus, 1967) and painted a giant sunflower on the sky in California, several kilometers in size, with the assistance of skywriters (Sunflower, 1967). Williams was, moreover, very successful as a musician. He wrote the world hit Classical Gas in 1968 and enjoyed great respect as a scriptwriter for television. While Ed Ruscha himself has always remained constant, noting, “I still make the same stuff,” Williams speaks of a wealth of positions that he has adopted during his life.
Our exhibition includes mostly artwork from the first generation of conceptual artists – intending to illustrate, rather than evaluate, the different approaches pursued by artists. We simply want to learn from these positions and the related biographies. People often ask me about the criteria for our collection – it is the artistic attitude that is decisive for us.
Axel Haubrok
Installation view
Installation view
The Michael Asher Lobby, 1983

Archive of Dr. Joseph M. Carrier 1962–73, 2010

Sabot – Poisonous Mushrooms, 1973
Right: Donald Evans
Tropical Islands, 1977
Installation view
One million years, 1999

Sunflower (Sunflower skywriter art concept Desert NW of Apple Valley, California – 7/11/67), 1967

Every building on the Sunset Strip, 1966

Vierkantrohre, Serie D, 1967–2016

Vierkantrohre, Serie D, 1967–2016
List of works
Bas Jan Ader
Art & Project Bulletin #89, 1975
Bas Jan Ader
Art & Project Bulletin #44, 1971
Eleanor Antin
100 boots, 1971–73
Michael Asher
Installation Münster Skulptur.Projekte, 2007
Michael Asher
The Michael Asher Lobby, 1983
Stanley Brouwn
Ein Schritt, Filmsequenz aus Identifications / eine Ausstellung der Fernsehgalerie Gerry Schum, 1970
Mit freundlicher Genehmigung des SWR
Stanley Brouwn
This way Brouwn, 1964
Stanley Brouwn
This way Brouwn, 1962
Alan Charlton
Untitled tryptich, 1990
Donald Evans
Tropides islands (A series of three stamps), 1977
Donald Evans
Sabot – poisonous mushrooms (A series of eight stamps), 1973
Allan Kaprow
Satisfaction, 1976
Allan Kaprow
Eco-logy, 1975
Allan Kaprow
Rates of exchange, 1975
Allan Kaprow
Pose – carrying chairs through the city, sitting down here and there, photographed, pix left on spot, going on, 1969
Allan Kaprow
Record, 1968
Allan Kaprow
4 happenings, 1963
On Kawara
One million years, 1993–2010
On Kawara
I went I met I read journal 1969
1999
On Kawara
One million years, 1999
Michael Krebber
Dan Graham Interview NOEMA, Relikt aus der Vitrinenausstellung von Michael Krebber in der Galerie Nagel im Jahre 1990, 1990
Piero Manzoni
Merda D’Artista, 1963/2013
Jerry McMillan
Ed covered with 12 of his books, 1970
Jerry McMillan
Ed Ruscha with six of his books balanced on his head, 1970
Cady Noland
untitled, 1996
Cady Noland
Blank for a serial, 1989
Roman Opalka
Opalka 1965 / 1 – détail 2089549, 1965
Roman Opalka
Opalka 1965 / 1 – détail 4382539, 1965
Roman Opalka
Opalka 1965 / 1 – détail 5433571, 1965
Charlotte Posenenske
6 Vierkantrohre Serie D, 1967–2017
Charlotte Posenenske
10 Vierkantrohre Serie D, 1967–2017
courtesy Nachlass Charlotte Posenenske & Mehdi Chouakri, Berlin
Charlotte Posenenske
Art & Project Bulletin #1, 1968
Alexander Rischer
19 Orte, 2016
courtesy Galerie Adamski, Berlin
Ed Ruscha
Hard light, 1978
Ed Ruscha
Colored people, 1972
Ed Ruscha
A few palm trees, 1971
Ed Ruscha
Records, 1971
Ed Ruscha
Babycakes, 1970
Ed Ruscha
Real estate opportunities, 1970
Ed Ruscha
Business cards, 1968
Ed Ruscha
Nine swimming pools and broken glass, 1968
Ed Ruscha
Thirtyfour parking lots in L.A., 1967
Ed Ruscha
Every building on the Sunset Strip, 1966
Ed Ruscha
Some Los Angeles apartments, 1965
Ed Ruscha
Various small fires and milk, 1964
Ed Ruscha
Twentysix gasoline stations, 1963
Ed Ruscha & Mason Williams
Crackers, 1969
Ed Ruscha & Mason Williams
Royal road test, 1967
Daan van Golden
Heerenlux, 2015
Daan van Golden
untiteld (Edition Wiels), 2015
Daan van Golden
Nepal, 1983/2013
Daan van Golden
Art & Project Bulletin #155, 1989
Julian Wasser & Marcel Duchamp
Duchamp playing chess with a nude (Eve Babitz), 1963
Mason Williams
Them poems, 2000
Mason Williams
Flavors, 1970
Mason Williams
The Mason Williams F.C.C. rapport, 1969
Mason Williams
The Mason Williams reading matter, 1969
Mason Williams
Music (LP), 1968
Mason Williams
Pat Paulson for President, 1968
Mason Williams
Phonograph record (LP), 1968
Mason Williams
Boneless roast, 1967
Mason Williams
Bus, 1967
Mason Williams
Sunflower (Sunflower skywriter art concept Desert NW of Apple Valley, California – 7/11/67), 1967
Mason Williams
The night I lost my baby, 1966
Mason Williams
Tosadnessday, 1966
Mason Williams
Bicyclists dismount, 1964
Ian Wilson
The pure awareness of the absolute in art: A discussion. Ian Wilson at KW Institute for contemporary art, 2017
Ian Wilson
The pure awareness of the absolute in art: Discussions. Ian Wilson at dia:beacon, 2013
Ian Wilson
The pure awareness of the absolute in art: A discussion. Ian Wilson at the Haubrok collection, 2013
Ian Wilson
There was a discussion in Berlin, 2013
Ian Wilson
Ian Wilson at Museion, Bozen, 2008
Ian Wilson
Galerie Rolf Preisig, Basel, March 11 – 13, 1978, 1978
Ian Wilson
Galerie Rolf Preisig, Basel, May 2 – 4, 1976, 1976
Ian Wilson
John Weber Gallery, London, June 1 – 3, 1976, 1976
Ian Wilson
Galeria Toselli, Mailand, March 26, 1974, 1974
Ian Wilson
Galerie Rolf Preisig, Basel, September 20, 1974, 1974
Ian Wilson
John Weber Gallery, London, May 29, 1974, 1974
Ian Wilson
Jack Wendler Gallery, London, in der Galerie angekündigtes Thema, March 26, 1973, 1973
Ian Wilson
John Weber Gallery, March 18 & 20, 1973, Gian Enzo Sperone, 1973
Ian Wilson
Art & Project Bulletin #59, 1972
Ian Wilson
Galeria Toselli, Mailand, Ian Wilson, 1972
Ian Wilson
Jack Wendler Gallery, London, Ian Wilson, January 7 – 14, 1972, 1972
Ian Wilson
John Weber Gallery, Can something be “made” clear?, May 25, 1972, 1972
Ian Wilson
Konrad Fischer, Düsseldorf, Ian Wilson ist da, January 25 – 27, 1972, 1972
Ian Wilson
Art & Project Bulletin #30, 1970
Ian Wilson
Circle on the floor, 1968