The punk movement was most relevant during a very limited time period from 1975 to 1979 - the time of the Sex Pistols .
Punk had its origin in the New York scene: The Velvet Underground, The New York Dolls and The Ramones. Additionally, in the history of art there were foundational influences: from „the Poetes Maudits in the 19th Century, to Dadaïsm and Situationisme of the 20th Century.
During the 70's New York and London were broke. Artists, musician, Drag Queens and other bohemians occupied the empty buildings in the centre of the city.
Without money or business structures, young creative people established new independent labels, fanzines and art spaces. There were no borders or categories. More important was to do something new. Spontaneity, desire, innovation, radicalism, as well do-it-yourself and collage techniques were the keywords of this scene.
In this context, punk first exploded in 1975 in New York; London, Berlin and Zurich soon followed suit, and finally the rest of the world. The youth and the commercial industries used punk very effectively and efficiently for their own goals. Punk lost its initial innocence and became fashion. In 1979 the first participants finally left the punk scene and developed their own creativity.
Punk was a liberating movement, which changed profoundly the music, fashion, design and art.
And punk today?
The same ideas are still valid: Individuality, creativity, subversion and extension of the borders.
The answers however, have new names: Internet, Street, Urban and Guerilla art. For how long?
The exhibition BORN TO BE PUNK shows the work of young artists, who identify themselves with the spirit of punk.
I prepared this exhibition with MySpace. BORN TO BE PUNK is for me the possibility of exploring new structures.