Günther Förg

Günther Förg (1952-2013) was born in Fussen, Germany.


Förg’s artistic practice began in the early 1970s while still studying at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich with the grey, or ‘Gitter’ paintings. These monochrome works were the beginning of his multifarious career which spanned over four decades; they served as the foundation of his fascination with modernism during a postmodern period.


In the 1980s and 1990s, Förg incorporated photography and sculpture into his practice through his architectural photographic works. During this period Förg broke away from the surface of the canvas and art object itself by expanding his work into the space that surrounded it. Cyclically, Förg returned to painting, starting with the Grid paintings (or ‘Gitterbilder’), at the beginning of the 21st Century. While the Grid and Window paintings conformed to Förg’s tendency for formal rigour and geometric abstraction, the Spot paintings indulged the gestural side of his practice: their expressive brushstrokes toying with surface by patchworking colour across the canvas.


Förg’s work is held in notable public and private collections across the world including MoMA, New York; François Pinault Foundation, Venice; Hamburger Bahnhof – Museum für Gegenwart, Berlin; Broad Contemporary Art Museum, Santa Monica; Tate Modern, London; SFMOMA, San Francisco; National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa; Museum für Monderne Kunst, Frankfurt; Ludwig Museum, Cologne; Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid; MOCA Grand Avenue, Los Angeles; Museo d’Arte Contemporanea Cast­ello di Rivoli, Turin; and Kunstmuseum Basel.

Portrait gunther forg 880

Biography

Solo exhibitions
Year
Country, Exhibition Name, Location
2023
PRC, Günther Förg, Long Museum, Shanghai
2022
D, Günther Förg. Exposition Collective 1974-2007, Galerie Max Hetzler, Berlin
2021
USA, Günther Förg. Appearance, Hauser & Wirth, Los Angeles
2019
I, Förg in Venice, La Biennale di Venezia, Palazzo Contarini Polignac at the 58th Venice Biennale, Venice
UK, An intimate encounter: the early years, Galerie Max Hetzler, London
2018
USA, A Fragile Beauty, Dallas Museum or Art, Dallas
NL, A Fragile Beauty, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam
2017
UK, "For Now". Grey Paintings from 1973 - 2009, Massimo De Carlo, London
UK, "For Now". Grey Paintings from 1973 - 2009, Massimo De Carlo, London
D, GALLERY WEEKEND BERLIN, Galerie Max Hetzler, Berlin
2016
Förg, Massimo De Carlo, Hong Kong
HK, Förg, Massimo De Carlo, Hong Kong
2015
F, Günther Förg. Stations of the Cross, Galerie Max Hetzler, Paris
Günther Förg. Lead Paintings, White Cube, London
2014
UK, Günther Förg/Lucio Fontana Bronze/Terracotta, Massimo De Carlo, London
DNK, Ubuntu, Galerie Mikael Andersen, Kopenhagen
E, Günther Förg. Verfolgen Malerei, Fundación Luis Seoane, La Coruña
2013
UK, Günther Förg and Olivier Mosset, Massimo De Carlo, London
I, Günther Förg in Rome, A modern city, Museo Carlo Bilotti, Roma
F, Pastels et aquerelles, Galerie Lelong Paris, Paris
D, Zwolf Bleibilder von 1989, Galerie Barbel Grasslin, Frankfurt
D, Malerei Skulptur Cansons, Vera Munro, Hamburg
D, Papierarbeiten 1989-2009, Galerie Noah, Asburg
BE, The Double Dream of Spring, Deweer Gallery, Otegem
2012
USA, Günther Förg, Greene Naftali Gallery, New York
D, Moskau 1982/98, Schonewald Fine Arts, Dusseldorf
D, Works from the Collection, Sammalung Grasslin, Sammalung Grasslin, St. Georgen
CH, Forms In Change, Lelong Zurich, Zurich
I, Closer, Gio Marconi, Milano
2011
D, IG-Farben-Haus, Galerie Barbel Grasslin, Frankfurt
D, 1987-2011, Galerie Max Hetzler, Berlin
2010
D, Günther Förg, Galerie Barbel Graslin, Frankfurt
Group exhibitions
Year
Country, Exhibition Name, Location
2022
F, What You See Is What You Get, MASSIMODECARLO Pièce Unique, Paris
F, Une histoire de famille.Collection(s) Robelin, macLYON Musée d’art contemporain de Lyon, Lyon
I, What You See Is What You Get, MASSIMODECARLO, Milano
2020
I, La rivoluzione siamo noi. Collezionismo italiano contemporaneo / We are the Revolution. Contemporary Italian Collecting, XNL Piacenza Contemporanea, Piacenza
2019
J, Abstraction: Aspects of Contemporary Art, The National Museum of Art, Osaka
I, Against Colour Stroke Vectors, Massimo De Carlo, Milano
NL, Less is more, Museum Voorlinden, Wassenaar
I, The Parrinos, Massimo De Carlo, Milano
2018
L, Paintings from the 1980s and 1990s. MUDAM Collection, MUDAM Musée d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean, Luxembourg
2017
Aspects of German Art (part two), Ben Brown iIne Arts, London
D, Primary Structures. Masterworks of Minimal Art, Museum für Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt
2016
D, ME, Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt, Frankfurt
UK, In Different Ways, Almine Rech Gallery, London
F, Wild at Art – La peinture dans les années 1980, FRAC – Nord-Pas de Calais, Dunkirk
2010
USA, Twenty Five, Luhring Augustine, New York
D, Funktionen der Zeichnung, Museum für Moderne Kunst (MMK), Frankfurt am Main
2009
USA, Art of Two Germanys/Cold War Cultures, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles
D, Group Show, Museum of Contemporary Art, Leipzig
2007
E, Jano. La doble cara de la fotografía – Fondos de la colección permanente, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid
2005
CH, Flashback - eine Revision der Kunst der 80er Jahre, Kunstmuseum Basel, Museum of Contemportary Art, Basel
2004
CH, Olivier Mosset, Günther Förg, Galerie Confer art actuel, Nyon
I, Art and Architecture 1900/2000, Palazzo Ducale, Genoa
2001
E, Minimalismos. Un signo de los tiempos, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid
1996
D, Sammlung Marx, Hamburger Bahnhof-Museum für Gegenwartskunst, Berlin, D; travelled to Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin
1995
I, The reflected Image, Museo d‘Arte Contemporanea Luigi Pecci, Prato
1994
USA, Kicking Boxes Billard, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Paintings and Sculpture, The Museum of Modern Art, New York
I, Naked City, Massimo De Carlo, Milano
1993
I, Il Viaggio verso Citera, Biennale di Venezia, Casino Municipale, Venice
1992
USA, Photography in Contemporary German Art:1960 to the Present, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; Dallas 1992 - Museum of Art, Dallas/ Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Fort Worth; The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Soho, New York, NY
USA, Allegories in Modernism - Contemporary Drawing, MoMA, New York
1991
I, Sguardo di Medusa, Castello di Rivoli - Museo d’Arte Contemporanea, Rivoli
1990
USA, New York: a new generation, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco

