Geniale Dilletanten

The Goethe-Institut Los Angeles, in partnership with 18th Street Arts Center, hosts a special Los Angeles engagement of the multimedia exhibition,  “Geniale Dilletanten” (Brilliant Dilletantes) – Subculture in Germany in the 1980s.

“Geniale Dilletanten”, the deliberately misspelled title of the concert held in Berlin’s Tempodrom in 1981, has become synonymous with a brief but intense era of artistic upheaval and cultural activity in Germany.  This period of expression was marked by cross-genre experimentation, the use of new electronic equipment, and a do-it-yourself “DIY” ethic, all of which helped new independent record labels, magazines, galleries and clubs and concerts to flourish.

By adopting German rather than English (that dominated pop music at the time) as the language for song lyrics and band names, the artists of this developing scene set themselves even further apart from the mainstream. The movement’s vociferous protest and targeted provocation also brought international acclaim and recognition to Germany’s alternative artistic scene.

Curated by Mathilde Weh, (Visual Arts, Goethe-Institut, Munich), this extensive multi-media exhibition includes a diverse selection of photos, posters, albums and cassettes, as well videos and interactive sound stations. Highlighting the work of the bands Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft/D.A.F. (Düsseldorf), Der Plan (Düsseldorf), Die Tödliche Doris (Berlin), Einstürzende Neubauten (Berlin), Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle/ F.S.K. (Munich), Ornament und Verbrechen (East Berlin), and Palais Schaumburg (Hamburg) as well as various artists, filmmakers and designers from West and East Germany, this exhibition presents the most comprehensive survey to date of this extraordinarily innovative subculture.

The film series German Punk and Underground in Film screening at the Goethe-Institut Los Angeles accompanies the Exhibition.

Please join us Saturday, October 17th, 2015 from 6:00pm to 9:00 pm for a reception and introduction to the exhibition.

Exhibition can be viewed October 5th – 23rd at the following times:

Monday through Friday, 11:00 am – 5:30 pm (during regular gallery hours).
The gallery is closed Saturdays and Sundays, with the exception of the following events:

Saturday, October 10th from 1:00pm -5:00pm
On view during the 18th Street art Center Beer Art Music Festival (BAM)
Tickets for this fundraiser event are available here:
http://18thstreet.org/events/bam-2015

Saturday, October 17th 6:00pm – 9:00 pm.

Reception and introduction to the exhibition.
Presented with the support of Dublab, DJ Michael Stock will provide an evening of music from the era.