In the Summer of 1912, Marcel Duchamp left Paris and spent three months in Munich. On his return, he described the experience as the scene of his complete liberation. According to Kendell Geers, Duchamp’s stay in Germany was nothing less than a catalyst that changed the course of art history. In this second instalment of a four-part series, Geers leads us through the multiple meanings — and misunderstandings — surrounding Duchamp’s mission to put ‘art back in the service of the mind’.
Duchamp’s Endgame (2/4):
Bête comme une oie
Following his return from Munich in 1912 Duchamp was unequivocal in his rejection of ‘retinal’ art in his mission ‘to put art back in the service of the mind.’ A literal reading of this statement would appear to be in total contradiction with my suggestion that he had traced the lines of old master paintings to form the ‘structural skeletons’ of the five works he created in Munich. On the other hand, Duchamp’s emphasis on putting art back into the service of the mind implies that (…)
