KULTUR IN BEWEGUNG. Meran 1965 - 1990

Artists: Barbara Bertagnolli, Christoph Blum, Henri Chopin, Arnold M. Dall’O, Jakob de Chirico, Walter Erckert, Ulrich Egger, Peter Fellin, Anton Frühauf, Eduard Habicher , Toni Hanny, Siegfried Höllrigl, Elisabeth Hölzl , Hansgeorg Hölzl, Georg Jappe, Marcello Jori, Margit Klammer, Milan Knizak, Linda Ladurner, Konrad Laimer, Peter Lloyd, Ivo Mahlknecht, Antonio Manfredi, Manfred Alois Mayr, Vito Mazzotta, Carmen Müller, Hermann Nitsch, Oswald Oberhuber, Franz Pichler , Rafael Montanez Ortíz, Elisabeth Oberrauch, Alessandra Pucci, Rina Riva, Mili Schmalzl, Matthias Schönweger, Luis Stefan Stecher, Rudolf Stingel, Paul Thuile, Regina Klaber Thusek, Hans Tischler, Peppi Tischler, Karl Vonmetz, Willy Wiemann

Seen in retrospect, Merano was from 1965 to 1990 in many ways a highly important cultural centre in the midst of Europe. The book making this claim is the result of numerous findings following extensive research into 25 years of the political, cultural and social life of this small bilingual city on the River Passer. Condensing the artistic output of those years, an exhibition – also entitled “Culture on the Move: Meran/o 1965-1990” and featuring some 100 significant works – opened on 26 February 2021.

While the book takes a broad cultural-historical approach, the exhibition largely provides an insight into the art of those years. The vast artistic panorama covers fluxus, performance, assemblage, action art, mail art, abstract painting, drawing, jewellery art and photography.
The exhibition traces the generational change between the artists, their diversity and their friendly relations with each other, as well as the historical contexts, political intentions and rebellious ideas of certain artists.
In the tensions existing between these very different personalities arose a dense network of artistic careers, exhibitions and encounters. The works of the 45 artists make it possible to comprehend a change that is characterised both by a multifaceted cultural development and by drastic breaks. This shift is not due to any competitive rivalry, but rather to a fruitful exchange between locally rooted and internationally active artists – here, in and around Meran/o, just as abroad. Traces of a collective dialogue about art can be found in joint exhibitions or joint work on performances and actions. Their international education and first experiences of exhibiting far from South Tyrol have embedded a number of younger artists in the international scene.
The years between 1965 and 1990 were marked by a critical yet fundamentally positive mood in South Tyrol. The sometimes-violent political discourse – after the years of bombs, finally pursued in a non-violent manner in the institutions – and the concerns of the “1968 generation” coupled with a strong desire for modernity, all prompted movement in many areas of cultural life. The new stability led to a wide range of cultural events and a continuous internationalisation. A growing professionalisation of many artists via academies, universities, residences abroad and exhibitions could also be seen, while a growing number of critics and collectors became active during these years: their open eyes and considerable expertise revealed new developments in the press and in society.