Gustav Metzger

Metzger, 1960s
Born	April 10, 1926(1926-04-10) Nürnberg, Germany
Died	March 1, 2017(2017-03-01) (aged 90) London, United Kingdom
Web	compart, Wikipedia
Collections	Generali, Tate

Metzger, Auto-Destructive Art, Demonstration, South Bank, London, 3 Jul 1961.

Gustav Metzger (1926–2017) was an 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 born in Nuremburg in 1926 as the son of orthodox Jews originally from Poland. During the Holocaust he lost nearly his entire family. He and his older brother were the only ones able to escape from the national socialist regime. They fled to England in 1939 with the help of the Refugee Children Movement. Metzger began studying art, first at the Cambridge School of Art in 1945, and then at Sir John Cass Institute in Aldgate, London. A painting course at Borough Polytechnic followed until 1953, and study trips to Antwerp and Paris. Metzger was actively involved in protest against nuclear armament from the late 1950s, and was one of the co-founders, together with the philosopher Bertrand Russel, of the antiwar protest group “Committee of 100.”

From 1959 on, Metzger developed the concept of “auto-destructive art” based on the political and ecological themes of his era, such as the nuclear arms race and ecological destruction. In his first manifesto, he defined this as a “form of public art for industrial societies” that focuses on the twentieth century’s potential for annihilation by means of self-destructive elements. Processes of dissolution thus take center stage in many of his works and actions, such as the corrosion of canvases by acid or the erosion of steel monuments. Metzger organized the seminal event of artistic activities forming around the theme of destruction; the Destruction in Art Symposium in London in 1966. The fleeting nature of Metzger’s works is an attack on the capitalist art market, as it were, as they refuse a commodification of art. His call to go on an art strike in 1974 is further evidence of this position. Metzger did, in fact, withdraw for quite some time from the art world. He also developed the principle of “auto-creative art” and explored the idea of using computer technology for art early on. Pete Townshend from The Who called him a role model for smashing guitars on stage, of which Jimi Hendrix is the most well-known proponent. Renowned bands inserted Metzger’s experiments with liquid crystals in slide projections that steadily changed colors from the heat as a visual effect during concerts, emphasizing the psychedelic moment. In the 1990s, a workgroup formed that dealt directly with the Holocaust and the media treatment of humanitarian catastrophes, and for which, the historical photographs of Metzger served as base material.

From 1948 he was represented at a number of major exhibitions—including the documenta 5 (1972) and 13 (2012) and also at the Venice Biennial 2004. He died in London in 2017. (Source)

Auto-Destructive Art, Nov 1959.

Auto-Destructive Art / Manifesto Auto-Destructive Art, Mar 1960.

Auto-Destructive Art: Demonstration, Jul 1961.

Manifesto World, Oct 1962.

Four Manifestos, Signals, Sep 1964.

