Three small loose sheets, printed recto only, two with black text on off-white paper, one on orange paper. Octavo (8 3/8 x 5 3/8 inches and 9 5/8 x 6 1/4 inches). Loose as issued. Some light creasing, overall very good. Amsterdam and Arnhem, Netherlands: circa 1960-1961.

The first of these sheets was put out by the Dutch Informal Group (Hollandse Informele Groep), which was founded in 1958. The title translates as "Long Live the Permanent Revolution!" It is signed by Dutch artists Armando, Kees van Bohemen, Jan Henderikse, Henk Peeters, and Jan Schoonhoven, the group's original members. Kees van Bohemen left the group in early 1961, and the remaining four cofounded the Nul Group, closely tied to Germany's Group Zero. The Nul Group called for the "end of personal expression in art", instead favoring objectivity and a lack of emotion. The group believed that art making was akin to manufacturing - the most important thing was the idea, not the actual process of creating. Their works were often monochrome and colorless, without form or distinct composition. The artists also often used found objects like steel bolts and matchboxes. The group disbanded in 1966.

On April 1, 1961, the Internationale tentoonstelling van NIETS, or International Exhibition of NOTHING, was organized in Amsterdam at Galerie 207, near the Stedelijk Museum. The other two manifesto-pamphlets in this grouping were published at this time, and were among the first official activities of the Nul Group. The first, 'Manifest tegen niets' (Manifesto against Nothing), was signed by Armando, Onorio, Carl Laszlo, Bazon Brock, Piero Manzoni, Henk Peeters, Jan Henderikse, Jan Schoonhoven, Meger, Arthur Kopcke, and Silvano Lora. It states that, "A painting is worth as much as no painting...Music is as pleasant as no music...Something is almost nothing (not something)."

The last pamphlet, "EINDE", is signed by almost the same group as the Manifest tegen niets. It reads, in rough translation, "We need art like we need a hole in the head!" ("Hed Nederlandse Volk heeft voor zijn welzijn helemaal geen kunst nodig, ja: kunst kan gemist worden als kiespijn!") It closes with, "From now on, the undersigned pledge to work to disband art circles and close down exhibition spaces, which can finally be put to a worthier use."

A scarce group of important historical modern art documents; as of October 2025, we could not find listings for any of these documents through OCLC.

Book ID: 53550

Price: $1,950.00