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Jean Tinguely
Klamauk
1979
Material / technique: Tractor with machine sculpture on top: scrap iron, wooden wheels, barrels, rubbish pail, garden gnome, various percussion instruments
Size: 315 x 660 x 315 cm
Inv.Number: 11256
Catalog: Bischofberger 0554
Creditline: Museum Tinguely, Basel, Donation Niki de Saint Phalle
“Klamauk“ was created in 1979 for the exhibition Tinguely-Luginbühl at Frankfurt’s Städel Museum. Together with “Safari de la Mort Moscovite“, “Klamauk” forms a group of mobile sculptures typical of Tinguely’s oeuvre. “Klamauk“ originally had a counterpart, “Radau“, which however only drove through Biel for a few days in 1980 and was then dismantled. The third planned tractor, “Krawall”, was never built. “Safari” was then created ten years after “Klamauk”. The driving, noise-making, smoking, stinking, firecracker-exploding tractor “Klamauk” embodies Jean Tinguely’s oeuvre more than almost any other work. From the moment of its creation in 1979 and with several appearances at various mountain races, it became the trademark of the iron sculptor. The elements of a sound sculpture are mounted here atop an old tractor. Bells, cymbals, pots and barrels are struck, developing in conjunction with the striking background noise of the powerful tractor motor the accidental melody of the “Méta-Harmonies”. Added to this are firecrackers and smoke bombs ignited by the driver (a risky enterprise), which with their loud bangs and stench lend the driving sound sculpture an apocalyptic note. Death is a passenger on the joyrides taken by the whimsical “Klamauk”. It was no accident that Tinguely chose to drive the tractor down the raceway in 1981 on the occasion of the memorial ceremony in St. Ursanne for Jo Siffert, the great Swiss Formula 1 race car driver and friend of the iron sculptor, who lost his life in a crash on 24 October 1971. “Klamauk” also accompanied Jean Tinguely on his last drive, the parade through Fribourg on the occasion of the artist’s funeral on 4 September 1991.
Pictures in our Collection
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Museum Tinguely does not own any copyright in works by Jean Tinguely or other artists in the collection. The clarification of these rights and payment in respect of them is a matter for the applicant. In Switzerland, the collecting society responsible for this is ProLitteris, Zurich (link website: www.prolitteris.ch). Museum Tinguely undertakes no liability for third party claims arising from infringement of copyright and personality rights.
Collection of Museum Tinguely
Works and work groups belonging to all phases of Jean Tinguely’s career are to be found in the museum's collection. Along with selected temporary loans, they afford the visitor an extensive view of the artist’s career. Apart from sculptures, the collection furthermore comprises a large number of drawings and letter-drawings, documents, exhibition posters, catalogues and documentation such as photographs. In the measure of the possible all the exhibits are accessible to the public and regularly shown, be it in the permanent collection or as loans to exhibitions worldwide.
The museum’s collections are the result of a generous donation by the artist’s widow, Niki de Saint Phalle, made on the occasion of its foundation, a donation of works from the Roche collection, as well as several other gifts and acquisitions.
>> Biography of Jean Tinguely
>> History of the collection