Live in Your Head: When Attitudes Become Form was an exhibition held at the Kunsthalle Bern in Switzerland in 1969, curated by Swiss curator Harald Szeemann. Widely regarded as a groundbreaking moment in the history of Conceptual Art, the show was described by The New York Times as “arguably the most famous exhibition of new art of the postwar era.”

The exhibition redefined the relationship between curator and artist, establishing a model of collaboration rather than hierarchy. It featured 127 works by 69 artists from Western Europe and the United States. Many of the works were constructed on-site and were process-oriented, emphasising ideas and actions over finished objects. Participating artists included Eva Hesse, Gary Kuehn, Lawrence Weiner, Alighiero Boetti, Joseph Beuys, Bruce Nauman, Hanne Darboven, Mario Merz, and Hans Haacke, among others. The exhibition also marked a turning point in Szeemann’s career, allowing him to move beyond institutional constraints and establish himself as one of the first truly independent curators.

Taking this exhibition as a milestone, this publication responds to the ISTD brief Milestone by highlighting its significant influence on contemporary art and its enduring legacy in the history of exhibition-making. In addition to examining the exhibition itself, it revisits key events of 1969, providing broader historical context to help readers better understand the cultural and political climate in which the exhibition emerged. 

International Society of Typographic Designers award winner.