Helnwein meets John Cale in Brussels.

Helnwein visits Charles Bukowski in Los Angeles.
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Helnwein works on a series of dark, monochrome paintings.
He applies more and more layers of oil varnish to his realistic blue monochrome pictures till the subjects are almost indiscernible.

1990 One-man show in the Musée de l'Elysée, Lausanne. Installation "Neunter November Nacht".

Set and costumes for "Die Verfolgung und Ermordung Jean Paul Marats, dargestellt durch die Schauspielgruppe des Hospizes zu Charenton unter Anleitung des Herrn de Sade".
(The Persecution and Murder of Jean Paul Marat, Performed by the Drama Group of the Hospice at Charenton under the Direction of Monsieur de Sade) by Peter Weiss, directed by Hans Kresnik at the Staatstheater in Stuttgart.

Photo session with Keith Richards at the Berlin Wall.
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Collaboration with Marlene Dietrich on the book "Some Facts about Myself", for the occasion of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Her essay that gave the book it's title was the last text that Marlene Dietrich wrote in her life.
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Helnwein meets Miles Davis and writes an essay for Miles' first exhibition of his paintings at Museum Morsbroich in Germany.
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Helnwein meets Leni Riefenstahl in Munich.
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One-man show - Museum St. Ingbert, St. Ingbert, and installation „Neunter November Nacht“.

One-man show - Kunstverein Ludwigsburg.

One-man show - Musée de l’Elysée, Lausanne, Einzelausstellung.

Helnwein meets former German Federal Chancellor Willy Brandt, who sits for a porttrait foto session.

1989 One-man show at Folkwang Museum in Essen.
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Helnwein meets William S. Burroughs in Lawrence, Kansas.
Burroughs says about Helnwein: "It is the function of the artist to evoke the experience of surprised recognition: to show the viewer what he knows but does not know that he knows.
Helnwein is a master of surprised recognition" ...

Helnwein meets Elia Kazan in New York.

Helnwein meets Keith Haring in Düsseldorf.
Keith draws on Ali Helnwein's hand ...

Helnwein meets with Lech Walensa, President of the Republic of Poland, in Germany, who sits for a portrait session.

Helnwein meets Norman Mailer in Provincetown.
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Torino Fotografia 1989, Biennale Internationale.
Gottfried Helnwein, David Hockney, Clegg and Guttmann ...