Energy fields. In Celebration of Otto Piene's 85th Birthday
25 Jan - 01 Apr 2013
Otto Piene: “Lichtraster Messing”, 2011
Private collection
© VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2012/ Otto Piene
Photo: altengarten.de
Private collection
© VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2012/ Otto Piene
Photo: altengarten.de
Otto Piene: „Four-Foot Light Cube Black“, 2012
high-grade steel, light, motor, timer
125 x 125 x 125 cm
installation view ZKM | Museum of Contemporary Art
© Otto Piene / VG Bild-Kunst
photo: Franz Wamhof
high-grade steel, light, motor, timer
125 x 125 x 125 cm
installation view ZKM | Museum of Contemporary Art
© Otto Piene / VG Bild-Kunst
photo: Franz Wamhof
Otto_Piene_Rauchbild.jpg
Otto Piene: „Rauchbild“, 1962/63,
oil and smoke on canvas
100 x 100 cm
© private collection of the Hauff
Otto Piene: „Rauchbild“, 1962/63,
oil and smoke on canvas
100 x 100 cm
© private collection of the Hauff
Otto Piene: „Raster City“, 2009,
glaze and platinum an argil
100 x 200 x 4 cm, private collection
© Otto Piene / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2013, photo: altengarten.de
glaze and platinum an argil
100 x 200 x 4 cm, private collection
© Otto Piene / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2013, photo: altengarten.de
Otto Piene: „Brass Play“, 2011,
brass, light, motor, interval timer,
125 x 125 cm, private collection
© Otto Piene / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2013, photo: altengarten.de
brass, light, motor, interval timer,
125 x 125 cm, private collection
© Otto Piene / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2013, photo: altengarten.de
Otto Piene: „Munchkins“, 2011,
gold and glaze on argil
63 x 53 x 5,5 cm, private collection
© Otto Piene / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2013, photo: altengarten.de
gold and glaze on argil
63 x 53 x 5,5 cm, private collection
© Otto Piene / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2013, photo: altengarten.de
Otto Piene: „Fleurs du Mal“, 1969,
silk, fan and electrics,
size of the installation may vary, hight of the different objects: between 200 and 250 cm,
7 components, private collection
© Otto Piene / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2013, photo: altengarten.de
silk, fan and electrics,
size of the installation may vary, hight of the different objects: between 200 and 250 cm,
7 components, private collection
© Otto Piene / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2013, photo: altengarten.de
Otto Piene: „Hot Mountain“, 1964/74,
oil, fire and hay on canvas
152 x 217 cm, private collection
© Otto Piene / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2013, photo: altengarten.de
oil, fire and hay on canvas
152 x 217 cm, private collection
© Otto Piene / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2013, photo: altengarten.de
Otto Piene: „Pirouetten“, 2012
high-grade steel, light, motor, timer
100 x 100 x 100 cm
installation view ZKM | Museum of Contemporary Art
© Otto Piene / VG Bild-Kunst
photo: Franz Wamhof
high-grade steel, light, motor, timer
100 x 100 x 100 cm
installation view ZKM | Museum of Contemporary Art
© Otto Piene / VG Bild-Kunst
photo: Franz Wamhof
An exhibition at the ZKM | Museum of Contemporary Art
Opening: Thurs, January 24, 2013, 8 p.m., ZKM | Museum of Contemporary Art
On the occasion of Otto Piene’s upcoming 85th birthday, the ZKM l Museum of Contemporary Art presents the exhibition “Energy fields”, which, with a selection of approximately fifty works, provides insight into his work. Born in 1928, Otto Piene is considered one of the most important pioneers of a kinetic, technology-based, multi-media art.
For Piene art is not so much a conceptual phenomenon, than an energetic one. Recourse to natural scientific knowledge, as well as to the strong connection between art, technology and nature constitute the bedrock of all his works. Piene, furthermore, is among the founders of Environmental Art. Starting out from his smoke and fire paintings dating from the 1960s, the show at the ZKM exhibits “Inflatables” (inflatable sculptures), light installations, gouaches, hitherto not exhibited drawings, new ceramics and reliefs. Here, the multiplicity of media in which the artist has worked throughout the course of his career comprises the focus of the exhibition. In addition to early paintings, which he illuminates with a stroboscope, the key work shown in the exhibition is the multi-piece air sculpture “Fleurs du Mal”.
Following his studies at the art academies of Munich and Düsseldorf, as well as a course of studies in philosophy in Cologne, towards the end of the 1950s, Otto Piene, together with Heinz Mack and Günther Uecker, was one of the founders of the ZERO movement in Düsseldorf. In 1974 he took over the Center for Advanced Visual Studies (CAVS), at the MIT in Boston, from György Kepes and, through to 1994, converted it into one of the most important centers for art and technology. As member of the board of trustees, in 1990 Piene contributed decisively to the foundation of the ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe. Today, he lives and works in Boston, Berlin and Düsseldorf.
Curator: Philipp Ziegler
Opening: Thurs, January 24, 2013, 8 p.m., ZKM | Museum of Contemporary Art
On the occasion of Otto Piene’s upcoming 85th birthday, the ZKM l Museum of Contemporary Art presents the exhibition “Energy fields”, which, with a selection of approximately fifty works, provides insight into his work. Born in 1928, Otto Piene is considered one of the most important pioneers of a kinetic, technology-based, multi-media art.
For Piene art is not so much a conceptual phenomenon, than an energetic one. Recourse to natural scientific knowledge, as well as to the strong connection between art, technology and nature constitute the bedrock of all his works. Piene, furthermore, is among the founders of Environmental Art. Starting out from his smoke and fire paintings dating from the 1960s, the show at the ZKM exhibits “Inflatables” (inflatable sculptures), light installations, gouaches, hitherto not exhibited drawings, new ceramics and reliefs. Here, the multiplicity of media in which the artist has worked throughout the course of his career comprises the focus of the exhibition. In addition to early paintings, which he illuminates with a stroboscope, the key work shown in the exhibition is the multi-piece air sculpture “Fleurs du Mal”.
Following his studies at the art academies of Munich and Düsseldorf, as well as a course of studies in philosophy in Cologne, towards the end of the 1950s, Otto Piene, together with Heinz Mack and Günther Uecker, was one of the founders of the ZERO movement in Düsseldorf. In 1974 he took over the Center for Advanced Visual Studies (CAVS), at the MIT in Boston, from György Kepes and, through to 1994, converted it into one of the most important centers for art and technology. As member of the board of trustees, in 1990 Piene contributed decisively to the foundation of the ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe. Today, he lives and works in Boston, Berlin and Düsseldorf.
Curator: Philipp Ziegler