Thomas Grünfeld

Thomas Grünfeld was born in 1956 in Opladen, Germany; he lives and works in Köln.


Grünfeld’s entire production is positioned between familiar and foreign, natural and unnatural, true and plausible. This is how the artist’s work is placed on the crest between what appears recognizable and what is unknown. From this attitude, crosses arise between animals that do not exist and works in felt that rise to the pictorial dimension without being painted.


Thomas Grünfeld is best known for his Misfits - sculptures made from taxidermied animals and deriving from the northern European tradition of the Wunderkammer and the German vernacular culture. Grünfeld animals, however, subvert the typically scientific nature of taxidermy and instead represent fictional creatures that evoke proverbial battles between real and imaginary, good and evil. The felt works highlight the artist’s ability to identify typical images (generally landscapes and objects of common use) and to re-propose them with a poetic and pictorial key without painting them, using a traditional material (felt) and a technique of “cut and paste ”typical of the visual arts of the 20th century.

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Biography

Solo exhibitions
Year
Country, Exhibition Name, Location
2023
F, Je ne sais quoi, MASSIMODECARLO Pièce Unique, Paris
2020
F, HORTUS CONCLUSUS, Château de la Borie, