deutsch / english

1980 to 1989 Germany, Iceland, Austria, Switzerland

1980

Reykjavík, Mosfellssveit, Lucerne, Basle, Stuttgart
In the following two decades Roth pre-eminently travels back and forth between Iceland and Switzerland. He increasingly collaborates artistically with his son Björn. Most of the larger works are joint projects.
Roth moves into a studio at Hegenheimer Strasse in Basle. He develops the concept of the Table Mats. For these works he fixes the material that accumulates on his worktable, such as notes, photos, or rubbish on desk pads made of grey cardboard. In addition these ‘Mats’ are painted or supplemented with collages by Roth and partially also by his grandchildren and their friends.
The series Stuttgarter Bilderbogen (The Stuttgart Illustrated Broadsheets) is exhibited at Wendelin Niedlich’s gallery.

1982

Mosfellsveit, Paris, Mols, Venice, Stuttgart, Basle
Spring: Roth temporarily gives up his flat in Stuttgart and moves to Mols.
Roth receives the Rembrandt Award of the Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Foundation at the Basle Art Museum. Instead of the expected words of thanks Roth waves to the audience and calls out “goodbye!” several times.
At the Biennale di Venezia Roth represents Switzerland with his film work Ein Tagebuch (A Diary), an installation of 40 film projectors for Super 8 films. The films, which are projected simultaneously, present autobiographical scenes from the first third of the year 1982: Roth’s “daily aliveness.” As an accompanying catalogue his latest diary is published. His book A Diary – Ein Tagebuch marks the beginning of a new, documentary work phase.
Continuous collages with Vera Roth at Gallery Niedlich.
His friendship with Hanns Sohm breaks up.

1983

Iceland, Berlin, Mols, Basle, Stuttgart
The first retrospective of his works created between 1965 and 1983, Ladenhüter aus d. Jahren 1965-1983 (Non-Sellers from the Years 1965-1983), takes place at Gallery Onnasch. Among other works Roth presents his Biennale contribution Ein Tagebuch.
Beginning in June, one of the largest exhibitions of Roth’s newer objects and sculptures is shown at the Swiss Holderbank cement works.
November: Roth gives up his residence in Stuttgart for good.

1984

dieter roth

Mosvellsveit, Basle, Mols, Vienna, Chicago, Düsseldorf, Berlin
Art Award of the bank NORD/LB, Hanover.
Ein Tagebuch is presented in the context of a solo exhibition at the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art and subsequently at the exhibition von hier aus, organized by Kasper König in Düsseldorf.
The Wand-Allerwelt-Bild (All-Purpose Wall Painting), created in collaboration with Björn Roth, André Thomkins, Ómar Stefánsson, and Dominik Steiger, is presented at the station buffet of the railway station SSB in Basle. A single issue of Kopiks, Lallix …, originally conceived as a periodical, is published in Mosfellssveit.

1986

Iceland, Basle
Roth’s appearance on TV in January in the Swiss talk show Ziischtigs-Club dealing with the topic “Eat or Diet: a Conflict after the Holidays” triggers indignant reactions among the viewers.
Roth is awarded the Maastricht Charles Nypels Prize for his books.

1987

Iceland, Basle, Frankfurt
For his exhibition Publiziertes und Unpubliziertes (Published and Unpublished Works) at the Portikus in Frankfurt Roth together with Barbara Wien assembles 3 Temporary Lists, a comprehensive bibliography of the works printed by Roth up to this point including the accompanying secondary literature.

1988

Iceland, Basle, Stuttgart
The exhibition Zeichnungen (Drawings) takes place at Staatsgalerie Stuttgart.

1989

Iceland, Basle, Hamburg
Hamburg, Roth receives the Lichtwark Award.

Roth is tormented by states of panic and depression. He himself describes keeping diaries as a form of therapy.

print window