Atom and Mindpower 1975

A rare and thought-provoking original 1975 exhibition poster, this striking piece was created for Belgian visionary Panamarenko’s show “Atom and Manpower” at the Kölnischer Kunstverein in Cologne. The exhibition, held from July 16 to September 7, 1975, presented new works from 1973 to 1975—key years in Panamarenko’s exploration of flight, energy, and alternative physics.

Layered over a vintage educational chart of celestial systems and atomic models, the design integrates a cosmic-scientific visual language with the artist’s iconic gestural lines. The superimposed hand-drawn schematic forms—organic yet mechanical—appear like floating wire diagrams, evoking both human motion and atomic structures. The tension between science and imagination, control and chaos, lies at the core of this composition.

As with Panamarenko’s art itself, the poster blurs the boundary between art and science. It reflects his deep fascination with propulsion, theoretical physics, and man’s relationship with energy and nature. The title "Atom and Manpower" encapsulates this dual inquiry: the fundamental building blocks of matter versus the potential of human innovation—often poetic, occasionally absurd, always visionary.

Printed in muted tones with understated typography, the poster’s raw, experimental layout is emblematic of the 1970s avant-garde European art scene. An authentic collectible artifact, it is a visual extension of Panamarenko’s unique legacy: part inventor, part artist, part alchemist of imagination.

Exhibition - Sculpture - Belgium

Bon état, se couche