Xanti Schawinsky

More about the book

The late Swiss artist Xanti (Alexander) Schawinsky (1904–1979) remained largely inaccessible until recently due to a long legal dispute and the integral role of his teaching in his artistic practice. Much of his work is concentrated in one location today. Schawinsky was primarily recognized for his contributions to the theater department at the Bauhaus. In the 1930s, while teaching at Black Mountain College—a refuge for many European emigrants during the Nazi era—he developed his dramatic theory, "Spectodrama." This involved multimedia productions exploring fundamental phenomena like space, motion, light, sound, and color from various perspectives, representing an early form of the "happening," later popularized by fellow affiliate John Cage. His painting also challenges the boundaries of the medium, emphasizing process. Schawinsky’s work connects to major trends in European and American modernism, reflecting the transatlantic exchange of artistic ideas influenced by political circumstances. This publication serves as an essential monograph on Schawinsky, marking the first comprehensive survey of his prolific output over five decades, with the last focused on his Bauhaus work published nearly three decades ago. Published with Migros Museum for Contemporary Art, Zurich.