The atelier of Mary Bauermeister in Cologne was a stronghold of artistic experimentation and often a venue for premieres of Fluxus performances. It was here in June 1960 that Contre-Festival zum Kölner IGNM-Fest was organized against the conservatism of International Society for New Music (IGNM, Internationale Gesellschaft für Neue Musik). Some artists from IGNM, and others who were ruled out by jury members of IGNM gathered in the atelier for readings, happenings, and musical concerts. The figure holding a ladder in the picture is Karlheinz Stockhausen.
