MÖNCHENGLADBACH.- With Field Test #5: Saito – Ay-O, the series that has presented the Fluxus holdings of Andersch Collection/Archive in alphabetical order since 2021, entered its final phase on November 20, 2025.

Andersch Collection/Archive was acquired by Museum Abteiberg in 2017. Over time, it will evolve into a Schaumagazin (display storage) designed as a hub for researching Fluxus and the art of the 1960s and ‘70s. In preparation for this new exhibition format in the middle of the museum, the final edition of Field Tests looks to the audience for input: How did visitors experience the series? What do they hope to see in the planned display storage? The feedback gathered will inform the planning process for the full presentation of Andersch Collection/Archive in the coming years. At the same time, the focus is on works from the alphabetical section S (for “Saito”) through A (for “Ay-O”), concluding a series that began in 2021 with B for “Beuys.”

Dorothee and Erik Andersch (both 1940–2021) played central roles in the 1960s and 1970s Rhineland Fluxus network. At the Regenbogen student residence in Düsseldorf, they provided lodging for artists such as Takako Saito, which led to the formation of many close friendships. Building on these personal connections, the couple began assembling a collection in 1968 that embraces Fluxus in the broadest sense.

Takako Saito’s numerous chess sets exemplify Fluxus's strong embrace of play. The artist’s Play Chess with the Sun! from 1993 consists of a pair of sunglasses in a case. The right lens displays a chessboard, while the left lens features a straightforward invitation: “HELLO! LET’S PLAY CHESS.” And yet the set contains no chess pieces. Saito, who was trained as an educator, has explored the idea that every person holds creative potential since the 1950s. Her chess sets encourage creativity by prompting viewers to invent their own rules. Other Fluxus artists, including Ben Vautier, created similar interactive artworks, highlighting the participatory nature of Fluxus. In this spirit, visitors can enjoy a variety of board games in the museum café throughout the exhibition. To celebrate the opening, as well as on select other dates, the MG_Artfriends will host game nights and extend a warm welcome to all who wish to join. Instead of the usual formal speeches on opening night, curator Melanie Seidler and project director Dr. Felicia Rappe will lead exhibition talks offering insights into the extended Fluxus network of Dorothee and Erik Andersch. The evening will also include a presentation of the museum association’s new annual editions.

Visitors will find opportunities to play not only in the café, but also in the exhibition space. Starting in 1964, Ay-O began producing his Finger Boxes, which are small containers with one or more openings that invite visitors to put their fingers inside. The contents remain hidden and can only be discovered through touch. With these boxes, Ay-O encourages his audience to view the everyday as profound and free it from layers of complex reasoning through play. Since the original Finger Boxes cannot be handled due to conservation concerns, the exhibition offers a specially built version.

Humor also plays a central role in Fluxus, as seen in Thomas Schmit’s quadratur des kreises (Squaring the Circle) box. In this piece, twenty-four sheets of drawings offer artistic “solutions” to the mathematical problem referenced in the title. Using an iron, a bicycle pump, or even explosives, the geometric shapes of the square and circle transform into one another. The piece highlights a fundamental principle of Fluxus: the focus is on the idea itself, as opposed to the virtuosically crafted object. The true artwork takes shape in the minds of viewers.

In addition to works by Takako Saito and Ay-O, the exhibition features pieces by Tomas Schmit, Mieko Shiomi, Daniel Spoerri, Ben Vautier, Wolf Vostell, Robert Watts, and Emmett Williams, among others.