This research project, carried out within the context of the publication of around 500 letters of Sophie Taeuber-Arp, explores her conceptions of what it means to be an artist, the points where she situates herself between applied, free and representational art, abstraction procedures, and gender assignments in their reception. The dramatic change in the body of primary source material available allows a reconstruction of the artist's own viewpoint.
The purchase of around 450 unpublished letters and postcards of Sophie Taeuber-Arp by Zurich Central Library has dramatically changed the situation regarding the availability of primary source material on this Swiss pioneer of concrete art. The bundle of letters and postcards, which span the years from 1905 to 1942, prompts a re-reading of her reception in art history, previously based almost exclusively on the recollections of Hans Arp and other associates.
The research project explores her conceptions of what it means to be an artist, the points where she situates herself between applied, free and representational art, abstraction procedures, and gender assignments in their reception. It yields insights into aspects not previously illuminated by research and into her transdisciplinary oeuvre, particularly regarding the impetus generated by technical and media innovations. The research is accompanied by a publication project.