follow
In the early 90s the invitation cards of Zurichs legendary Galerie Walcheturm (run by Eva Presenhuber) showed the gallery space and its visitors instead of artworks or exhibitions. These invitations cards were intriguing and made us happy. It felt like a different way of doing things and it was. All pictures were taken by Franziska & Bruno Mancia (FBM Studio, see their book documenting their practice here)
Sean Landers
User comment: “The card caught my eye with it’s impassivity. The font is more appropriate for a gravestone. As I moved trough the exhibition, I saw the exact same card again but in a different place. I thought it was a double and went back to where I first saw the card but it was not there! Did I see the card before I actually saw it? Was it following me? Now I am totally creeped out.” Lisa di Donato
Contemporary Fine Arts, Berlin
A series of invitation cards (1998-2000) by the Berlin based gallery Contemporary Fine Arts (CFA), established in 1992 and run by Bruno Brunnet and Nicole Hackert. For about two years, CFA used individual handwriting (by the artists?) instead of a standardized font. As many of the new young galleries established in the mid to late nineties, CFA used their invitation cards to highlight individuality and as an innovative form of (self-)branding. Invitation cards could become an art project, and a space where art may happen – and is distributed worldwide for free. A similar strategy was adopted by other young up-and-coming galleries such as neugerriemschneider, Berlin (est. 1994), Gavin Brown’s Enterprise, New York (1994-2020), CFA Contemporary Fine Arts, Berlin (est. 1992), The Modern Institute, Glasgow (est. 1997), or Eva Presenhuber (Galerie Walcheturm 1989-1998/Galerie Eva Presenhuber).