Arbeitsrat für Kunst
The Workers' Art was an association of architects, painters, sculptors and art writers, founded in 1918 in Berlin and existed until 1921. It was created in response to the workers 'and soldiers' councils established at that time and had set itself the goal of the current developments and trends in architecture and art of a broad population almost bring.
The Labour Council worked closely with the November Group and the German Werkbund. Some of the architects represented in the Labour later joined to the Glass Chain, a correspondence circle, or died from 1926 a member of the ring. These are considered as an important impetus for the founding of the Bauhaus. Individual members taught at the National Academy of Fine and Applied Arts Wroclaw, alongside the Bauhaus, the most important art school of the time.
Objectives
" At the top is the motto: Art and people must form a unit. Art should not be more pleasure less, but happiness and life of the masses. Union of the arts under the wings of a great architecture is the goal. "
The demands included: the recognition of all construction projects as public and not private functions, the abolition of all official privileges, the establishment of public houses as the central points of the mediation of art, the dissolution of the Academy of Arts and the Prussian State Art Commission, the liberation of the teaching of Architecture, sculpture, painting and crafts of state paternalism, the revival of museums as educational institutions, the elimination artistically worthless monuments and the formation of a kingdom place to secure the art care.
The work council was responding well to the bad job situation for young architects, who was connected with the lost First World War.
Members
First spokesman was the architect Bruno Taut, Walter Gropius acted since 1919, César Klein and Adolf Behne as chairman.
The signatories of the first manifesto were - besides Taut, Gropius, small and Behne - Otto Banning, Rudolf Belling, Arthur Degner, Lyonel Feininger, Otto Freundlich, Yefim ( Jef ) Golyscheff, August Griesbach, Hermann Hasler, Erwin Hahs, Erich Heckel, Paul Rudolf Henning, Karl Jakob Hirsch, Walter Kaesbach, Georg Kolbe, Gerhard Marcks, Ludwig Meidner, Moritz Melzer, Otto Mueller, Franz Mutzenbecher, Emil Nolde, Max Pechstein, Friedrich Perzynski, Heinrich Richter - Berlin, Richard Scheibe, Karl Schmidt- Rottluff, Fritz Stuckenberg, Georg Tappert, Max Taut, Arnold Topp and Wilhelm Reinhold Valentiner.
Over 100 artists from home and abroad were among the supporters of the Working Group and to the participants in its exhibitions. Among others were the Karl Paul Andrae, Walter Curt Behrendt, Max Berg, Paul Cassirer, Hermann Finsterlin, Paul Goesch, Otto Gothe, Wenzel Hablik, Oswald Herzog, Bernhard Hoetger, Willy Jaeckel, Käthe Kollwitz, Carl Krayl, Mechtilde Lichnowsky, Hans and Vasily Luckhardt, Paul Mebes, Ludwig Meidner, Julius Meier -Graefe, Adolf Meyer, Erich Mendelsohn, Johannes Molzahn, Karl Ernst Osthaus, Hans Poelzig, Paul Schmitthenner, Herman Soergel, Milly Steger, Heinrich and Wilhelm Worringer Tessenowstraße.
Actions
The Labour campaigned for its art and architecture conception through exhibitions, publications and public notices. His exhibitions were open to non-members, even "non - architects " were invited to participate with drawings, models, sketches and sculptures.
Exhibitions
- "Exhibition for Unknown Architects ", Berlin 1919, Graphic Arts Cabinet of JB Neumann; Weimar in 1919, Museum on Karlsplatz; Magdeburg in 1919, Kunsthalle.
- "New Construction", Berlin, 1920
- "Exhibition of Art for workers", Berlin - Friedrichshain, January 1920
Publications
- Bruno Taut: An architectural program. Berlin 1918
- Paul Rudolf Henning: tone. A call to P. R. Henning. Second pamphlet Jobs Council for Arts. Berlin about 1918
- Workers 'Art (eds.): Workers' Art. Leaflet. Envelope with woodcuts by Max Pechstein, Berlin 1919
- Workers' Art (ed.): Yes! Votes of the Labour Council for Arts in Berlin. Berlin 1919
- Workers' Art (ed.): Call to Build: second book publication of the Workers Council for Art. Berlin 1920
- Otto Bartning: A Syllabus for Architecture and Fine Arts