With contributions by seminal figures like George Brecht, Yoko Ono, and Di[e]ter Rot[h], among so many others, An Anthology, edited by epic composer La Monte Young and designed by George Maciunas, the success-fleeing motor behind the Fluxus movement, is rightly regarded as a landmark of the 60s’ artistic avant-garde. Published after numerous delays, though, An Anthology of chance operations concept art anti-art indeterminacy improvisation meaningless work natural disasters plans of action stories diagrams music poetry essays dance constructions mathematics compositions, to honor its full title, was no longer radical enough for some of those involved – or had become too radical by far. In text, images, and sound, Hans-Jürgen Hafner reconstructs the making of and publication history of a seminal work not only for Fluxus, but of the transition from modern to contemporary art.

Thursday, 6 February 2025 at 7pm
Spike Berlin, Goebenstr. 22, 10783 Berlin
With wine, beer, and soft drinks till 22h

Please RSVP to christian.kobald@spikeartmagazine.com until 5 February.

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HANS-JÜRGEN HAFNER (b. 1972) is a Berlin-based curator, author and art critic. He organized the first retrospective of legendary concept-art pioneer, composer, and philosopher Henry Flynt at Dusseldorf's Kunstverein für die Rheinlande und Westfalen and ZKM Karlsruhe (2012–13). A passionate reviewer with an interest in exhibition history, Hafner has been a regular contributor to Spike since its founding. He is currently preparing a monographic study on German painter Klaus Merkel.

LA MONTE THORNTON YOUNG (b. 1935) is an American composer, musician, and performance artist recognized as one of the first American minimalist composers and a central figure in Fluxus and post-war avant-garde music.

GEORGE MACIUNAS (1931–78) was a Lithuanian-American artist, art historian, and art organizer who was the founding member and central coordinator of Fluxus.