“We had no plans but dreams”
A publishing house, gallery and graphic art workshop from St. Gallen
MúzeumCafé 30.
The Erker Publishing House, Gallery and Workshop was established after the Second World War by two young Swiss men, Franz Larese (1927–2000) and Jürg Janett (1927–). The complex with its exhibitions, publishing, graphic art workshop and events – authors’ meetings, readings and lectures – occupies a prominent place among west European contemporary art centres. The exhibition St. Gallen Adventures – Hartung, Tàpies, Uecker and the Erker Phenomenon held in the Museum of Fine Arts focussed on the heyday of this intellectual centre (1962-1987) by showcasing the work of its major artists and writers with the help of literary works, graphic artworks, specialist books, recordings and archive photographs. The foundation and Jürg Janett himself deemed it important for an east European country to be the recipient of some works. They wanted to find an internationally significant collection where the graphic art of the second half of the 20th century was less represented. The Fine Arts Museum’s Department of Prints and Drawings is of an international standard and they were convinced that graphic art by Tàpies, Uecker, Chillida and Hartung would find a worthy home there. Paul Tanner, head of ETH Graphische Sammlung in Zurich, drew attention to Budapest since he has close contacts with Szilvia Bodnár who is in charge of the Department of Prints and Drawings in Budapest. The department’s 20th-century collection has increased in both quantity and quality due to the donated 600 graphic art works, posters and books. Interestingly, when Günther Uecker learnt that his graphic art works and relief prints were to be received by the Mu-seum of Fine Arts he personally donated six original printing blocks to the museum.