Introduction

Antoni Muntadas, born in 1942 and resident in New York since 1971, is one of the early representatives of international concept and media art. From 18. June to 10. September, 2006, the Württembergischer Kunstverein Stuttgart will be presenting his work in a comprehensive solo exhibition.

The starting point of the exhibition in Stuttgart was the interest in realising in large format one of Muntadas’ projects originally shown as a sort of “prototype” in Dortmund in 2003 : the project On Translation: Die Sammlung that, on the basis of editions, examines which influences the standards of museum presentation have on the status, perception and significance of art works.

However, during the course of its development, the exhibition was not restricted to this project. Muntadas was far more interested in comparing the museum – as one of the terrains of high-culture – with a terrain of popular culture. The question as to the relationship between the institution, the culture industry and the audience was to be considered from two, apparently opposite, poles: that of the museum, on the one hand, while, on the other – with the installation Stadium XII. Homage to the Audience – the stadium.

As a peg between “On Translation: Die Sammlung” and “Stadium”, Muntadas then initiated a third project – Protokolle – which provided the title and focus of the exhibition as well as the beginning of a new field of analysis for the artist.

A brochure as well as a substantial publication accompany the exhibition.