Opening the Archive: The ABCs of ZERO

For the ZERO avant-garde, traditional conceptions of art could be challenged through transforming the atelier into an exhibition space and disseminating their art through books. In this manner they made friends with the representatives of Concrete Poetry. A diagram visualizes who they thought to be part of the movement: those who were open to experimentation and those were not afraid to work with fire; even in the galleries, few of which were willing to pay homage to the avant-garde at this time. International thinking united the young artists of the 1950s and 60s, whose network extended from Düsseldorf to Milan, Brussels, Paris, and Zagreb. Kinetics and light replaced brushes and canvases, and new music played in the background. They also tried to get closer to nature through the concept of the Open Artwork.

In The ABCs of ZERO, writers, scholars, and authors from the fields of art, music, sociology and theater tell the story of this art movement—from A for atelier to Z for ZERO. Featuring a wealth of photos and documents from an era just emerging from the ruins, but facing the future with optimism, this book recalls a historical moment of peaceful utopia in Europe.