Conclusion In the beginning was Berlin. In 1976–77, Stephan von Huene had been invited to Berlin as an artist in residence by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). It was in the context of a feature on the DAAD, which used to bring a special kind of life to the walled-in city by inviting international artists, writers, and musicians, that we met. That beginning was followed by many other visits to Berlin, including a guest professorship at the University of the Arts in 1979. Then came the exhibitions: in 1980, Für Augen und Ohren at the Academy of the Arts; in 1986, Inventionen—Musik und Sprache, again at the Academy of the Arts; in 1989, MaschinenMenschen at Neuer Berliner Kunstverein; in 1996, Sonambiente, showcasing international sound art as part of the 300th anniversary celebrations of the Berlin Academy of the Arts. Stephan von Huene did not live to see the major exhibition Theatrum Naturae et Artis, which opened at the Gropius Bau in December 2000 and which included his spatial installation Tisch Tänzer—he had died on September 5 of that year. The catalogue of essays was dedicated to his memory. In 2010 the exhibition The Song of the Line, which had originated in Hamburg and featured Stephan von Huene’s drawings from 1950 to 1999, was shown at the Max Liebermann Haus on Pariser Platz, and in order to add some sound color, it also included the sculpture Die neue Loreley, which later remained in the house’s collection as a gift. And now— thanks to Michael Naumann’s initiative—Stephan von Huene’s sound installation Lexichaos can be seen and heard at the Barenboim-Said Akademie, close to the Humboldt Forum to which it has an elective affinity. It bears the cheerfully confusing and uncommonly topical subtitle From Understanding Misunderstanding to Misunderstanding the Understandable. Stephan von Huene, an American of German ancestry, always felt particularly well and inspired in Berlin. Dr. Petra Kipphoff Petra Kipphoff von Huene studied German and English literature as well as art history. From 1960 to 2002, she served as editor for the weekly DIE ZEIT, focusing on Fine Arts. Since then she has written mainly for the Neue Zürcher Zeitung. She has overseen the estate of Stephan von Huene since 2000; a catalogue of works and several exhibition catalogues have been published.
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