From 26 August to 11 September 2012, the 40th anniversary of the Games, 40 protagonists are taking to the streets of Munich to revive the spirit of the times with their presence and performances. They are wearing costumes by designer Anna Sophie Howoldt in orange, yellow, green, sky blue and silver – contemporary interpretations of the outfits designed by André Courrèges for the Olympic staff. Along changing routes, interactions are created that are based on the instructions given to the Olympic staff by the 1972 organisers.
1972 – Anything seemed possible. The future was wide open and shining in all the colours of the rainbow. The XX. Olympic Games created a new image of Germany. Never before had there been such a comprehensive overall visual concept. From architecture and urban planning to the smallest detail of corporate design. The holistic design approach of designer Otl Aicher and the new regulatory approaches of the Munich police were not about order at any price, but about a relaxed atmosphere. What was heralded as a change from an authoritarian to an emancipatory approach came to an abrupt end with the attack on the Israeli team. Domestic hardliners regained the upper hand. The German autumn began, a leaden time.
The brief moment in history when a window opened into a possible future is revived by the project “Reconstructing Future”. The artists Dellbrügge & de Moll act like restorers who uncover a small element under the rubble of history and make it shine again with fresh colours. The intervention points to the loss of a possible future and makes us aware that social reality is relative and negotiable.
Christiane Dellbrügge, born in 1961 in Moline, lives and works in Berlin. Ralf de Moll, born in 1961 in Saarlouis, lives and works in Berlin.
