Exhibition (Solo): Dorothy Iannone — Love Is Forever, Isn’t It?
M HKA, Antwerpen, Leuvenstraat 32
05 October 2023 - 21 January 2024
©Dorothy Iannone, People, series circa 1966-67. image: courtesy ahlers collection
The exhibition Love Is Forever, Isn't It? presents one of the most comprehensive surveys of Dorothy Iannone's prolific body of work, to be showcased at M HKA.
Dorothy Iannone (1933–2022) was an American visual artist who lived and worked in Berlin. Her artistic practice spanned paintings, artists’ books, video installations, sculptures, drawings, and sound works. In her visual and writing oeuvre, she created a unique relationship between text, image, audio, and sculptural objects, emphasising their narrative and fictional dimensions.
The primary focus of this project is the recontextualisation of Iannone's work, specifically examining its intrinsic performative nature, which has been scarcely investigated until now. The exhibition explores novelistic conventions, narrative threads, relationships between words and images, as well as autofictional and biographical elements within her creations.
Iannone examined topics related to female sexuality, which has led to her work being censored on multiple occasions. In her vibrant oeuvre, she explored feelings and emotions, creating an erotic iconography largely inspired by non-Western and Buddhist imagery. She passionately described her intimate friendships and relationships with her muses, artists, and lovers.
Though she shared personal and artistic associations with Fluxus, Dorothy Iannone never considered herself part of the movement. Undoubtedly, her transdisciplinary and multifaceted practice establishes a unique dialogue with the neo-avant-garde movements of the 1960s, 70s, and 80s.
Iannone's exhibition at M HKA takes viewers on an emancipatory journey towards unconditional love, the celebration of matriarchy, and Eros. As she eloquently stated in one of her texts: ‘If in any way, I have helped people to come closer to themselves, that would mean a lot to me.’
Please be aware that the works of art in this exhibition might contain graphic depictions of genitals and sexual acts.
Click here to browse the digital scan of the exhibition.
Publication
The publication Love Is Forever, Isn't It? serves as an extension of the exhibition in collaboration with JRP|Editions. It features essays that delve into the concept of performativity, both in artistic terms and in the context of feminism and female sexuality. The book underscores the significance of Dorothy Iannone's contributions to contemporary art within the international avant-garde while shedding light on the numerous acts of censorship that impacted her artistic journey. The book is availiable at the M HKA museum shop.
About the artist
Dorothy Iannone (1933–2022) was an American visual artist renowned for her vibrant and expressive artistic language. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Iannone initially pursued literature at Boston University before shifting her focus to art in the late 1950s. In the early 1960s, she moved to Europe and became associated with avant-garde art movements seeking to break down artistic boundaries and challenge conventional cultural norms. Her diverse practice encompassed paintings, artists’ books, video installations, sculptures, and sound works. Throughout her career, Iannone’s art has been deeply autobiographical, reflecting her experiences and relationships. Her work often features vibrant, colourful, and explicit depictions of sexuality and the human body, exploring themes of love, ecstasy, and the pursuit of personal freedom. Her bold and unapologetic approach to sexuality has occasionally led to censorship and exclusion.
Iannone’s art has been exhibited in galleries and museums worldwide, her work was presented at: Migros Museum (Zurich), New Museum (New York), Louisiana Museum (Copenhagen), and Berlinische Galerie (Berlin) among other venues.
Online platform
Visit dorothyiannone.ensembles.org to find a wealth of information about Dorothy Iannone and the exhibition.
(Ta)Rot
M HKA and Triangle books published double-sided copies of the work (Ta)Rot, based on 54 original drawings from 1968/69 by Dorothy Iannone. A limited edition that is now available in the M HKA shop for € 38.
This work by Dorothy Iannone is a series of twenty-seven cards depicting the life of Dieter Roth, her beloved and muse. During 1968-69, Dorothy Iannone worked on the cards while living in Düsseldorf where Dieter was a professor at the Academy of Art. This is a facsimile of the drawings censored during the exhibition "Friends and Their Friends " curated by Harald Szeemann at Kunsthalle Bern in 1969.
De Cinema programme
As part of the exhibition, DE CINEMA is programming several films connected to Dorothy Iannone's series of works Movie People presented in M HKA. The series of sculptures is about the artist's favorite films that feature unconditional loves, or at least, the sacrifice of one's own happiness for the sake of the beloved.
© Dorothy Iannone, People, series circa 1966-67. Image: courtesy ahlers collection
WorksShow artists
> Dorothy Iannone, Immaculate, 1961. Drawing, felt pen on paper, 74 x 104 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, Table, 1965-1966. Object, felt pen and acrylic on wood, 72 cm, ø 81 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, People, 1966-1967. Sculpture, 36 x 21 x 1,2 cm (each).
