Not in Fashion Exhibition on Fashion and Photography of the 1990s at MMK Not in Fashion. Fashion and Photography of the 90s is the title of the new special exhibition at MMK Museum für Moderne Kunst. As the title already indicates the focus here is not on the glamorous fashion world of the rich and the beautiful. On the contrary, the show at MMK presents an anti-movement that in the 1990s consciously ran counter to the images of prêt-àporter, haute couture and the mainstream fashion magazines. Especially in the first half of the decade, designers, stylists and photographers dedicated themselves to giving fashion strong roots in society not just as an industry with a feeling for the zeitgeist, but as an artistic form of expression and as a politics of the body. Thus, fashion in the 1990s covered substantially more than the latest collections brought out by the in-labels. The pictures in MMK shed light behind the glittering scene of the cat walk. They speak of a feeling for life that is defined by a search for identity, individualism and a personally defined style. And the snapshots, such as those of completely exhausted and seemingly anorexic models, give the viewer a sense of the dark side of the industry. The exhibition highlights just how radical and innovative the images created by the generation of then 20 to 30-year-old designers and photographers were, and pinpoints what influence they continue to have on the visual arts today. Visitors to MMK can likewise follow the origins of this generation. Our simultaneous presentation from the MMK Collection places the theme addressed in the special exhibition in the over-arching context of contemporary photography. It becomes clear in this context just how strongly the photographers in the Not in Fashion show were influenced by artists such as Larry Clark, Nobuyoshi Araki, Jock Sturges, Beat Streuli or Thomas Ruff all of whom take up central positions in our Collection, explains Dr. Susanne Gaensheimer, Director of the MMK. Ten photographers who decisively influenced the fashion scene of the 1990s will be presenting their works in the Not in Fashion exhibition: Corinne Day, who discovered Kate Moss, is present in the form of the photo-story The 3 rd Summer of Love which includes the first images of the then 15-year-old Moss, today a supermodel, as well as private shots from her Diary series. Wolfgang Tillmans is showing works
originally made in the context of magazines such as i-d or Purple and that are today among the best-known photographs by the multi-award-winning artist. In the portrait series Teenage Precinct Shoppers Nigel Shafran follows young people on a shopping tour and Jason Evans has chosen to display, among others, his legendary series Strictly, which, with its focus on the figure of the dandy, questions social, ethnic and gender divisions. Cris Moor and Mark Borthwick have made available for the exhibition a series of highly intimate images, with Moor presenting not only some of his famous fashion photographs but also diarylike photospreads; Borthwick has chosen among other things snapshots of well-known models seemingly taken without them noticing. The portrait photographs by US artist Collier Schorr were also taken in a private setting, who shows us an afternoon spent with close friends. Swedish photographer Anders Edström demonstrates that documentation relating to a fashion show can itself become a work of art in its own right. Photographer Jürgen Teller likewise casts a glance behind the scenes of fashion shows held by the famous couturiers, such as Helmut Lang, in the process deconstructing the widespread glorification of the model business. Inez van Lamswerde & Vinoodh Matadin adopt a different stance when back in the 1990s they already made use of the new digital image processing techniques in order to take the image of the perfect body to quite absurd heights. The multi-faceted presentation in the exhibition relies on some 500 photographs, original materials and a comprehensive events program to highlight how the realms of fashion design, photography and art influence one another. When devising the exhibition I wanted to emphasize just how large the range of cultural works, forms of artistic expression and positions was, in order to trace the social, cultural and political sensitivities of that era, says Sophie von Olfers, who curated the exhibition. The exhibition thus underscores the changing way the fashion scene saw itself, above all through the medium of magazines such as i-d Magazine, The Face, Six, Visionaire or Purple. A selection of original copies of fashion magazines is on show in the exhibition alongside reproductions of influential photospreads and innovative ad campaigns, by the likes of Jil Sander or Yohji Yamamoto, for example. Graphic designers M/M (Paris), who ever since the 1990s have been making a trailblazing contribution to the worlds of fashion, advertising and magazine design, have kindly compiled this documentary overview on behalf of MMK. The special exhibition is being kindly supported by two important institutions: Kulturfonds Frankfurt-Rhein-Main and Kulturstiftung des Bundes.
