GustavMetzger
Biography
Gustav Metzger (1926–2017 Nuremberg, Germany) Gustav Metzger was a German-born artist and political activist, renowned for pioneering Auto-Destructive Art—a movement emphasizing the transient nature of art through self-destruction. Born on April 10, 1926, in Nuremberg to Polish-Jewish parents, Metzger escaped Nazi persecution via the Kindertransport to Britain in 1939, though tragically, most of his family perished in the Holocaust. In 1959, Metzger introduced the concept of Auto-Destructive Art, creating works that embodied themes of destruction and renewal. His 1961 performance on London's South Bank, where he applied acid to nylon sheets, exemplified this approach. Metzger's work intersected with avant-garde movements, including Fluxus. He participated in the 1962 "Festival of Misfits" at Gallery One in London, organized by Fluxus members. He collaborated with Robert Watts in the series” Fun with Fluxus”( 1984-1990) where Watts created 59 targets with different artists. Throughout his life, Metzger remained a fervent advocate for environmental and anti-nuclear causes, integrating his activism into his art.
