35 artists who broke the rules

SGA50 celebrates the 50th anniversary of 'Strategy: Get Arts' (SGA) a landmark exhibition held in 1970 in the main Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) building.

The work of 35 post-war artists from Düsseldorf, including Joseph Beuys, Gerhard Richter, Stefan Wewerka, Blinky Palermo, Klaus Rinke, and Günther Uecker, transformed the college into a ‘total work of art’.

Klaus Rinke’s water installation at the entrance to ECA Main Building (August 1970). Photo

1. Klaus Rinke’s water installation at the entrance to ECA Main Building

Photo © George Oliver.

Stefan Wewerka’s ‘Bentwood Chair Action’ on the grand staircase with Klaus Rinke smashing chair (August 1970). Photo

2. Stefan Wewerka’s ‘Bentwood Chair Action’ on the grand staircase with Klaus Rinke smashing chair

Photo © George Oliver.

Blinky Palermo making his wall painting Blue/Yellow/White/Red (August 1970). Photo

3. Blinky Palermo making his wall painting Blue/Yellow/White/Red

Photo © Monika Baumgartl, and DACS 2021.

Günther Uecker rigging up his ‘banging door’ installation in studio C.03 (August 1970). Photo

11. Günther Uecker rigging up his ‘banging door’ installation in studio C.03

Photo © George Oliver, and Günther Uecker. All rights reserved, DACS 2021.

Günther Uecker in his Sharp Corridor at ECA (August 1970). Photo

12. Günther Uecker in his Sharp Corridor at ECA

Photo © Monika Baumgartl, and Günther Uecker. All rights reserved, DACS 2021.

Hans Alvermann’s assemblage Homage to Goldwater - Gott mit uns (1964) and concentric text works by Ferdinand Kriwet. Photo

20. Hans Alvermann’s assemblage Homage to Goldwater - Gott mit uns (1964) and concentric text works by Ferdinand Kriwet

Photo © George Oliver, and DACS 2021.

Student helpers and Düsseldorf SGA curator Jürgen Harten in front of Sigmar Polke’s paintings Solutions I-IV (1969). Photo

21. Student helpers and Düsseldorf SGA curator Jürgen Harten in front of Sigmar Polke’s paintings Solutions I-IV (1969)

Photo © George Oliver, Richard Demarco Archive, National Galleries of Scotland, and The Estate of Sigmar Polke, Cologne/DACS 2021.

Adolf Luther’s Focusing Room in ECA studio E.10

22. Adolf Luther’s Focusing Room in ECA studio E.10

Photo © George Oliver, and DACS 2021.

Peter Brüning’s Diversion paintings on north corridor, as seen across the Sculpture Court, with Ferdinand Kriwet’s banners

23. Peter Brüning’s Diversion paintings on north corridor, with Ferdinand Kriwet’s banners

Photo © George Oliver, George Oliver Archive, National Galleries of Scotland, and DACS 2021.

Günter Weseler rigging up his Breathing Objects (1970) in studio E.11. Photo

24. Günter Weseler rigging up his Breathing Objects (1970) in studio E.11

Photo © George Oliver, George Oliver Archive, National Galleries of Scotland, and DACS 2021.

Joseph Beuys on Salisbury Crags, Holyrood Park, Edinburgh, on 7 May 1970. Photo

25. Joseph Beuys on Salisbury Crags, Holyrood Park, Edinburgh, on 7 May 1970

Photo © Richard Demarco.

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