Martin Kippenberger | Texte Zur Kunst | by Isabelle Graw
Martin Kippenberger’s work is invariably read in reference to his life, often described as “excessive.” Since his death in 1997, he has been regarded as the epitome of the rule-breaking male artist who takes
every liberty in his social behavior and art – for better or for worse. And in keeping with this, the retrospective currently showing in Bonn praises Kippenberger’s work for its “everything is possible and permitted” attitude – one from which contemporary artists could supposedly also benefit. Things are a little more complex, though: Kippenberger’s social presentation and art are so closely interwoven that it is impossible to avoid the fact that some of his jokes are cracked at the expense of others. However, his art does not merge entirely into the personal, as the numerous self-portraits in the exhibition demonstrate. Ambivalences are also created with the help of titles that generate contradictions and ensure his pictures and objects remain relevant from today’s perspective.