Publications

Manifestos

• "Auto-Destructive Art" [4 Nov 1959], London, Nov 1959, HTML; repr. in Metzger, Auto-Destructive Art / Manifesto Auto-Destructive Art, London, Mar 1960, [1] p; repr. in Metzger, Auto-Destructive Art: Demonstration, London, Jul 1961, [1] p; repr. in Signals 1:2, London, Sep 1964, p 14; repr. Metzger, Auto-Destructive Art, London, 1965; repr. in dé-coll/age 6, Cologne, Jul 1967; repr. in Theories and Documents of Contemporary Art, 2nd ed., eds. Kristine Stiles and Peter Selz, University of California Press, 2012, p 470. Metzger's first manifesto; first distributed on a typed sheet on the occasion of his exhibition at 14 Monmouth Street (a coffee house run by the kinetic artist Brian Robins) held 9-30 Nov 1959.
• "Manifesto Auto-Destructive Art" [10 Mar 1960], in Metzger, Auto-Destructive Art / Manifesto Auto-Destructive Art, London, Mar 1960, HTML; repr. in Metzger, Auto-Destructive Art: Demonstration, London, Jul 1961, [1] p; repr. in Signals 1:2, London, Sep 1964, p 14; repr. in Metzger, Auto-Destructive Art, London, 1965; repr. in dé-coll/age 6, Cologne, Jul 1967; repr. in Theories and Documents of Contemporary Art, 2nd ed., eds. Kristine Stiles and Peter Selz, University of California Press, 2012, pp 470-471. Second manifesto; first distributed in Mar 1960 on a typed sheet alongside his first manifesto, to coincide with Metzger's publicity for his Model for an Auto-Destructive Monument, 1960.
• "Auto-Destructive Art, Machine Art, Auto-Creative Art" [23 Jun 1961], in Metzger, Auto-Destructive Art: Demonstration, London, Jul 1961, [1] p, HTML; repr. in Signals 1:2, London, Sep 1964, p 14; repr. in Metzger, Auto-Destructive Art, London, 1965; repr. in dé-coll/age 6, Cologne, Jul 1967; repr. in Theories and Documents of Contemporary Art, 2nd ed., eds. Kristine Stiles and Peter Selz, University of California Press, 2012, pp 471-472. Third manifesto; first distributed in Jul 1961 on a printed sheet alongside his other two manifestos on the occasion of the erection of a structure near the International Union of Architects Congress in Jubilee Gardens pavilion, South Bank London.
• "Manifesto World" [7 Oct 1962], London, Oct 1962; repr. in Metzger, Auto-Destructive Art, London, 1965; repr. in Theories and Documents of Contemporary Art, 2nd ed., eds. Kristine Stiles and Peter Selz, University of California Press, 2012, pp 472-473. Fourth manifesto; first distributed at the Misfits evening at the ICA London, 24 Oct 1962.
• "On Random Activity in Material/Transforming Works of Art" [London, 30 Jul 1964], Signals 1:2, London, Sep 1964, p 14; repr. in Metzger, Auto-Destructive Art, London, 1965; repr. in Theories and Documents of Contemporary Art, 2nd ed., eds. Kristine Stiles and Peter Selz, University of California Press, 2012, p 473. Fifth manifesto; first published in Signals bulletin.
• with Gordon Hyde and Jonathan Benthall, "Zagreb Manifesto" [May 1969], Studio International, London, Jun 1969, p 259; repr. as "Zagreb Manifesto / Zagrebački manifest", Zagreb 1969", trans. Mira Vlatković, Bit International 7: "Dialogue with the Machine / Dijalog sa strojem", Zagreb: Bit International, 1971, pp 3-4. Delivered to the international symposium Computers and Visual Research in Zagreb on 5 May 1969.

Books, pamphlets

• Auto-Destructive Art. A Talk at the Architectural Association London by Gustav Metzger, London: Destruction/Creation (Gustav Metzger publishing), London, Oct 1965. Lecture given at the Architectural Association on 24 Feb 1965. Reprint of version published in ACC and reprints of Metzger's five manifestos.
• Documents 1959-1992, ed. Harry Ruhé, Amsterdam: Galerie A, 1992, [43] leaves. Collection of reprints of work by Gustav Metzger. Includes manifestos, off-prints, programmes, photographs, press releases, and biographical details.
• Damaged Nature, Auto-Destructive Art, London: Coracle, 1996, 110 pp. Contains two essays and manifestos by Metzger ("Nature demised resurrects as environment", "Auto-destructive art"), together with Andrew Wilson's essay and an extended chronology and bibliography by Clive Phillpot. [1]
• Manifeste, Schriften, Konzepte, ed. & intro. Justin Hoffmann, Munich: Silke Schreiber, 1997, 144 pp. [2]. Review: Hauffen (Kunstforum). (German)

