About

Giannozzo

The legendary non-profit gallery Giannozzo was founded in 1978 by Rolf Langebartels in Berlin - Charlottenburg, later it became Art Association Giannozzo (1987-2008). In the 1980s and 1990s, it was a central venue for sound art in Berlin. Sound art – installations and performances – was one of the focal points of Giannozzo.
Giannozzo organized over 100 exhibitions, concerts, festivals and symposia, presenting the works of sound artists, composers, musicians and performers, including Rolf Julius, Phill Niblock, Takehisa Kosugi, Christina Kubisch, Felix Hess, Akio Suzuki, Paul Panhuysen, Bill Fontana, Alvin Curran, Joe Jones, Ulrich Eller, Martin Riches, Thomas Schulz, Philip Corner, Tom Johnson, Hans Otte, Benoît Maubrey and mamy more. The program was accompanied by an attempt to examine the visual arts as a field where art, music, and science meet.

Rolf Langebartels

Dr. Rolf Langebartels (* May 16, 1941 in Mirow - † January 16, 2024 in Berlin) was a German artist and curator who worked in the fields of kinetic art and sound art.
In addition to his photographic work, Rolf Langebartels primarily focused on installations and balance sculptures. His interest centered on sculptural works incorporating sound: table concerts with personal computers, sound installations, and concerts of spatial music based on electroacoustic feedback (cable car music). His sculptures, performances, and concerts in the field of sound art or audio art have been presented at numerous festivals in Germany and other European countries.

Archive

The Giannozzo archive is currently managed and administered by me, Seiji Morimoto.
Rolf Langebartels was a good friend and mentor to me since 2004. I worked also as an assistant at his exhibitions together. He passed away unexpectedly in January 2024.
Since September 2024, I have been working with the Giannozzo archive.
From the very beginning, I realized that it's not just about the past, but also about the present. Through this work, I've contacted and gotten to know several artists. Archival work reconnects Rolf's old friends and also creates new connections.
At the same time, I am confident that it will make an important contribution to the history of sound art.
A website created by Rolf Langebartels is online, however it contains minimal information.　https://www.floraberlin.de/giannozzo/indexe.htm
The Giannozzo archive contains very valuable and historical photos and sound recordings, videos, letters and posters in good condition.

Website

The goal is to compile all documents in a database and make them freely accessible worldwide. Anyone can access the documents anytime, anywhere – that will certainly be a gift for the future. This project connects the past, present, and future.
I am currently scanning and digitizing each page of over 100 folders and numerous audio cassettes, and the files are being added to the website.
All files are compressed. If you require high resolution files (300 dpi), please contact me with your purpose.

Support

Giannozzo Archive project was kindly supported by The Gwaertler Grant, Gwaertler Schtiftung (2024) and the research stipend for composition and sound art, Berlin Senate Chancellery Cultural Affairs (2025). I would like to express my sincere thanks.