If you don’t understand the passion for collecting records, you might not gravitate to an exhibition dedicated to vinyl’s creative potential. But when you go – and you should – don’t be put off by the first room with its experimental (jarring) music installation and its assortment of dull looking Fluxus records. The tempo soon picks up. Inspired by the history of Gelbe MUSIK, a small record store/gallery space in Wilmersdorf that closed in 2014, the exhibition turns into a bounteous array of audio and visual curiosities.
The sheer range of visuals and collaborations is impressive, even if at times you find yourself absentmindedly flicking through them
Music by visual artists. It’s rarely any good, is it? Most of it too expressive or too self-consciously arty. It is strangely compulsive though – and hours will disappear listening to tracks by Jeremy Deller, Anne Imhof’s Venice Pavilion’s Faust and even a surprisingly listenable duet from Joseph Beuys and Nam June Paik. The way the exhibition mixes well-themed vinyl displays with large-scale sound installations is well laid out and arranged. The best of these is Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster’s Opera from 2016.
Displayed in an underground room, it is a haunting and thrilling interpretation of Maria Callas’ final performance. It’s always been the case that square vinyl record sleeves were a fertile medium for art and music to come together. The sheer range of visuals and collaborations is impressive, even if at times you find yourself absentmindedly flicking through them. From the designs of former bassist, Raymond Pettibon, who dreamt up the front cover for Sonic Youth’s album, Goo, to covers by Andy Warhol and Bridget Riley, there’s a great deal to savour, even for non-crate diggers.
- Hamburger Bahnhof, Invalidenstr. 50-51, Mitte, until 14.05.23. Get more information here.