Articles, lectures, declarations, letters

• "These Artists are Possessed. They Gamble with Life", Lynn News and Advertiser, King's Lynn, 27 Jul 1956. On the Hatwell/Paolozzi/Turnbull exhibition.
• Leaflets concerning the North End Protest, King's Lynn, 1957.
• "North End protest – answer to Mayor", Lynn News and Advertiser, King's Lynn, 20 Dec 1957. Letter to the editor.
• Old Church Art, King's Lynn: King's Lynn Festival, 1957.
• The Temple Gallery...June 1960...A New Movement in Art..., London, 1960. Invitation to the first Lecture/Demonstration, Temple Gallery, 22 Jun 1960.
• "Machine, Auto-Creative and Auto-Destructive Art", Ark. Journal of the Royal College of Art 32, London, Summer 1962.
• with Marcello Salvadori, Centre for Advanced Creative Studies, London, 1963, [1] p. Declaration about the aims of the centre.
• "With the Five Bubble Machines...", Signals 1:2, London, Sep 1964, p 8. Comment on David Medalla.
• "Auto-Destructive Art: Metzger at AA", in ACC, London, Jun 1965, 27 pp; facs. repr., pref. Andrew Wilson, London: Bedford Press, 2015, 40 pp. Extended version of lecture given at the Architectural Association on 24 Feb 1965. [3] [4]
• "Auto-Destructive Art", Granta 71:12457, Cambridge, 6 Nov 1965. Text related to his Lecture/Demonstration in Cambridge, The Chemical Revolution in Art.
• "An Overwhelming Concern with Shelter!", Peace News 2, London, Sep 1966.
• Art of Liquid Crystals, London: Better Books, Jan 1966, [1] p.
• "Auto-Destructive Art", Anarchy Magazine 64, London, Jun 1966. Letter to the editor in answer to an article on Lecture/Demonstration at the Architectural Association 1965 in Anarchy Magazine 61, London, Mar 1966.
• "DIAS", Resurgence 1:4, London, Nov/Dec 1966.
• "Excerpts from Selected Papers Presented at the 1966 Destruction In Art Symposium", Studio International, London, Dec 1966, pp 282-283.
• "Gustav Metzger" in Art and Artists 1(5): "Auto-Destructive", ed. Mario Amaya, London, Aug 1966.
• "The Possibility of Auto-Destructive Architecture", Clip-Kit. Studies in Environmental Design 2, London, 1966. Independent publication of students at the Architectural Association.
• DIAS Preliminary Report – Destruction in Art Symposium, London, 9,10,11, September, 1966, London: D.I.A.S., Feb 1967, 6 pp; repr. in dé-coll/age 6, Cologne, Jul 1967.
• DIAS-Information, London. Five single sheets. No. 1, Mar 1967; No. 2, Jun 1967; No. 3, Aug 1967; No. 4, Sep 1967; No. 5, Mar 1968.
• "Briefe von Gustav Metzger an Wolf Vostell", dé-coll/age 6, Cologne, Jul 1967.
• Arts Festival '68, University College of Swansea, Extremes Touch, Swansea, 1968, [1] p.
• "Five Screens with Computer", Studio International: "Cybernetic Serendipity: The Computer and the Arts", ed. Jasia Reichardt, London, 1968, p 31.
• "Theory of Auto-Destructive Art", in Calendar of the (only shortly existing) Anti-University, London, 1968.
• "Automata in History. Part 1", Studio International, London, Mar 1969, pp 107-109; "Part 2", Oct 1969, pp 109-117.
• "Five Screens with Computer (1963-69)", in Event One, London: Computer Arts Society, 1969. Catalogue text.
• Notes on the Crisis in Technological Art, London, 1969, [1] p. Handed out at Post Mortem on Event One, British Computer Society, 3 Apr 1969.
• "Statements", Circuit 10/11, Cambridge, 1969.
• Do You Eat?, University College, London; Slade School of Fine Art, London, Feb 1970, [1] p.
• "Five Screens with Computer", in Tendencije 4. Zagreb, 1968-1969. Computers and Visual Research, ed. Božo Bek, Zagreb: Galerija suvremene umjetnosti, 1970. Catalogue text.
• "Design Studies...", in Tendencije 4. Zagreb, 1968-1969. Computers and Visual Research, ed. Božo Bek, Zagreb: Galerija suvremene umjetnosti, 1970. Catalogue text.
