The Making of Avalanche 1970-76 – Archival Clues

11. – 19. december 2010

To download the Exhibition Guide (including the exhibition map and the list of exhibited works), click here

To download the press review of the exhibition, click here

Avalanche has been described as a cross between a magazine, artist’s book, and an exhibition space in print. Dedicated to the artist’s perspective, the magazine investigated then-emerging art forms such as conceptual art, land art, body art and video art. Among the artists that Avalanche featured were Bas Jan Ader, Vito Acconci,Joseph Beuys, Chris Burden, Daniel BurenGordon Matta-Clark, Hanne Darboven, General Idea, Gilbert & George, Bruce Nauman, Steve Paxton, Yvonne Rainer, Robert Smithson, Joel Shapiro, Jack Smith, Keith Sonnier, William Wegman, Lawrence Weiner, the Western Front, and Jackie Winsor.

The magazine was founded by Liza Béar and the late Willoughby Sharp shortly after they met in 1968. At the time, Sharp was a New York-based art historian and independent curator and Béar an underground magazine editor who had recently moved to New York from London. They published the first issue in 1970 and collaborated on thirteen further issues between 1970 and 1976. Aside from a news section, the editorial content included only interviews by Sharp and/or Béar, artists’ texts and documents of art and art making.

The exhibition at Kunsthall Oslo has been organised by Torpedo and assembled byLiza Béar from her personal archive. It includes excerpts from audiotapes not previously played in an exhibition context, photographs, correspondence, layouts, edited transcripts and other documents and ephemera. From the early Seventies Sharp and Béar used video as an extension of the magazine, and the exhibition includes screenings of Béar’s Five Video Pioneers (1977) and Jackie Winsor: Work in Progress (1975-1978); Willoughby Sharp Videoviews Acconci (1973) and Willoughby Sharp Videoviews Beuys (1973).

The exhibition also includes video work by John Baldessari – Baldessari sings Lewitt (1972), Joan Jonas – Vertical Roll (1972), Vito Acconci – Undertone and William Wegman –Selected Works.

The complete facsimile reprint of Avalanche from Primary Information will be for sale at Torpedo Bookshop during the exhibition.