The young Hansjörg Mayer spent much of his time at his family’s print shop in Stuttgart. Fascinated with the misprints and the random byproducts of printing, Mayer began to collect things that would otherwise have ended up in the bin. His early enthusiasm was later translated into an experimental aesthetic that materialized in his “Druckprozessbildern” – printed typographic pictures. Both his typographic works and his seminal publishing house made him one of the most important protagonists of Concrete Poetry and 1960s art. Many of the most creative artist books passed through his hands, including from the likes of Richard Hamilton, Dorothy Iannone and John Latham. In the universal anti-artist Dieter Roth, Mayer found a partner with whom he consistently explored the boundaries of the printable. In addition early work “The First Alphabet”, the exhibition at the Kunstbibliothek features portfolios, film, records and books that explore Mayer’s printed universe. (Text: Laura Storfner / Photos: Kunstbibliothek, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin & Dietmar Katz)

Kunstbibliothek, Matthäikirchplatz; 10785 Berlin–Tiergarten; map
Hansjörg Mayer – Typoems and Artist Books, until 12.01.2020
Tue–Fri 10–18h, Sat & Sun 11–18h