• "Social Responsibility and the Computer Professional: The Rise of an Idea in America. Part 1", PAGE 11, London, Oct 1970, pp [1-2].
• "Gordon Hyde", PAGE 11, London, Oct 1970, p [5].
• International Coalition for the Liquidation of Art, London, 15 Oct 1970, [1] p.
• "Kinetics", Art and Artists, London, Sep 1970.
• "Notes on the Crisis in Technological Art", Klepht 1, Swansea, Jan 1970.
• "Five Screens with Computer. Computer Graphic Aspects of a Sculpture Project", in Computer Graphics '70, London: Plenum Press, 1971.
• "Sculpture with Power", in Memoria de la conferencia internacional sobre sistemas, redes y computadoras, ed. A. Alonso Concheiro, Mexico, 1971.
• "Untitled Paper on Theme Number Three / Referat bez naslova o temi broj tri", Zagreb 1969", trans. Miroslav Beker, Bit International 7: "Dialogue with the Machine / Dijalog sa strojem", Zagreb: Bit International, 1971, pp 27-33. (English)/(Croatian)
• "A Critical Look at Artist Placement Group", Studio International, London, Jan 1972, pp 4-5.
• Executive Profile, London: Institute of Contemporary Arts, 1972, [1] p.
• "From the City Pages", Studio International, London, Dec 1972, pp 210-211.
• "Notes on Recent Work", Prismavis 4, Hovikødden/Norway, Sep 1972.
• "Projects for British Thing Show", Prismavis 4, Hovikødden/Norway, Sep 1972.
• "Second Floor...", Newssheet. Gallery House 1, London, 1972.
• "Stockholm June: ein Projekt für Stockholm 1. bis 15. Juni 1972", in Documenta 5, Kassel: Documenta, and Gütersloh: Bertelsmann, 1972, section 16/pp 55-56. (German)
• "Years without Art 1977-1980", in Art into Society – Society into Art. Seven German Artists, eds. Christos Joachimides and Norman Rosenthal, London: Institute of Contemporary Arts, 1974, 79ff.
• "The Art Dealer: A Bibliography", in Art into Society – Society into Art. Seven German Artists, eds. Christos Joachimides and Norman Rosenthal, London: Institute of Contemporary Arts, 1974.
• "Art in Germany under National Socialism", Studio International, London, Mar-Apr 1976, pp 110-111.
• "Faschismus Deutschland: Darstellung, Analyse, Bekämpfen", in Vor dem Abbruch. Künstlerische Aktionen in den dem Abbruch geweihten Räumen des Museums, ed. Anne Abegglen, Bern: Kunstmuseum Bern, 1981. (German)
• Kollektiv Cordula Frowein, Gustav Metzger, Klaus Staeck (Passiv – Explosiv). Pressegespräch, Cologne, 1981, [1] p.
• Passiv – Explosiv. Entwurf einer Ausstellung, Cologne, 1981, [2] pp.
• Earth Minus Environment. A Sculptural Project for the UN Earth Summit, Rio de Janeiro, 1-12 June 1992, Amsterdam: Galerie A, 6 Jan 1992, [2] pp.
• "Art Strike 1977-1980", Yawn 38 (Mar 1993), p 1848.
• Elements Centre, Amsterdam, 1994, [1] p.
• text in Yves Klein Now. Sixteen Views, ed. Martin Craiger-Smith, London: Southbank Centre, 1995.
• "Earth to Galaxies. On Destruction and Destructivity", in Earth to Galaxies. On Destruction and Destructivity, eds. Pavel Büchler and Charles Esche, Glasgow: Tramline No. 5/Glasgow School of Art, 1996, pp 7-12.
• text Life/Live, eds. Laurence Bossé and Hans Ulrich Obrist, Paris: Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Paris, 1996. (English)/(French)
• "Mad Cows Talk", in Metzger, Manifeste, Schriften, Konzepte, Munich, 1997, pp 51-65. Lecture manuscript, 1996. (German)
• with Ivor Davis and Michael Gibbs, "Is that an Apple?", Art Monthly, London, Dec 1997-Jan 1998, pp 2-3.
• "The Artist in the Face of Social Collapse", Frequencies. Investigations into Culture, History and Technology, ed. Melanie Keen, London: INNIVA, 1998.
• "Killing Fields. Sketch for an Exhibition", Camera Austria 67, Graz, Spring 1999, pp 30-37.

