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Gustav Metzger

1926—2017

Till we have built Jerusalem in England’s green and pleasant land 1998
© Gustav Metzger
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Biography

Gustav Metzger (10 April 1926, Nuremberg – 1 March 2017, London) was a stateless artist and political activist who developed the concept of Auto-Destructive Art and the Art Strike. Together with John Sharkey, he initiated the Destruction in Art Symposium in 1966.

Metzger was recognised for his protests in the political and artistic realms.

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Auto-destructive art Performance art Altermodern

Artworks

Left Right
  • Recreation of First Public Demonstration of Auto-Destructive Art

    Gustav Metzger
    1960, remade 2004, 2015
  • Liquid Crystal Environment

    Gustav Metzger
    1965, remade 2005
  • Projects Unrealised 1

    Gustav Metzger
    1971, 1998
  • Projects Realised 1 (Monument to Bloody Sunday)

    Gustav Metzger
    1972, 1998
  • To Walk Into - Massacre on the Mount, Jerusalem, 8 October 1990

    Gustav Metzger
    1996
  • To Crawl into - Anschluss, Vienna, March 1938

    Gustav Metzger
    1996
  • Stockholm June: A project for Stockholm 1-15 June 1972, Phase 1 and Phase 2

    Gustav Metzger
    1972, 2013
  • Table

    Gustav Metzger
    c.1957–8
See all 12

Film and audio

  • TateShots

    Gustav Metzger: Festival of missed fits

  • TateShots

    Gustav Metzger on Life and Art

Features

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    6 Artists Who Use Technology in Their Work

  • Exhibition Guide

    Electric Dreams: Art and Technology Before the Internet

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