Drawing upon a two-decade-long friendship between Metzger and Obrist, the exhibition unfolds over two levels, providing both an immersion into never-before-seen archives and a panorama of the artist’s most iconic works, the pertinence of which is ever more urgent.
During their first studio visit in 1991 in Glasgow, Douglas Gordon encouraged Hans Ulrich Obrist to investigate the works of Gustav Metzger and John Latham, both pioneers and indispensable inspirations for a then-emerging generation of artists in the United Kingdom. After consulting the catalogue of Art Into Society – Society Into Art (1974), which featured his contribution, a statement calling for Years without Art (1977-1980), Obrist attempted to reach Metzger by all available means.

Their first recorded conversation took place in 1997 at the legendary Café Cosmo, a sanctuary for political exiles during the conflicts of the 20th century in London. Their dialogue continuously unveiled Metzger’s commitment and activism for the environment. Their bond intensified when Hans Ulrich Obrist settled in London. Metzger was a key participant in the Serpentine’s first marathon, the Interview Marathon (2006), conceived with Rem Koolhaas. He was the sole individual not to have slept during the 24-hour duration of these conversations. Cultivating mystery, Metzger exclusively used red telephone boxes as his means of communication. Consequently, the Serpentine somewhat became his post office box during his retrospective Decades: 1959–2009 in 2009. He later co-curated there the Extinction Marathon: Visions for the Future in 2014.

The sentence ‘All of us together,’ which is in the title of the exhibition was composed in 2014 for the Handwriting Project by Hans Ulrich Obrist. It is part of a collection of notes Metzger titled Extinction Handwritings. The exhibition compiles the questions Metzger provoked during his life and career, manifested in the presentation of archival material through around ten hours of interviews, handwritten and printed documents, alongside personal notes and other ephemera. The archival presentation compliments an in-depth exhibition that brings together works such as Liquid Crystal Environment (1965/2024) or MASS MEDIA: Today and Yesterday (1972/2024). Posters created in tribute to Metzger highlight the significance of his work and its importance in confronting the crises of today and tomorrow. Echoing the endeavors and efforts of Luc Hoffmann, Gustav Metzger will also remain, through his works and his thoughts, a cornerstone of the ecological movements of the 20th and 21st centuries.