Editor

• PAGE. Bulletin of the Computer Arts Society, London, 1969-73.

Bibliography

• compiled by Generali Foundation

Interviews

• Ross Birrell, "The Distance to Utopia. Gustav Metzger interviewed by Ross Birrell" [London, 3 Aug 1996]. Unpublished.
• Simon Cutts, Erica van Horn, JAB: The Journal of Artists' Books 5, Spring 1996.
• Justin Hoffmann, "Die Erfindung des Art Strike", Vierte Hilfe, Munich, Winter 1997/98, pp 54-57. (German)
• "Gustav Metzger Interview with Alison Jones", Forum for Holocaust Studies, 14 Aug 1998.
• Andrew Wilson, "A Terrible Beauty", Art Monthly, London, Dec 1998-Jan 1999, pp 7-11.
• Dorothee Müller, "Leben im Widerstand", Süddeutsche Zeitung, Munich, 25 Mar 1999, p 22. (German)
• Michaela Unterdörfer, "'Form ist das Wichtigste' oder 'Ich würde niemals meine Arbeiten nur als Kunst betrachten'", in Gustav Metzger. Ein Schnitt entlang der Zeit, Nürnberg: Verlag für moderne Kunst Nürnberg, 1999, pp 29-46. (German)
• Hans Ulrich Obrist, Barbara Vanderlinden, "Extremes Touch", in Laboratorium is the Answer, What is the Question?, Cologne: DuMont, 2001, pp 27-31.
• Hans Ulrich Obrist, Gustav Metzger, Cologne: Walter König, 2008, 144 pp.
• Metzger in conversation with curator Elizabeth Fisher , 2014. Video, 25 min; filmed at the Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge.

Exhibitions

Solo

• Cardboards, 14 Monmouth Street, London, 1959.
• Three Paintings, 14 Monmouth Street, London, 1959.
• Paintings & Drawings 1945-1960, Temple Gallery, London, 1960.
• Art of Liquid Crystals, Better Books, Charing Cross Road, London, 1966.
• Liquid Crystals in Art, Lamda Theatre Club, Swiss Cottage, London, 1966.
• Extremes Touch: Material/Transforming Art, Filtration Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, University College of Swansea, Arts Festival, Swansea, 1968.
• Executive Profile (within The Body as a Medium of Expression), Institute of Contemporary Arts, London, 1972.
• Unrealizable Disintegrative Architecture and Other Projects, Architectural Association, London, 1972.
• Faschismus Germany: Darstellung Analyse Bekämpfen, Bern University, Bern, 1981.
• Passiv – Explosiv, Hahnentorburg, Cologne, 1981.
• installation, Department of Architecture, Technical University, Delft, 1991.
• Damaged Nature. Two New Works and Documents, workfortheeyetodo, Hanbury Street, London, 1995.
• Travertine / Judenpech, Haus der Kunst München, Munich, 1999.
• 100,000 Newspapers. A Public-Active Installation, t1/2 artspace, London, Jan-Mar 2003. Curated by Wolfe Lenkiewicz. Review: Suchin (Frieze).
• Eichmann and the Angel, Cubitt Gallery, London, 2005.
• EASTinternational: selector Gustav Metzger, Norwich Gallery, Norwich, 2 Jul-20 Aug 2005.
• Strampelde Bäumf / Mirror Trees, Haus der Kunst München, Munich, 21 May 2010-31 Mar 2011.
• In Memoriam: New Works, Kunsthalle Basel, Basel, 22 Jan-12 Mar 2006. Video report.
• Flailing Trees, Manchester Peace Garden, Manchester, 3-19 Jul 2009. [5]
• Historic Photographs, New Museum, New York, 19 May-3 Jul 2011. Archive.
• Null Object: Gustav Metzger Thinks About Nothing. A Project by London Fieldworks, Work Gallery, London, 30 Nov 2012-9 Feb 2013, [6]; Ruskin Gallery, Cambridge UK, Jan 2014.

