Nightfire

‘The idea for the exhibition Nightfire came out of a feeling of void, of being under water, in the dark and not knowing what the 'throw of dice' would bring. At the end of 1987 De Appel was unsure of its future: subsidies for the oldest non profit-making space were severaly threatend. This felt like a good reason to celebrate the - unknown - outcome for 1988 with a presentation of art rather than through letters of support, to illuminate the dark days we were living through. Some texts I had always liked got a special meaning now: Poe's 'City under the sea', Mallarmé's 'Coup de Dés', Rimbaud's 'Bateau Ivre' all seem to suggest images of a dark universe where change in relation to a strong believe in art and its illuminating power are forces that can change one's state of mind and - maybe - also one's 'fate'. Corresponding to the feelings described, the two-storey building was changed into a deep darkblue void, where the 'celebration of obscurity' turned into Nightfire through a multitude of little works all over the walls and throughout the space. 57 Artists sent us a small work or an idea for a work to be realised. Thanks to these numerous responses a special and unusual show could be presented as a public demonstration of support for De Appel.’ (Saskia Bos, Nightfire, Amsterdam (Foundation De Appel) 1987, p. 2.) Catalogue: Nightfire, 1987. Abramovic/Ulay, Vito Acconci, Dennis Adams, Giovanni Anselmo, Marco Bagnoli, John Baldessari, Christiaan Bastiaans, Bernard Bazile, Barbara Bloom, Christian Boltanski, Jean-Marc Bustamante, James Lee Byars, James Casebere, Leo Copers, René Daniels, Lili Dujourie, Marlene Dumas, Ger van Elk, De Vier Evangelisten, Luciano Fabro, Fischli/Weiss, Fortuyn/O’Brien, Katharina Fritsch, General Idea, Ludger Gerdes, Dan Graham, Sigurdur Gudmundsson, J.C.J. van der Heyden, Jenny Holzer, Rebecca Horn, Cristina Iglesias, Joan Jonas, Niek Kemps, Joseph Kosuth, Jannis Kounellis, Bertrand Lavier, Louise Lawler, Ken Lum, Gerhard Merz, Pieter Laurens Mol, Juan Munoz, Hidetoshi Nagasawa, Maria Nordman, Marcel Odenbach, Charlemagne Palestine, Jürgen Partenheimer, Hermann Pitz, Tom Puckey, Ulrike Rosenbach, Reiner Ruthenbeck, Thomas Schütte, Alain Séchas, Ettore Spalletti, Nikolaus Urban, Jeff Wall, Lawrence Weiner, Rémy Zaugg. Text: Saskia Bos, Edna van Duyn and artists. 32 Pages: blue & b.w., 14.5 x 21 cm. Softcover. Design: Wim Bosboom. SOLD OUT