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This paper is reproduced here in its entirety as a historical document. Please note that the addresses and bank accounts are no longer valid.
Portrait of an art performance
A study of Free International University, May 1982
Compiled by Johannes Stüttgen
Translated by Elisabeth Huhn
Edited by FIU Gelsenkirchen
Printed by FIU Bielefeld
"I do think it is like this: planting those oak trees is not only an achievement of urgent necessity to the biosphere and to the pure matter of ecological coherence, but demonstrates likewise merely during the procedure, a much wider understanding of the ecological idea. An understanding which should increase more and more while years go by and because it is our intention to proceed with this activity continuously.
For the present the planting of the 7000 Oaks nothing but indicates a symbolic beginning. For the symbolic take off I do need a "boundary-stone," in this case represented by a column of basalt. Since the action should yield to a complete modification of the way of life as well as to the reorganization of human society and to the whole ecological environment..."
- Joseph Beuys
To contribute to Documenta 7 in 1982, the decision of the German sculptor and artist Joseph Beuys for his part was the planting of 7000 oak trees in the township of Kassel. He has started his preliminary arrangements in the Spring of 1982. Next to each tree a column of basalt of about 1.20 m will be erected.
"This kind of basalt column can be discovered in ancient volcano flues. Cooled down inside the chimneys by specified and particular manner, it finally brings about its characteristic facets and crystalline shape. With respect to the particular cool down system, which actuates an artificial crystallization-like process the stone produces those regular 5-6-7-8 cornered shapes. Whilst in the old days they have been found in the districts of the Eifel, showing this most beautiful and organ pipe like clearness and can be discovered around there still today, but partly put under preservation by the national trust property meanwhile. However I haven't been too keen on those very fine and special organ pipes. Indeed it has been of much more importance to me having a material at disposal which is to find inside the landscape of Kassel and which on the other hand shows the characteristics of basalt. In whatever way, I made out the kind of basalt exhibiting a halfway crystalline and angular shape besides a certain amorphous tendency too. In order to have an imagination of the character of the columns, I should like to say: in some way it is as "Hoffmanns" rich-starch looks like, which is not produced anymore today. Its granules were kind of conical, angular, halfway crystalline and crooked-backed altogether at the same time. The stones accurately resemble the above mentioned laundry starch granules, as far as their particular shapes are concerned."
- Joseph Beuys
All columns will be transported from the quarry near Kassel down to the core of the town to Documenta Art Center and stored there at the large field in front of the Fridericianum. In the very beginning already, the entire mass of stones, compared to the number of provided trees, expresses an image of the complete production. The imagination becomes perfect by comparing again the single constellation of the very first planted oak tree, accompanied by its column let into the soil, to the mountain of basalt blocks piled up opposite, on the border of Friedrichsplatz. While time goes by the proportion of the image will be modified on account of the three steps to come:
1. The planting process will continue for several years in Kassel. The amount of stones will diminish related to the number of the trees. Always one stone will be moved out of the depot for each tree to be planted. Everybody is given the possibility to persecute the process: the more the lot of laid down stones decreases, the more the number of planted trees increases.
2. Likewise a proportional displace occurs to the stones depot, rather gigantic in the beginning, compared with the small, slim and young oak tree opposite. The process will continue without interruption until the last column has been removed from the hoard and nothing remains, but the first planted tree and the stone at its side, standing alone, like in the beginning before the action was set about.
3. The circumstances of the prototype- tree and all other examples realized, are subject to an alteration process whilst their growth proceeds: more precisely spoken, as far as width and height of the stone is concerned they are not exposed to any change actually, but they will diminish optically compared to the growth of the tree. In the end the casting point is the motive power, which determines the permanence of the whole process. Movement and activity, entirely considered, point out instruction orders toward the New Age, bearing in mind already the many generations still to come.
"As far as the first 7000 trees are concerned, it has been of great importance to me to obtain the monumental character, obviously indeed through the fact, that each single monument is composed of two parties, the living being, the oak-tree, steadily altering due to the season of the year and the other one, the crystalline part, preserving its shape, quantity, height and weight. The one and only possible incident, able to evoke a change to the stone could be, for instance, by taking away a piece from it or if something splinters off, but never by means of coming up, like the tree does. Hence the two things are united, an always changing proportion happens between the two parties of the monument. For the present we should keep in mind, that the above mentioned trees do have an age of 6 or 7 years now, therefore the stone rather dominates at first. However as years go by, the balance between the stone and the tree will be achieved and after a course of time of about 20 or 30 years to come, perhaps we might notice and become aware of it, that the stone gradually and step by step becomes accessories to the evergreen, oak, or any other kind of tree."
