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This web exhibition accompanies a current exhibition in Essen, Germany, curated by Alexander Groenert.
The following text and pictures were kindly provided by Rene Grohnert, head of the German Poster Museum.
Politics, Pop and Afri-Cola. 68 Posters
German Poster Museum in the Museum Folkwang,
Kahrstrasse 16, Essen, Germany
January 12 – March 16, 2008
Opening: January 11, 2008, at 7 p.m.
Under the title "Politics, Pop and Afri-Cola. 68 Posters" the German Poster Museum is showing
posters from all aspect of life in the year 1968 in the Museum Folkwang from 12 January to 16
March. Together with 1989, 1968 is the most important break in the recent history of the Federal
Republic of Germany. Vietnam War, student unrest and a debate on fundamental social values
determined public discourse. Political as well as social upheavals which define our life today
have their roots in this period. Posters reflected this development. The exhibition documents
this eventful year in five areas: politics and society, art and culture, music, entertainment and
leisure, products and services.
A major characteristic of the period around 1968 was a politicization of social life and the
definite establishment of an independent youth culture. This development expressed itself in
contemporary poster culture as well. The range of modern icons that took on such striking
effects extended from Che Guevara to Afri-Cola. Statements such as “Everyone talks about the
weather, but not us” juxtaposed with politicized advertising slogans such as “Sexy-mini-superflower-
pop-op-cola”. Posters for the Beatles film “Yellow Submarine” or for the “Essener Song
Tage”, Europe’s first rock festival, had a new language of forms and images. In these images,
the agitation of the 68 period is still tangible, even after forty years.
The Essener Song Tage – Take a Trip to Asnidhi
The first European music festival took place in 1968 in Essen. The “Essener Song Tage” offered
an overview of developments in Rock, Pop and experimental music, and political songs, with
over 200 events. Appearing were not only Alexis Korner and Frank Zappa and the Mothers of
Invention, but also singers such as Degenhardt, Süverkrüpp and Hüsch. With over 40,000
spectators, the festival is seen as the birthplace of the so-called German or Kraut rock, with
appearances by underground groups such as Amon Düül, Guru Guru Groove or Tangerine
Dream among others. The poster title “Take a Trip to Asnidhi” first seemed to promote travel to
a distant place or a highly praised country, if you think, at first glance, you recognize an Indian
word, possibly a placename. But the “highly praised land” refers to Essen, as in its first
thousand years the settlement located within Essen’s current borders was called “Asnidhi”, the
place of the ash-tree or ash-tree place. In the course of its history, Asnidhi was transformed into
Assind (Assindia – the site of Essend) and then in the 18th century into today’s name of Essen.
German Poster Museum
The collection of the German Poster Museum includes more than 340,000 posters. These range
from the very beginnings of the development of posters to those of today. The focus is on
documenting the development of German posters in a European context. Since 1974 (the year of
its foundation) the German Poster Museum has been part of the Museum Folkwang in Essen.
In the Museum Folkwang’s new building, designed by David Chipperfield Architects and
financed by the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach-Stiftung, the German Poster Museum
will have, from 2010, for the first time suitable exhibition and work space.
For the exhibition, a catalogue is being published by the Pomp-Verlag
Two high quality poster reprints are available in the museum:
- Günther Kieser: Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention, Tour Poster 1968
- Take a Trip to Asnidhi, Event Poster of the Essener Song Tage 1968
Second Showing 2009: Historisches Museum am Hohen Ufer, Hannover, Germany
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