Tomas Schmit grew up in Their and Cologne and became an active member of the Rhineland art scene in the early 1960s, before he moved to Berlin in 1965 where he lived and worked for the next 40 years.
In 1964, Schmit took the role of an organiser and together with Lithuanian Valdis Abolins arranged for the legendary event Festival der neuen Kunst at the Technical University of Aachen, which took place on 20 July (with Beuys, Köpcke, Vostell, Paik amongst others) and was as widely discussed in the media as it was criticised by the public.
His closest artist friends were in addition to Ludwig Gosewitz, Addi Köpcke, George Brecht and Dieter Roth.
Consequently, the book is an antipode to what ever so often annoys you: the belittling of events and concealment of problems that popular science uses to ingratiate with the people – but, thus, only shows its disrespect for the audience."
His estate is located at the tomas schmit archive initiated by Galerist and Publisher Barbara Wien, where it can be studied after prior registration.