> Dorothy Iannone, All, 1967. Painting, oil on canvas, 184,5 x 245 cm.
No image
> Dorothy Iannone, Mother and Child, 1967. Drawing, felt pen on cardboard.
> Dorothy Iannone, First Print, 1967. Print, silkscreen on paper, sign and numbered edition , 69.5 × 100 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, Calendar page with drawings and collage, 1968. Collage.
> Dorothy Iannone, Dialogues X , 1968-1969. Drawing, 37x34,5x1,2cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, Lists IV : A Much More Detailed Than Requested Reconstruction, 1968. Artist Book, edition of 30, 21 x 26 x 10 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, Woman in a Beautiful Armchair , 1969. Drawing, felt pen on cardboard.
> Dorothy Iannone, A Cookbook, 1969. Artist Book, felt pen on bristol board, 62 pages and cover, unique, . 30 x 25 x 3,5 cm .
> Dorothy Iannone, Ten Scenes, 1969. Print, silkscreen on paper, sign and numbered edition, 36/100 + 1 , 75 x 100,5 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, Black Dick, 1969. Print, silkscreen on paper. published by galerie wilbrand, cologne, 82 x 66 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, I Love To Beat You, 1969-1970. Painting, crylic on linen mounted on canvas, 190 x 150 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, The Story of Bern, [or] Showing Colors, 1970. Artist Book, ink on paper, 23 x 22 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, I Begin to Feel Free, 1970. Painting, collage and acrylic on canvas, 190 x 150 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, Ich liebe es dich zu schlagen, 1970. Drawing, felt pen on cardboard.
> Dorothy Iannone, The Story Of Bern (Or) Showing Colors, 1970. Other, set of 69 drawings, felt pen on cardboard, 23 x 22 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, The Next Great Moment In History Is Ours, 1970. Print, silkscreen on paper, numbered edition, 7/100 , 73 x 102 cm .
> Dorothy Iannone, Untitled, 1970. Other, felt tip pen and ink on heavy cardboard, 82 x 66,5 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, Your Names Are Love Father God, 1970-1971. Collage, collage and acrylic on canvas, 190,0 x 150,0 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, Let Me Squeeze Your Fat Cunt, 1970-1971. Collage, collage and acrylic on canvas, 190,0 x 150,0 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, Extase (De Dorothy Iannone, Illustré Par Une Chanson De Robert Filliou), 1970. Artist Book, felt pen on bristol board, 62 pages, 36,8 x 32,2 cm.
> Teaching and Learning as performing arts / Lehren und lernen als Aufdrführungkünste, 1970. Artist Book, ink, paper, metal, 21 x 27 cm, 231 p..
> Dorothy Iannone, Lions For Dieter Rot The Present Lion Master, 1971. Other, etching on paper, numbered edition, 47/50 , 86 x 95 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, Untitled (Iceland), 1972. Drawing.
> Dorothy Iannone, Human Liberation, 1972. Print, silkscreen on paper, numbered edition, 115/125, 56 x 73 cm .
> Dorothy Iannone, Aua Aua, 1972-2005. Sculpture, acrylic on wood, monitor,16 mm film from 1972 converted to dvd video 2.40 min, looped, 192 x 140 x 60 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, Roulette Table, Love Is My Inspiration, 1972-2020. Object, acrylic and marker on wood, roulette wheel, cloth and handmade chips from alfred dunhill, with integrated cassette player, 92,5 x 215 x 134,5 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, The Olympic Box, 1972. Object, four painted wooden panels, one with an oval saw opening, as well as fabric stretched on the frame and leather handle, 58,5 x 34 x 30cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, Singing Box, 1972. Other, felt pen on wood with cassette and integrated player, 52 x 34 x 26 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, Dinner Music, 1972. Other, felt pen and ink on wood. audio transferred to cd, 57 x 37 x 28 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, Giant people (Marianna Filliou), 1972-2020. Sculpture, acrylic and india ink on wood, 181 x 22,6 x 122,4 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, Giant people (Jan Vos), 1972-2020. Sculpture, acrylic and india ink on wood.
> Dorothy Iannone, Giant people (Dorothy Iannone), 1972-2020. Sculpture, acrylic and india ink on wood, 171 x 23,2 x 136 cm .
> Dorothy Iannone, Giant People (Robert Filliou), 1972-2020. Sculpture, acrylic and india ink on wood, 181 x 22,6 x 122,4 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, Danger In Düsseldorf (or) I Am Not What I Seem, 1973. Artist Book, 40 pages + cover, unpaginated, signed, numbered, edition hansjörg mayer, stuttgart/london/reykjavik, 51/200 , 24,5 x 17,6 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, Merlin And The Lady Vivian, 1973. Print, silkscreen on paper, 59,5 x 74,5 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, Flora and Fauna, 1973. Print, screen print on paper, signed and numbered hc iv/v published by günter pooch, düsseldorf, 59,5 x 72,5 cm, signed, numbered edition, 30. Published by Günter Pooch, Düsseldorf..
