Harry RuhéReseñas

“Harry” is Harry Ruhé, – protagonist, provocateur – organiser of renowned Fluxus festivals and happenings, in the 80s and 90s. Founder of Gallery A in 1976, Ruhé maintained an intense correspondence with a galaxy of artists, as yet little known, but later to achieve fame and notoriety as the ground-breaking practitioners of their time. The roll call is long, Günter Brus, Lawrence Weiner, Al Hansen, Ben Vautier, Yoko Ono, Paul Sharits, … Ruhé has a distinguished career as writer and publisher. The exhibition “Dear Harry” at Enter/Enter in Amsterdam presented a wall display of full-size facsimiles of the letters, with previously unpublished stories written in Harry’s inimitable style. This book, an archive box (ring mechanism with polyester album pages) 1s published in an edition of 25 numbered copies.

An unofficial chronology / catalogue raissoné compiled by Harry Ruhé. Includes preface, chronology, list of illustrations, and colophon and covers Brouwns life and works from 1935 - 2001. Published in conjunction with an exhibition of Stanley Brouen publications curated by Harry Ruhé and held in Marseille in 2001. Includes tipped-in images, an exhibition brochure / folded poster published in conjunction with "Fluxus and Beyond," curated by Harry Ruhé, held at Gallery A, Amsterdam, October 31 - December 13, 2001. Also includes an envelope with reproductions of an Art & Project exhibition calendar for 1972/73, an exhibition checklist for Brouwn's show at the Stedelijk Museum held March 7 - April 8, 1973, and a press release for a Stanley Brouwn exhibition held at Casino Luxembourg, Forum d'art Contemporain, March 3 - April 29, 2001, in French. Printed on single-sided three-hole punched sheets in a white spiral binder housed in an unprinted white board slipcase.

'Harry Ruhé (°1947) is galeriehouder, publicist en verzamelaar van edities. Als oprichter en bezieler van A, zijn galerie, organiseerde hij vanaf 1976 tentoonstellingen en performances van kunstenaars als Lawrence Weiner, Al Hansen, Ben Vautier, Reiner Ruthenbeck, Yoko Ono, Günter Brus en vele anderen. Ook ging hij, in samenwerking met George Maciunas, algauw Fluxus-edities tentoonstellen en verkopen. In 1981 zette hij met Peter van Beveren een Fluxus-festival op in de AKI in Enschede. In 2003 nodigde Sjarel Ex hem uit dit samen met Willem de Ridder nog eens te doen in de binnenstad van Utrecht. In 1997 organiseerde hij voor het Centraal Museum in Utrecht een overzichtstentoonstelling van het werk van Wim T. Schippers. Daarbij verscheen de door Ruhé samengestelde catalogus: Het Beste van Wim T. Schippers. In 2011 zette hij met Jeannette Dekeukeleire de CultClub op, met een thema-avond op elke laatste vrijdag van de maand. Al zijn bezigheden gaan gepaard met bijzondere publicaties. Zijn teksten zijn heerlijk om te lezen: ter zake en grappig.'
Hans Theys over Harry Ruhé in 'Het is fijn een witte man te zijn. Gesprek met Harry Ruhé.', HART 220

Dutch version of the book published in Verona in 1999. Translated by Hans Theys in an edition of 100 numbered copies. This is number 91.

A collection of 25 original photos by Igno Cuypers of the action "This Way Brouwn" by Stanley Brouwn. Published in Amsterdam in August 2020 by Harry Ruhé in an edition of 10 + 2 copies, This is nr HC 2/2, signed by Igno Cuypers and Harry Ruhé. Assembled in a blue archive box, and supplemented with facsimile of announcements of exhibition presentations.

During the first half of the 1960’s, photographer Igno Cuypers lived for a while right behind Willem de Ridder’s gallery on Amstel 47 in Amsterdam. Here he ran into several ‘avant garde’ artists. Stanley Brouwn was one of them.

Cuypers informed Harry Ruhé that Brouwn had asked him ‘sometime in 1964’ to document several street performances. He had been on the road with the artist during ‘two or three days’. Brouwn pays Cuypers fifty guilders (22.69 euro). Cuypers stated that Brouwn intended to make a work with ‘a movement from A to B’, but the first day the artist didn’t really know how such an action should be documented. According to the photographer, this is clearly demonstrated by the picture he took on Dam Square of this ‘proof action’.
At a certain moment, Brouwn asked a passer-by for a map with directions. Then, as stated by Cuypers, ‘things really got going’.

According to the photographer Brouwn wanted no more than ‘one or two prints’.
In 1965, one of Cuypers’ images was used for the invitation of an exhibition in Galerie Orez in The Hague.

In 1971, Gebr. König in Cologne published the book ‘This Way Brouwn 25-2-61 / 26-2-61’. However ‘This Way Brouwn” is never mentioned in catalogues and brochures published before 1964.