- Joseph Beuys
The alteration of proportion
The action 7000 Oaks displaces the proportions likewise withinhe township of Kassel, according to the relation of asphalt and concrete, buildings, squares and tarred lanes to the number of trees. "A well-wooded town seems far better to me than a bad-administrated one." The maxim, chosen by Joseph Beuys for his contribution at Documenta in 1982, reflects the above mentioned displacement of the proportions his own way. In the very beginning already, during the preparatory conferences between Professor Beuys, the planting team, Mr. Eichel, the town-mayor and other representatives of the local administration, the Beuys Project has been confirmed expressively. Everybody was entirely satisfied about the plan with reference to the matter of fact, that similar large projects formerly have run aground subject to bureaucracy, admitted as well, that obviously an Artist only, uniting the qualities of such kind as Joseph Beuys does, could be able to give assistance to the realization of an idea, which by all means "touches firmly the public interest" likewise. The individual style, belonging to the characteristics of art at any time, has carried its point and obtained the consent of the town-council as well.
(The availability of the enlarged idea of art, the urgent need for it, its plasticity and potency created all by itself appear without a precedent in the very beginning already. Where almost everything tends to be petrified and naught moves on anymore, art is the one and only remedy to rescue and renew the balance between life and death, provided it is exercised and carried on to its top as far as Joseph Beuys does it. To enlarge the aims of art it must be forced to extremity, on to its specific development where condensation is brought to light and its entire being is unveiled. (("Modern Art" included)) Art no longer is to suffer from separation of all other spheres, nevertheless those can't bear to be separated from art either.)
As soon as Kassel has been "furnished" with trees, other towns and places will have to be supplied. All over Germany, followed by Central Europe, the West, East, North, and South of Europe, everywhere. When the action 7000 Oaks subject to Documenta 7 has come to seclusion, the process will continue anyhow. It will be maintained over the other places in the world, although the columns can be renounced to. By the time it should have become evident, that a transformation of important extent is going to be introduced, comprising the planet in its entirety, rescuing all life on the way to be ruined nowadays. Any place all over the world, wherever soil is left the need for trees is apparent. Another fact of still greater importance and priority is the power of imagination, of thought, sustained by itself, followed than by the concrete action to plant trees, a necessity urgently requested, but not satisfactory. It must be understood and observed serenely, that by means of this action the fight of art against the system itself has been introduced likewise. In our days it has become evident, that to the natural scenery as well as to the social organism of human society, together with all living beings groaning over the petrified systems which burden and rule them destroying, this kind of acting neither can be prosecuted nor be kept upright anyhow, but must be delivered by the human genius. He must start off, all by himself with the task of his very own which is: to ponder on and think over his way and the possibilities how to contribute to an alternation and how other circumstances can be developed in order to realize vital ideas, wherever lifelessness has boasted and filled up all places. Reflecting on this conception he is given the possibility of acting and establishing both at the same time, with regard to the occasion to participate in an entity busy to materialize a wider understanding of the aims of art.
(After all it has been like this indeed since ages, that wherever art sets about to work it always has produced new proportions with logical consequences. This point of view qualitatively considered appears at a much higher level today. Art face to face with the question of proportion and its relation to everything which is not art. More precisely spoken this means, to proportionate everything a new with respect to the core of human liberty. To realize this fact a higher classification of art must be involved in order to make the proportions suitable to art (not possible but by art itself so that everything becomes art which has not been art until now, to hold the balance of proportion the adequate way.)
To harmonize the proportions and everything involving process has started yet. It is concentrated upon a small distinct place, visible to everybody- the planting of the 7000 oak trees at Kassel in 1982- provided with true definitions and their energy. For this purpose an entity of favorable size has been founded- the "FIU-BAUMKOORDINATION." Size, development and the promptitude to wind up the planting business depends upon the multitude and the share of all intelligent people willing to credit the operation.
The Entity
The FIU-BAUMKOORDINATION is an undertaking of FREE INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY (FIU), which -- the key to the entity becomes apparent herewith -- has been founded in 1977 by Joseph Beuys subject to Documenta 6 during his uninterrupted presence of a hundred days yonder, sustained by his creation the engine "Honeypump at working place." The FIU again originates from the FOR DIRECT DEMOCRACY BY PLEBISCITE founded in 1970 presented at Documenta 5 in 1972, likewise during the permanence of a hundred days.