Retrospectives, revisits

• Gustav Metzger, Kunstraum München, Munich, 1995.
• Gustav Metzger, Museum of Modern Art, Oxford, 25 Oct 1998-10 Jan 1999; Spacex Gallery, Exeter, 6 Feb-20 Mar 1999. Curated by Kerry Brougher and Astrid Bowron.
• Gustav Metzger. Ein Schnitt Entlang der Zeit, Kunsthalle Nürnberg, Nürnberg, 24 Jun-12 Sep 1999. Organised in association with the Museum of Modern Art, Oxford. [7]
• Gustav Metzger: History History / Geschichte Geschichte, Generali Foundation, Vienna, 11 May-28 Aug 2005. Curated by Sabine Breitwieser.
• Gustav Metzger: Works, Lunds konsthall, Lund, 20 May-27 Aug 2006. Curated by Pontus Kyander.
• Gustav Metzger: Prace 1995-2007, Zachęta Narodowa Galeria Sztuki, Warsaw, 6 Mar-22 Apr 2007. [8]
• Gustav Metzger: Modelle. Aequivalenz. Shattered Stones, Westfälischer Kunstverein, Münster, 17 Jun-30 Sep 2007.
• Gustav Metzger: Decades, 1959-2009, Serpentine Galleries, London, 29 Sep-8 Nov 2009; Musée Départemental d'Art Contemporain de Rochechouart, Rochechouart, 1 Mar-15 Jun 2010; Galleria Civica di Arte Contemporanea di Trento, Trente, 8 Oct 2010-16 Jan 2011.
• passiv-explosiv, revisited, kulturwerk T66, Freiburg im Breisgau, 29 Jul-2 Sep 2012.
• Gustav Metzger: Supportive 1966-2011, Musée d’Art Contemporain, Lyon, 15 Feb-14 Apr 2013. Curated by Mathieu Copeland. Virtual tour. Brochure. Press release.
• Years without Art, Morat-Institut für Kunst und Kunstwissenschaft, Freiburg im Breisgau, 13 Apr-15 Jun 2013.
• Gustav Metzger: Lift Off!, Kettle's Yard, Cambridge UK, 24 May-31 Aug 2014. Works from the late 1950s-early 1970s. Curated by Elizabeth Fisher.
• Act or Perish! Gustav Metzger: a Retrospective, CSW Torun, 8 Nov 2015-17 Jan 2016; MUSAC, Castilla y Leon, 17 Sep 2016-8 Jan 2017, (video). Curated by Dobrila Denegri and Pontus Kyander.
• Gustav Metzger in Oslo: Extremes Touch and Liquid Crystal Environment, Kunsthall Oslo/Stiftelsen Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo, 14 Nov 2015-31 Jan 2016.

