Günter Brus
Biography
1938 born in Ardning, Styria
1954-1958 School for Applied Arts, Graz
1958-1960 University of Applied Arts, Vienna – leaving without degree
1958-1964 Informel graphics and paintings, friendship with Alfons Schilling, Otto Mühl, Adolf Frohner, Hermann Nitsch, Rudolf Schwarzkogler, Kurt Kren. In 1961 Brus meets his future wife Anna.
1964 First action "Ana", Vienna; For the first time using the body as an artistic medium; Development from informel art to "Selbstbemalung” (Self-Painting)
1965 Several actions, a. o. Selbstverstümmelung” (Self-Mutilation), Vienna, and "Wiener Spaziergang” (Vienna Walk).
1966 Attending the "Destruction in Art Symposium", London, invited by Gustav Metzger; Radicalization of action art; First productions of action scores.
1967 "Aktion mit Diana" (Action with Diana), Vienna
1968 Action "Der helle Wahnsinn" (Sheer Madness), Aachen; Action "Kunst und Revolution" (Art and Revolution) with Otto Mühl, Oswald Wiener, Peter Weibel, Franz Kaltenbäck at the University of Vienna; Sentenced to six months prison.
1969 Escape to Berlin
1970 Last action: "Zerreissprobe" (Breaking Test), Munich
1970-1975 Return to drawing; Editing of the "Organ der österreichischen Exilregierung", the "Schastrommel" and later the "Drossel" (until 1977; together with Otmar Bauer, Oswald Wiener, Hermann Nitsch, Gerhard Rühm); Interaction of text and drawing, e.g. "Irrwisch", "Der Balkon Europas" (Europa’s Balcony), "Die Zernunft", "Das Namenlos"; Musical performance "Selten gehörte Musik" (Rarely heard music) together with Oswald Wiener, Gerhard Rühm, Dieter Roth, Hermann Nitsch at Lenbachhaus in Munich.
1976 Transformation of the prison sentence to a penalty after an audience of Anna Brus with federal president Kirchschläger.
Since 1976 Release of lyric works by the publishing house "Das Hohe Gebrechen" from Arnulf Meifert; Several text-drawing-cycles, which Günter Brus called „picture poems“ as an own genre from then on, "William Blake-Poetische Skizzen", "Franz Schreker-Die Gezeichneten"; touring exhibition "Günter Brus-Bild-Dichtungen" at Hamburger Kunsthalle, Kunstmuseum Luzern and Kulturhaus der Stadt Graz during the festival "steirischer herbst"; The novel "Die Geheimnisträger" was published; Drafts of stage designs and costumes , e.g. for "Erinnerungen an die Menschheit" by Gerhard Roth (steirischer herbst 1985).
2008 Launch ceremony of the "BRUSEUM", a Museum for Günter Brus at the Landesmuseum Joanneum.
2009 Acquisition of the literary bequest by the Styrian government.
Single and group exhibitions (selection)
1986 First extensive retrospective "Der Überblick", Museum des 20. Jahrhunderts, Vienna, Lenbachhaus Munich, Kunsthalle Düsseldorf
1988 "Aktionsmalerei-Aktionismus", Museum Fridericianum Kassel, Kunstmuseum Winterthur, Museum of Applied Arts, Vienna
1989 "Der zertrümmerte Spiegel", Albertina, Vienna, Museum Ludwig, Cologne
1993 Retrospective "Sichtgrenze-Limité du visible", Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris
1996 "Blitzartige Einfälle in vorgegebene Ideen", Neue Galerie Graz, Moderna Muzej Ljubljana; "Out of Action", a.o. Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, Museum of Applied Arts, Vienna
1999 Retrospective "Leuchtstoffpoesie", Kunsthalle Tübingen, Kunsthalle Kiel, Neue Galerie Linz
2003 "Werkumkreisung", a.o. Albertina, Vienna, Neue Galerie Graz
2005 "Günter Brus-Nervous stillness on the horizon", MACBA Barcelona
2006 "A Günter Brus Retrospective", Slought Foundation, Philadelphia
2007 "Günter Brus-Aurore de minuit", Musée d'art moderne de Saint Etienne Metropole
2008 "Günter Brus-Mitternachtsröte", Museum of Applied Arts, Vienna; "Günter Brus", Groeningemuseum Brügge; “Ein Fest für Brus", consisting of the exhibition "BRUS's + BLAKE's Jobs" und Symposion, Neue Galerie Graz.
2009 „Günter Brus: Die große Dichtkunstmaschine“, Galerie kunsthaus muerz; „Konfluenzen & Differenzen I. Günter Brus und Max Klinger“, Neue Galerie Graz; „Konfluenzen & Differenzen II. Günter Brus und Alfred Kubin“, Neue Galerie Graz.
2010 "Günter Brus-Crossing the border", BRUSEUM/Neue Galerie Graz und Janus Pannonius Múzeum Pécs.
Literary works (selection):
1984 "Die Geheimnisträger"
1987 "Amor und Amok"
1993 "Morgen des Gehirns, Mittag des Mundes, Abend der Sprache"
2002 "Die gute alte Zeit"
2007 "Das gute alte Wien"
2010 "Das gute alte West-Berlin"
