Sechs Teile, lokalisiert

The American Conceptual Art movement, of which Joseph Kosuth is one of the most important pioneers, emerged during the 1960s and pursued the development of an autonomous art. The work was no longer to be determined by its artisanal execution and aesthetic qualities. Instead, the underlying idea itself was to be at the forefront. But how does this underlying concept express itself? How can it be made perceptible to the viewer if not through its concrete manifestation?

Kosuth determined that art frequently articulates itself through the medium of language and decided to employ it as a direct form of expression. By this means, language itself was elevated to the status of art—independent and meaningful. In his work »Six Pieces, Localized«, the words “Ort” (place), "Teile" (parts), “Einheit” (unity), “Kontext” (context), “Bedeutung” (meaning), and “Geschichte” (history), written in industrially produced neon lettering, are attached to the wall. The selected terms refer to themselves as independent elements, and together combine to form a mutually enhancing unit. At the same time, they refer to the place they occupy, defining it through their linguistic meaning.