Co-Speaking Programme: Een gebeuren #01

Philipp Gufler talks to Louwrien Wijers about the work and life of performance artist Ben d'Armagnac (1940 - 1978). Wijers was a close friend of Ben's and in 1995 published a monograph on his work: Monografieën van Nederlandse Kunstenaars, Waanders Uitgevers/ Prins Bernhard Fonds and recorded a couple of interviews with Ben d'Armagnac, e.g. on Tuesday 2nd of May 1978 during the European Performance Series at the Brooklyn Museum in New York.

As well at this event Quilt #12 (Ben d'Armagnac) by Gufler will be installed and become a part of the exhibition.

Entrance regular + 3 euro
A combiticket is available for 15 euro (excluding the entrance to the exhibition). This combiticket gives entrance to all the events related to Untitled (two takes on crisis).

Event is part of the Co-Speaking programme under the project YOU MUST MAKE YOUR DEATH PUBLIC, part of the larger project Untitled (two takes on crisis), which takes place at de Appel arts centre, the from 23rd of April to the 12th of June, 2016. It is an initiative of the 2015-16 Curatorial Programme of de Appel arts centre.

More information about Co-Speaking Programme

Philipp Gufler
Philipp Gufler (1989) lives in Amsterdam. His work spans a variety of media including silkscreens, performances and video. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich and the University of Art and Design in Karlsruhe. Since April 2013 he has been conducting research in the self-organised archive Forum Homosexualität München and in 2014 he published a video installation and an artist book by the same name - "Projection on the Crisis (Gauweilereien in Munich)". His work has been shown at Schwules Museum in Berlin, "Favoriten" in Lenbachhaus, Munich, “Videonale15” at Kunstmuseum Bonn and in the galleries Françoise Heitsch in Munich and Sassa Trülzsch in Berlin. Since September 2015 he is a participant at De Ateliers, Amsterdam.

Louwrien Wijers
Louwrien Wijers, visual artist and writer. In 1969 I was told by Ben d’Armagnac: “Stop just writing about art, start making art yourself.” I see myself as sculptor. After 18 years near to Joseph Beuys, 1968-1986, I look at writing and speaking as sculpture also. I make mental sculpture as well as material sculpture. In 1981 Beuys asked me to bring him in contact with the Dalai Lama. I had interviewed him at length on the request of Andy Warhol. The Dalai Lama/Beuys meeting of 1982 led to my mental sculpture Art meets Science and Spirituality in a changing Economy, 1990 and 1996. ‘Compassionate Economy’ was my focus up to 2005. It brought me the conclusion that ‘Satisfiying not Maximising’ is the current trend in economics.

I found that my simple rule ‘No Lying/No Killing/No Stealing /Grains /Vegetables /Beans’; is a firm basis for a successful society and world economy, our world household. The influence of food on our future is since 2008 my topic with the slogan: ‘Science is the Past / Art is the Present /Food is the Future’. Sri Mahatma Gandhi said: “To build a stable society it is important that nobody goes to bed hungry.” Gandhi-ji added: “Hunger is the only true dictator.” Grains, Vegetables and Beans can feed all people alive on this planet and we would still have enough water for all. On top, that way of eating will make us more peaceful inwardly as well as outwardly. On that basis we can stop killing so many thousands of animals. Since the beginning of life on earth animals were always our nearest friends. In 2014 my food slogan slightly changed to “Fresh Food is the Future”. Food ought to be eaten within 7 hours after preparation as the ‘ether’, that makes our body cells shine, is lost after 7 hours. We are then just chewing dull matter that gives neither intelligence nor satisfaction. Always cook fresh food and after 7 hours you offer your leftovers to animals on your balcony, in your backyard, in stables, parks and woods. Birds, hedgehogs, deer, pigs, ermines and many other animals are good at finding it and digesting it. Of course I exhibit and appear in public too.

Ben d’Armagnac
Ben d'Armagnac (1940 - 1978, both in Amsterdam) studied painting at the Rietveld academy in Amsterdam from 1960 - 1963 and moved 1965 shortly into the commune of Dutch artist Anton Heyboer in Landsmeer, who was an important influence on his early etchings. From 1967 on he worked together with Gerrit Dekker, e.g. on "Project for a bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, dining room, toilet and some non-specified spaces" at Galerie Mickery in 1969 in Amsterdam and abroad before shifting his focus to performance art in the early 1970s. He was one of the prominent Dutch artists to perform at De Appel in its early years. He drowned on the 28th of September 1986 in the Brouwersgracht in Amsterdam next to his house boot. On the day he was supposed to make a performance in Arnheim. The last time a bigger amount of his works were shown 2005-2006 at the one-person show "Making Life Come To Life" at the Museum Het Domein in Sittard, Netherlands.