Catalogues

• Gustav Metzger, eds. Astrid Bowron and Kerry Brougher, Oxford: Museum of Modern Art, 1998, 92 pp. Texts by Astrid Bowron, Kerry Brougher, Norman Rosenthal.
• Gustav Metzger: Ein Schnitt entlang der Zeit, ed. Michaela Unterdörfer, Nürnberg: Verlag für moderne Kunst Nürnberg, 1999, 68 pp. Essays by Michaela Unterdörfer and Astrid Bowron. (German)
• Gustav Metzger: Geschichte Geschichte, ed. & intro. Sabine Breitwieser, forew. Dietrich Karner, Vienna: Generali Foundation, and Ostfildern-Ruit: Hatje Cantz, 2005, 310 pp. Texts by Justin Hoffmann, Gustav Metzger, Kristine Stiles, Andrew Wilson. [9] (German)
  • Gustav Metzger: History History, ed. & intro. Sabine Breitwieser, forew. Dietrich Karner, Vienna: Generali Foundation, and Ostfildern-Ruit: Hatje Cantz, 2005, 310 pp. Stiles' essay. [10]
• EASTinternational: selector Gustav Metzger, ed. Lynda Morris, Norwich: Norwich Gallery, 2005, [144] pp.
• Gustav Metzger, ed. Hanna Wróblewska, Warsaw: Zachęta Narodowa Galeria Sztuki, 2007, 94 pp. [11] (Polish)
• Gustav Metzger: Decades, 1959-2009, forew. Julia Peyton-Jones and Hans Ulrich Obrist, eds. Sophie O'Brien and Melissa Larner, London: Serpentine Galleries & Koenig Books, 2009, 111 pp. Text by Norman Rosenthal, Sophie O'Brien, Clive Phillpot.
• Gustav Metzger: Historic Photographs, eds. Gary Carrion-Murayari and Massimiliano Gioni, New York: New Museum, 2011, 70 pp. [12]
• Null Object: Gustav Metzger Thinks About Nothing, London: Black Dog, 2012, 95 pp.
• Gustav Metzger: Years without Art, eds. Samuel Dangel and Sören Schmeling, Freiburg im Breisgau: modo, 2012, 160 pp. (German)/(English)
• Gustav Metzger: Auto-Creative Art, ed. Mathieu Copeland and Hervé Percebois, Dijon: Les Presses du réel, 2013, 80 pp. Texts by Thierry Raspail, Mathieu Copeland, Frank Popper. (English)/(French)
• Gustav Metzger: Lift Off!, Cambridge UK: Kettle's Yard, 2014, 72 pp. [13]
• Gustav Metzger: Act or Perish! A Retrospective, Rome: Nero, 2016, 224 pp. Published following the 2015 retrospectives in Torun and Oslo. Texts by Pontus Kyander, Andrew Wilson, Mathieu Copeland, et al. [14]

Literature

• John Rydon, "It’s Pictures from Packing Cases", Daily Express, London, 12 Nov 1959.
• John Rydon, "Modern Art Will Fall to Bits", Daily Express, 15 Mar 1960.
• Jasia Reichardt, "The Art of Suicide", Time and Tide, London, 25 Jun 1960.
• Jay Landesman, Tony Cox, "Two Views of DIAS", International Times 1:1, 14 Oct 1966.
• Antje van Diest, Gustav Metzger. London Art in the Sixties, Leiden University, 1992. Master's thesis.
• Alison Jones, "Introduction to the Historic Photographs of Gustav Metzger", Forum for Holocaust Studies, 14 Aug 1998.
• Gustav Metzger. Retrospectives, ed. Ian Cole, Oxford: Museum of Modern Art, 1999, 80 pp. Based on the conference Hand in the Fire, 1998. Texts by Ross Birrell, Rob Flint, Adrian Glew, Justin Hoffman, Martin Kemp, Gustav Metzger, Hans-Ulrich Obrist, Cornelia Parker with Ian Cole, Frank Popper, Jasia Reichardt, Andrew Wilson. TOC.
• Simon Ford, "Technological Kindergarten. Gustav Metzger and Early Computer Art", Mute 26, London, Summer/Autumn 2003.
• Kristine Stiles, "The Story of the Destruction in Art Symposium and the 'DIAS Affect'", in Gustav Metzger: History History, Vienna and Ostfildern-Ruit, 2005, pp 41-65.
• Andrew Wilson, "Gustav Metzger’s Auto-Destructive/Auto-Creative Art An Art of Manifesto, 1959-1969", Third Text 22:2 (Mar 2008), pp 177-194.
• John A. Walker, "Gustav Metzger, the Conscience of the Artworld", 2009, ARG. A chronological account of the life and radical artwork of the artist.
• "Vanishing Point. Gustav Metzger & Self-Cancellation: Round Table Discussion, Chair Brian Morton", Art & Research 3:1, Winter, 2009/10. Held as part of Instal08 Festival, The Arches, 16 Feb 2008.
• Stuart Jeffries, "Gustav Metzger: 'Destroy, and you create'", The Guardian, 26 Nov 2012.

more

Links

• Biography on the website of Anglia Ruskin University
• Obituary in The Guardian