In 1972, Werner Ruhnau was invited by the Olympic Organizing Committee to realize the Spielstraße as a supporting program for the Olympic Games in Munich. In accordance with the principles of the modern Olympic Games, which were intended to contribute to international understanding and tolerance among nations, the project invited people of all backgrounds to come together at the Spielstraße and enter into communication with one another. The contributions on site included various artistic media, from performing games and video works to objects and performances from the field of visual arts. The focus was on the critical examination of current events from the stadiums, the possibility of participation, and the timeless Olympic ideals. Due to the attack on the Israeli team on September 5th, 1972, the Spielstraße was demolished early on and was hardly received in the aftermath.
The architect Werner Ruhnau lived in Essen until the end of his life and became famous above all for his innovative theater buildings such as the Musiktheater im Revier in Gelsenkirchen. Anita Ruhnau took over the project management of the visual arts division during the realization of the Spielstraße. The exhibition at the Skulpturenmuseum Glaskasten in Marl, curated by Georg Elben, Britta Peters and Jana Kerima Stolzer, approaches the Spielstrasse from a contemporary perspective and for the first time shows film material from the archives of Werner and Anita Ruhnau, as well as original objects by the participating visual artists. In doing so, it approaches the historical events and project plans and invites visitors to reflect on the relevance of the social climate for (urban) society.
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