> Dorothy Iannone, I Am Not What I Seem (or) Danger in Düsseldorf, 1973. Print, silk screen print on paper, 50 x 120 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, Peacock, 1974. Drawing, felt pen on bristol board, laminated, 37,5 x 35 cm .
> Dorothy Iannone, Stool, 1974. Drawing, felt pen on bristol board, laminated, 37,5 x 35 cm .
> Dorothy Iannone, I Was Thinking Of You , 1975. Print, silkscreen, 64x35 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, I Was Thinking Of You, 1975. Mixed Media, acrylic on wood, monitor, video converted to dvd video 5 min, looped, 233 x 173,5 x 54 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, Stool, 1975. Sculpture, enamel on wood, leather cushion, feathers, 90 cm Diamètre : 120 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, Follow me , 1977. Artist Book, artist book, leporello published by berlin artists program (daad), berlin.
> Dorothy Iannone, Speaking to Each Other, With Mary Harding, 1977. Mixed Media, clothbound fold out book, 65 pages of handwritten text by harding and iannone (english and german), 2 audio tapes, numbered edition 48/200 , 22 x 22 x 3,5 cm, audio 2 x 30 min.
> Dorothy Iannone, Notes For An Autobiography, 1977. Drawing, 15 drawings, ink on bristol board, each 40 x 30 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, Follow me, 1977. Other, ink, acrylic on wood, monitor, video converted to dvd, 185,5 x 382 x 65,5 cm (open).
> Dorothy Iannone, Follow me, 1977. Other, gouache on paper, silver print photograph , 25 x 20 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, The Berlin Beauties Or You Have No Idea How Beautiful You Are, Berlin, 1978. Artist Book, 69 pages + cover, 20.5 x 24.5 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, A Fluxus Essay and an Audacious Announcement, 1979. Mixed Media, acrylic and ink on wood, audio cassette transferred to audio cd, cd player sound 14'23", looped, 88 x 60 x 25 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, Die Peitsche / The Whip, 1980. Artist Book.
> Dorothy Iannone, Dorothy Iannone and Her Mother Sarah Pucci, 1980. Artist Book, exhibition catalogue. hardback folder containing 6 booklets, 29,7 x 21 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, The Heroic Performance Of Pastor Erik Bock, 1980. Other, acrylic on wood, monitor, video converted to dvd video 62 min, looped, 205 x 140 x 59 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, For Albert And Roger, 1982. Object, gouache and acrylic on wood, signed, 57,5 x 75 x 34cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, Welcome To My Art, 1983. Painting, framed gouache and ink on board mounted on wood, 100 x 84 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, Darling Duck, 1983-1984. Drawing, quadriptych, felt pen and ink , Each part 55 x 55 cm. Combined 55 x 220 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, An Icelandic Saga (special edition), 1989. Print, hand-colored silkscreen print "à la lyonnaise" on fabric, special edition. published by edizioni francesco conz, verona., 170 x 400 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, An Icelandic Saga, 1989. Print, hand-colored silkscreen print "à la lyonnaise" on fabric, special edition, 170 x 400 cm.
No image
> Dorothy Iannone, Piano / A Story of Ajaxander, 1989. Installation, acrylic and ink, with integrated text: courting ajaxander , variable dimensions.
> Dorothy Iannone, For Roger, 1992-1993. Object, collages, marouflages, paint and ink on 36 cards inscribed on both sides in a box, signed and dated , 3,3 x 11,5 x 14 .
> Dorothy Iannone, Dorothy Iannone And Her Friends Play the Ouija Board, 1992. Mixed Media, gouache op karton en plastic planchette, negen kleurenkopieën op karton, vier zwart-wit kopieën, 31.4 x 41.5 x 3 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, Om Ah Hum, 1994. Drawing, gouache and acrylic on paper , 20,82 x 29,8 cm.
> Cutlery Piece (und Dieter Roth) , 1994. Other, covers, polaroids, pencils and and collages on support. , ca. 35 x 60 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, 75 Apologies - 75 Complementary Cards - 75 Uncomplimentary Cards, 1996. Mixed Media, wood, gouache on cardboard, inkjet print on cardboard, 4 parts: 1 part 14.5 x 64.5 x 2 cm, 3 parts, each 8.5 x 12 x 3.5 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, Love is Forver, Isn't It?, 1997. Poster, exhibition poster, paper, printed, ca. 42 x 53.
> Dorothy Iannone, Tara, 2001. Sculpture, 140 x 100.
> Dorothy Iannone, Dieter and Dorothy (Special Edition), 2002. Artist Book, one book 256 pages and one folding box 'icelanding saga' with 8 numbered and signed leporelli with silkscreen prints on bfk rives pape.
