Aprés Crépuscule,, 2008
Ausstellunsansicht
Foto: Simon Vogel

The Belgian record label Les Disques du Crépuscule has created one of the most influencing yet in a systematic way hardly developed cultural phenomenon in-between pop and High Art.

Starting in the 1980s in the course of the emerging New Wave, the record label formed its identity on the basis of current music, covertexts and a nonpareil visual appearance. Based on the interplay of ideas from early Modernism, old commercial graphics and a comic style named Ligne Claire, head designer Benoit Hennebert and his colleagues developed a flittering style. An enticingly sophisticated as well as complex parallel world originated, in the centre of which Les Disques du Crépuscule acted as show object and as a means of identification. The label presented itself as a coffeetable-book, where one could every now and then cut his fingers when turning the pages.

Aprés Crépuscule, 2008
Ausstellunsansicht
Foto: Simon Vogel

The exhibition consists of two parts: The exhibition hall shows historic works of Linder, Lawrence Weiner, Benoit Hennebert et al., resulting from the active time of the label, and shows exhibits of young international artists, who deal with the label from a modern perspective. The seminar room on the third floor of the building shows historic documents, archive materials, drafts, records and poster that mirror the method of operation and the environment of Crépuscule. 

This exhibition shows an exemplary mediation between pop and art, far away from known stereotypes and from mutual demands. It covers a time when even renowned artists acted far away from the all-star glamorous ways of our days, and delivers insight into sources that are far from being depleted; it also shows how an aesthetic training from the end of the 20^th century onwards really works.

Aprés Crépuscule,, 2008
Ausstellunsansicht
Foto: Simon Vogel

Side-event of the lit.Cologne:

March 20, 2009 at 8.30 pm – Michael Bracewell and Devine & Griffiths

Reading and concert

Cultural novelist Michael Bracewell(*1958, London) explores in his book Re-make/Re-model  the stylized aesthetics of Bryan Ferry, Brian Eno andtheir band Roxy Music. He will relate Roxy’sconcept of pop to the exhibition Après Crépuscule. In the 1980s, Ian Devine and his band Ludus and Alison Statton created an elegant Chamber pop for “Les Disques du Crépuscule”. Ian Devine’s latest project, Devine & Griffiths, will perform during the reading.

Aprés Crépuscule,, 2008
Ausstellunsansicht
Foto: Simon Vogel

The exhibition is kindly supported by Kunststiftung NRW and Goethe Institute.                

We like also to thank:

koellefolien, Römisch-Germanisches Museum, Stiftung Rheinisch-Westfälisches Wirtschaftsarchiv zu Köln, Der Blumenladen – Mireille Ruch, Wilhelm Westholt GmbH, Kunsthandlung Goyert.