Public collections

Country
Location
Austria
Bawag Contemporary - Bawag Foundation, Wien
Essl Museum, Klosterneuburg
Neue Galerie Graz - Universalmuseum Joanneum, Graz
Belgium
IKOB – Museum für Zeitgenössische Kunst Eupen, Eupen
SMAK Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst, Ghent
Canada
National Gallery of Canada - Musée des beaux-arts du Canada, Ottawa
China
Fosun Foundation, Shanghai
Start Museum, Shanghai
Denmark
ARKEN Museum for Moderne Kunst, Ishoj
France
Carré d'art - Musée d'art contemporain de Nîmes, Nîmes
FRAC - Picardie, Amiens
FRAC - Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Marseille
IAC - Institut d'art contemporain Villeurbanne/Rhône-Alpes, Villeurbanne Musée Départemental d'Art Contemporain de Rochechouart, Rochechouart
Germany
Architektur Galerie Berlin, Berlin
Daimler Contemporary, Berlin
Galerie für Zeitgenössische Kunst - GfZK, Leipzig
Hamburger Bahnhof - Museum für Gegenwart, Berlin
Kunstmuseum Bonn, Bonn
Kunstpalais Erlangen, Erlangen
Kunstraum Grässlin, St. Georgen
MKM Museum Küppersmühle für Moderne Kunst, Duisburg
Museum Brandhorst, Munich
Museum für Moderne Kunst (MMK), Frankfurt/Main
Museum Kurhaus Kleve, Kleve
Sammlung Alison & amp; Peter W. Klein, Eberdingen-Nussdorf Sammlung Haubrok, Berlin
Sammlung Hoffmann, Berlin
Städel Museum, Frankfurt/Main
Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus & Kunstbau, Munich Städtisches Museum Abteiberg, Mönchengladbach
Städtische Galerie Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe
Italy
François Pinault Foundation, Venezia
Museo d'arte contemporanea Castello di Rivoli, Torino
Trevi Flash Art Museum of Contemporary Art, Trevi

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Günther Förg