This project aims to re/construct Martin Kippenberger’s (1953-1997) „Künstlertheorie“. The leading hypothesis is that Kippenberger’s work is fundamentally conceptual; he reflected on both his approach to art and his artist persona. Ranft’s research on Kippenberger’s “Künstlertheorie” aims to explore the idea of the artistic persona and illuminate Kippenberger’s artistic methods and his art in the context of his entire oeuvre. In this sense, “reconstruction” points to the process of understanding and interpreting Kippenberger’s creative thinking, while “construction” points to structuring his divergent thoughts. The “Künstlertheorie” extracted in this way will be historically situated in the context of 1980/90ies Germany. Following each chapter, Ranft will outline models for contemporary arts education based on Kippenberger’s “Künstlertheorie”.
Within the pilot phase of the Graduate School for the Arts and Sciences, Ranft will examine Kippenberger’s creative methods, such as for example failure, and analyze how he employed them in various media such as painting, music and self-expression. Which similarities and differences can be found in different disciplines? Taking the results as a starting point, Ranft will outline a didactic concept and present both in connection with examples from his practical teaching experience.

Born 1970 in Heitersheim, 1995-2000 teacher training in arts education, chemistry and physical education. 2000-2002 traineeship at Staatliches Seminar für Didaktik und Lehrerbildung Schwäbisch Gmünd, 2002-2005 teacher at high school in Feuerbach (Stuttgart), 2005-2007 teacher at Nikolaus-August-Otto high school in Steglitz-Zehlendorf (Berlin), 2008 lecturer at the Department for Arts Education at the Berlin University of the Arts. Since January 2009 stipendiary of the Graduate School for the Arts and Sciences at the Berlin University of the Arts.