It was a stroke of good fortune that Kulturfonds Frankfurt-Rhein-Main has been able to support the Not in Fashion exhibition. The ambitious project is kindling a dialog that will extend far beyond the individual categories of cultural trends by relating these to one another. I am especially happy about the cooperation with Museum für Moderne Kunst in Frankfurt because the exhibition in such an important museum is the ideal place to introduce the Kulturfonds wish to support future projects that make the outstanding international status of contemporary photographic art in the RhineMain region visible for all to see. As part of our focus on the Modern, the program with the emphasis on artistic photography highlights a key artistic aspect of this epoch, comments Prof. Dr. Herbert Beck, Managing Director, Kulturfonds Frankfurt- Rhein-Main. Furthermore, the Not in Fashion exhibition is being generously supported by Kulturstiftung des Bundes. Vogue Deutschland has kindly agreed to act as Not in Fashion media partner. Other partners are Deutsche Bahn as well as several businesses in downtown Frankfurt, which will over the next few weeks taking up the exhibition s theme in their shop windows and sales areas. Participating artists Vanessa Beecroft, Walter Van Beirendonck, Bernadette Corporation, BLESS, Mark Borthwick, Ayzit Bostan, Comme des Garçons, Susan Cianciolo, Maria Cornejo, Corinne Day, Anders Edström, Jason Evans, Inez van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin, Helmut Lang, Martin Margiela, M / M (Paris), Cris Moor, Kostas Murkudis, Collier Schorr, Nigel Shafran, Jürgen Teller, Wolfgang Tillmans, Yohji Yamamoto Catalog accompanying the exhibition On the occasion of the exhibition, a comprehensive catalog in German and English was published by Kerber Verlag. It contains over 200 illustrations by artists, photographers and designers, as well as historical campaigns and key picture spreads from magazines of the day. It also features essays by Michael Bracewell, Jason Evans, Antje Krause-Wahl, Jule Hillgärtner and by exhibition curator Sophie von Olfers a conversation between artist Sarah Morris and Mauricio Guillén and an interview with Helmut Lang. NOT IN FASHION Fashion and Photography of the 1990s (ed. Susanne Gaensheimer & Sophie von Olfers) Kerber Velag Size: 24 x 30 cm, German / English edition
320 pages with countless color illustrations; soft cover with flaps; bound Sold in bookstores for EUR 39.95 (SFr 60.00) Events on the occasion of the Not in Fashion exhibition The exhibition Not in Fashion. Fashion and Photography of the 1990s will be supplemented by numerous live events that show how much fashion design, art and design mutually influence and permeate one another. The series of events also includes a Temporary Shop, that will open at MMK Zollamt in cooperation with Frankfurt fashion store 58 s. Susan Cianciolo 15. 10. 2010, 19 Uhr, MMK mit Handkäs und Musik The New Yorker fashion designer develops a site-specific fashion show for the MMK, inviting Frankfurt citizens to model as part of the performance. Serving local food and drinks. BLESS 30. 10. 2010, 16 20 Uhr, MMK ZOLLAMT The Paris/Berlin-based design duo organizes a swap event: As long as there is stock, those with the best argument for owning a particular item of clothing or an accessory get given it for free. Kostas Murkudis 31.10.2010, 7 pm, MMK In close collaboration with artist Carsten Nicolai, the Berlin-based fashion designer presents a virtual fashion show of his most recent collection in the spaces of the museum. Ayzit Bostan 5.11.2010, 7 pm, MMK Zollamt after show concert by KILL THE TILLS The fashion designer from Munich creates a choreography for her clothes with a group of dancers. Walter Van Beirendonck 9.11.2010, 7 pm, MMK ZOLLAMT The seminal Belgian designer will show videos of historical fashion shows and talk about on a twenty-year-long radical career in fashion. Maria Cornejo 11.11.2010, 7 pm, MMK ZOLLAMT
The Chilean, New York-based designer creates a performance in which a group performers experiments with the geometrical fabric shapes she uses for all her designs. Michael Bracewell 12.11. 2010, 7 pm MMK ZOLLAMT The established British author and novelist, who also wrote an essay for the Not in Fashion catalogue, will discuss topics such as fashion, art and popular culture in Britain in the 90s. M/M (Paris) 16.11.2010, 7 pm, MMK ZOLLAMT The artist/graphic design-duo Mathias Augustyniak and Michael Amzalag invite a leading figure in 1990s fashion design to discuss historical and current developments. Antek Walczak / Bernadette Corporation 18.11.2010, 7 pm, MMK ZOLLAMT With a wide range of personal experiences as well as image and film documentation the artist, author and member of the collective Bernadette Corporation will give an insight into New York City s fashion and art scenes in the 90s. Monica Titton 19.11.2010,7 pm, MMK ZOLLAMT Lecture FASHION IN THE CITY On Street-Style-Blogs and the limits of democratization in fashion Vanessa Beecroft 24.11.2010, 8 pm, MMK VB67: The Italian artist presents a retro version of one of her famous VB performances. Temporary Shop As part of the Not in Fashion exhibition and in cooperation with the legendary Frankfurt designer store 58 s a Temporary Shop will open in MMK Zollamt. Visitors to the exhibition will be able to find selected designer fashion, accessories and fragrances. In addition, designers such as Comme des Garcons, Susan Cianciolo, Walter Van Beirendonck, BLESS, Ayzit Bostan, Kostas Murkudis, Maria Cornejo and others have been invited to contribute to the collection by providing selected items for sale. Moreover, the Temporary Shop will also sell the limited MMK Special Collection. The shop will be open from November 4 th to 24 th during the MMK s regular opening hours and during all the events.
Opening September 24, 2010, 8 pm Exhibition September 25, 2010 January 9, 2011 Press contact Head of press office: Christina Henneke Assistence: Daniela Denninger, Karen Knoll MMK Museum für Moderne Kunst, Domstraße 10, 60311 Frankfurt/Main E-Mail: christina.henneke@stadt-frankfurt.de Telefon +49 (0)69 212 35844/ - 37761, Fax +49 (0)69 212 37882