Kasper König (1943-2024)

Abstract The article examines the influential legacy of curator and editor Kasper König (1943–2024), focusing particularly on his groundbreaking editorial work at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in the early 1970s. Buchloh traces König's evolution from co-founding the publishing house Gebrüder König with his brother in 1967 to his pivotal role in developing the Nova Scotia Series. The article highlights König's commitment to interdisciplinary approaches, particularly through publishing projects that bridged visual art, performance, architecture, dance, and music. Key publications discussed include documentation of Wittgenstein's architecture, Claes Oldenburg's theatrical works, and volumes dedicated to artists like Steve Reich, Simone Forti, and Yvonne Rainer. Buchloh emphasizes König's democratic-anarchist aesthetic philosophy, which privileged artists’ direct communication through primary documents while avoiding interpretive commentary. The piece concludes by examining König's role in documenting institutional critique through Hans Haacke's censored works and his final project with Michael Snow, suggesting how König's editorial practice consistently sought to transform cultural production into moments of potential social change.