Helke Bayrle - Portikus Under Construction, 1992-2016

In 1992, Helke Bayrle began videotaping the installation of each exhibition at the Portikus exhibition space. These videos form a remarkable and intimate archive of the storied Frankfurt contemporary art institution and the exceptional artists and personnel that have worked within it. Coinciding with the launch of a website containing all of Bayrle’s Portikus videos, this publication pays tribute to the artist’s extraordinary work, through a comprehensive timeline, video stills, and statements by past and current directors and curators. Art critic and historian Kirsty Bell writes about the history of Portikus and the meaning of Bayrle’s work. Also included in the book is a conversation with the artist and Sunah Choi, who, since 2001, has edited the videos that comprise Bayrle’s truly unique undertaking.

Copublished with Portikus, Frankfurt am Main

Contributors Helke Bayrle, Kirsty Bell, Daniel Birnbaum, Sunah Choi, Nikola Dietrich, Nikolaus Hirsch, Brigitte Koelle, Kasper Koenig, Angelika Nollert, Melanie Ohnemus, Sophie von Olfers, Philippe Pirotte, Fabian Schoeneich, Jochen Volz