Further information about development, activity and association of ideas concerning FREE INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY:
FIU-Geschäftsstelle
Johannes Stüttgen
Kunstakademie Atelier Beuys
Eiskellerstraße 1
Postanshrift: Postfach 200271
4000 Düsseldorf
Tel: 0211/326720
The FIU-BAUMKOORDINATION is a non-profit undertaking with the task to supply the city of Kassel with 7000 oak trees other cities will be attached to. The undertaking signs responsible for the relevant winding up of the action, the necessary negotiations with the town administration, the stone supplier company, the tree nursery, the accommodation of a storehouse for lorries and material, the necessary negotiations between the town council and the people living next to the planting spots in question, the registration of the township with respect to important planting spots, the organization and transporting of the trees, the preparation at the holes for trees and stones, the planting of the trees as well as the set up of the columns, the plaster work, the cultivation of the trees and finally for the permanent information of the public and the mobilization of interested donors etc.
At the inducement of Documenta management, (Mr. Rudi Fuchs) the FIU-BAUMKOORDINATION has got at its disposal a room with telephone installation inside the Documenta exhibition buildings, for the winding up of the current business.
Address:
FIU-Koordinationsbüro
"7000 Eichen"
Tischbeinstr. 32
3500 Kassel
Tel. 0561/283446
The entity is one of the core contractors of the association "Aktion 3. Weg." An enterprise based on a non-capitalistic conception. The leading principle of the association is, to work autonomously and to transfer the production material as well as the earned profit into a public foundation. Another object in view, in contrary to the common structures of today's profiteering economy is, to get hold of the displacement of proportion which means, the separation of work and income in order to abolish the circumstances which menace our earth and mankind. It has become obvious to economic life, that enterprises with a production sphere, where division of labor is exercised cannot but operate satisfactorily, if Life and Art blend into one another, ("Fluxus") literally if economy not locates but the effective demand. The point in question is the social sculpture, where everyone's decision to participate is self-determined.
One of the casting points in order to reorganize social life, depends basically upon the modification of the monetary system. In this connection money has the significance of a democratic regulator of the rights with the decisive difference, as to be no longer used as capital but to be replaced by the abilities of people and their share toward common creativity. A necessity which results into a complete new regulation of finances in general. The first step toward this direction is, to finance the undertaking FIU-BAUMKOORDINATION. It is sustained by persons who have agreed with the meaning of the action. They have already withdrawn, from the reigning system, amounts of money adequate to their estate and caused it to flow into a new model of creativity.
The Finances
Everybody, interested to secure the global regrouping process, is kindly asked to support the undertaking 7000 Oaks financially. The undertakings following afterwards, can be participated too. The matter in question is, to credit self determined a sensible and important operation and to spread out the coherent ideas. Above all, everyone ready now to take part in the entity, causes to flow his surplus of money into a creative process and withdraws it- in the beginning in retail, but practicable and indicating- from a destructive principle and from those powers who are obliged to their vain. An honestly artist-like deed to modify the circulation of money, with the result, that step by step Life is injected again to be withdrawn from a malignant ulcer, and the human being is revealed at last in its radiant clearness.
The "Free International University for Creativity and interdisciplinary Research e.V.," with domicile in Düsseldorf, supporting representative of FIU, has opened a separate banking account with the code word "BAUM." Donations are tax free.
Exact label of banking account:
BAUMSPENDEN an:
Magistrat der Stadt Kassel
Stadtsparkasse Kassel
BLZ 520 501 51 Kto.-Nr. 011 098
Verwendungazweck (bitte angeben);
VW 220 "Joseph Beuys 7000 Eichen"
Everybody can join in the action by covering the expenses of one tree (or more) and the appertaining basalt column. In return for his share the donor gets a certificate where the stamp of the FREE INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY, "tree stamps" and the original signature of Joseph Beuys, as well as the name of the donor and the dispensed trees are specified.
The expenses per tree (oak, basalt column, transport and planting action) is estimated at DM 500,- to begin with. The start off and an essential part of the entire costs have been financed in advance by "Dia Art Foundation."
Further information:
Franz Dahlem
Dia Art Foundation
Bismarckstr. 50
5000 Köln
Tel. 0221/517077
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