Akkumulation und Fallenbild

Accumulation and picture-traps were two artistic techniques associated with Object and Material art. The techniques played an important role in the Neo-dada and Nouveau Réalisme movements, and incorporated everyday objects. Accumulation was characterised by the inclusion of a large number of similar objects, presented together in the same spatial and content-related context. A key Accumulation artist was Arman (1928-2005), who took everyday objects such as false teeth, cans or chess pieces - which symbolised the remnants of society - and placed them in layers in Plexiglas containers or covered them in resin. Other Accumulation artists included Jean Tinguely, César and Martial Raysse.
In his "picture-traps" (tableau-piège), which bore similarities with assemblage, Daniel Spoerri (born 1930) focussed on the interaction of art and life, and simultaneously devoted himself to his favourite topic: nutrition. The artist deconstructed the process of manufacture (and his work was also associated with Eat Art), saying: "Situations discovered by chance in order or disorder are fixed (trapped) just as they are upon their support of the moment (chair, table, box, etc.), only the orientation with respect to the spectator is altered. The result is declared to be a work of art. Horizontal becomes vertical. An example: breakfast leftovers are attached to a table and the table is hung on the wall. I exhibited pictures of this kind for the first time at the 'Festival d'Art d'Avantgarde' in Paris in 1960."