After Premature Death

As the authors of their work, artists often play an active role in how this work is received while they are alive. But what happens when artists die at an early age? Frequently, legends start forming around supposedly unfinished works, which influence the marketing activities and posthumous reputation of the artists. This is how Christoph Schlingensief and Dash Snow, for example, have become such polarising and dazzling public figures. This exhibition presented the works of some forty international artists – from van Gogh to Schlingensief – and the various strategies applied in stylising them. The exhibition included emblematic works which exemplify patterns of stylisation and demonstrate their impact on social regard and market value. Unlike conventional exhibitions, the visitors to the Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden were encouraged to move beyond the aesthetic pleasure evoked by the works and consider the circumstances and repercussions of premature death on reception history. This theme was also the focus of an extensive educational programme.

Artistic directors: Hendrik Bündge, Johan Holten (DK)
Artists: Absalon, Bas Jan Ader (NL), Jean-Michel Basquiat (US), Öyvind Fahlström (SE), Felix Gonzales-Torres, Eva Hesse (US), Michel Majerus (LU), Piero Manzoni (IT), Ana Mendieta (US), Hélio Oiticica (BR), Blinky Palermo, Francesca Woodman (US), Vincent van Gogh, August Macke, Christoph Schlingensief, Dash Snow and others