> Dorothy Iannone, The Queen Of The Amazons And Achilles, 2007. Print, silkscreen on paper, 55,9 x 65,2 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, Play it Again, 2007. Print, coloured screen print on paper, 55 x 65 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, Dieter and Dorothy, 2007. Print, silkscreen; ink on paper, 65 x 55 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, On the Continuing Journey, 2008-2022. Print, silkscreen print, 60 x 45 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, Imperturbable (special edition), 2013. Other, lp folder with digital files of first recording/ lieber uecker (1969-1972) on 2 cd-roms, 31,5 x 31,5 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, Dear Dieter, 2015. Mixed Media, vinyl + poster, 31x31cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, (Ta)Rot Pack based on 54 original drawings from 1968/69, 2016. Drawing, double-sided laser copies on card, based on 54 original drawings from 1968/69.
> Dorothy Iannone, A Fluxus Essay, 2016. Other, book and cd, 30 x 22cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, Ewig Grün (vinyl), 2016. Other, vinyl lp, published by tochnit aleph, 31x31cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, A Cookbook (drawing of the cover), 2017. Drawing, framed dyptich, gouache and india ink on carboard, 37 x 56,2 x 3,4 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, Stars and Stripes, 2017. Sculpture, gouache, india ink and felt pen on paper, wood, 48,5 x 23,7 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, All Our Strength and All Our Sweetness, 2019. Painting, acrylic (liquitex), graphite and india ink on wood, 180 x 143 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, A Thousand and One Songs for Erik Bock, 2019. Other, cardboard box, loosely inserted colour photo in glued on photo corners, 9 offset prints incl. index sheet with credits, 2 cd’s fixed on inner side of lid, postcard, 43x31x2,5.
> Dorothy Iannone, Give Me Your Tired Your Poor Your Huddled Masses, 2019. Painting, acrylic on wall.
> Dorothy Iannone, The Statue of Liberty, 2019. Painting, acrylic on wall + sound, 350 x 180 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, Lady Liberty, 2019. Drawing, gouache on arches paper , 89 x 69 x 5 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, Lord liberty, 2019. Drawing, gouache on arches paper , 42 x 30 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, Majestic Chair, 2022. Other, mdf valchromat, acrylic paint,hand tufted rug in wool and cotton, 42 x 94 x 58cm.
> Joanna Zielińska, Love Is Forever, Isn’t It?, 2024. Book, ink on paper.
> Dorothy Iannone, Follow me. Audio and visual equipment, 4 audio cassettes .
> Dorothy Iannone, Correspondence with Sarah Pucci . Postcard.
> Dorothy Iannone, John Giorno, Rose in The Paris Review, Issue 42, Winter-Spring 1968 . Periodical.
> Dorothy Iannone, Movie People, 2009-2014. Series, gouache and acrylic on paper on wood, dimensions variable.
> Dorothy Iannone, Courting Ajaxander . Artist Book, slip case: 18,6 x 12,1x 3,2 cm; book: 18 x 12 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, West Coast Studio, 1960s. Painting, oil on canvas, 71,5 x 81,5 cm .
> Dorothy Iannone, For Emmett. Drawing, 4 x (29,7 x 21 cm).
> Dorothy Iannone, Polaroids, 1960s. Photography, felt pen on polaroid , Polaroid 8,5 x 10,7 cm .
> Sarah Pucci, Untitled, 1980s. Object, beads, sequins, pins, foam, fabric, locket , 17 x 17 x 10 cm.
> Sarah Pucci, Untitled, 1970s. Object, beads, sequins, pins, foam, 26 x 12 cm.
> Sarah Pucci, Untitled, 1990s. Object, beads, sequins, pins, foam, locket, 28 x 26 x 9 cm.
> Dorothy Iannone, Come Again to my little Kitchen. Drawing, gouache on paper, 70,3 x 100,5.
> Dorothy Iannone, Sculpture Sièges. Other, paper.
> Dorothy Iannone, Bei Gerstner (Dialogues II). Drawing.
> Dorothy Iannone, Patricia Welles - Leo on the Ascendant. Drawing, india ink and felt pen on cardboard, some collaged.
> Dorothy Iannone, (Ta)Rot Pack, 1968-69/2009 . Other, cardboard box containing 27 laminated 4-color cards, box: 12,9 x 9,8 x 1,6 cm, cards: 12,7 x 9,6 cm.
No image
> Dorothy Iannone, Correspondence with Dieter Roth. Postcard.
> Dorothy Iannone, First Recording / Lieber Uecker, 1969-72/ 1993 . Audio and visual equipment, audio cassette, six different inserts, edition of 80 , 10,8 x 7 x 1,6 cm, 90' .