Käthe Kollwitz Prize 2020. Timm Ulrichs

Timm Ulrichs: THE END. Eyelid tattoo, 1970/16 May 1981. Document of a tattoo action by Horst H. Streckenbach, Samy's Tatoo Studio, Frankfurt a. M., 16 May 1981. Photo: Foto-Hoerner, Hannover. © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2019

Far from the centres of the art world, Timm Ulrichs works tirelessly as a self-appointed 'total artist' in a wide range of genres. With his vast wealth of ideas, he doesn't pursue a uniform concept, but instead seeks originality in each individual idea, creating his very own encyclopaedia of ideas in the process. The sheer mass and diversity of these manifold ideas is unprecedented. Ulrichs is an artist, a former university lecturer and a critical observer of the art scene who has led a non-conformist existence beyond the mainstream and outside of the art market.

In 1961, Ulrichs founded the “Werbezentrale für Totalkunst / Banalismus / Extemporismus“ (Advertising Centre for Total Art / Banality / Extemporalism) in Hanover, with the aim of promoting the dissemination, development and production of total art; in 1961 he declared himself to be “the first living artwork”. This was followed by a public “self-exhibition” in Frankfurt am Main in 1966, the founding of an “art practice (office hours by appointment)” in 1969, and the first total art retrospective in Krefeld in 1970. In 1977, he represented his radical position as a participant of the documenta 6 in Kassel. His œvre comprises conceptual work, object art, environments, performances, multimedia work and concrete poetry.

In the year of his 80th birthday, the Berlin-born artist will be awarded the 2020 Käthe Kollwitz Prize to honour his life's work, which to this day represents a treasure trove of creativity and a source of inspiration for generations of artists who came after him.

With the kind support of the Cologne Kreissparkasse which funds the Käthe Kollwitz Museum in Cologne.