Claus Van Bebber

Claus van Bebber, born on December 18, 1949, is an intermedia artist working across visual art, music, and performance who has been active as a freelance artist since 1964. His musical journey began in the 1960s with beat music and developed into free jazz and improvised music by the mid-1970s. Van Bebber’s early collaborations included the trio van Bebber/Schmidt/Thelosen and duos with Burghard Rogalla and Paul Hubweber. He co-founded the artist group Heinrich Mucken, known for improvisational and composed music performances, which participated in Documenta 8. Van Bebber’s distinctive musical approach involved using vinyl records as instruments, manipulating playback speeds and grooves to create a unique sonic environment. In 1992 he received the Kevelaer Cultural Prize for Fine Arts.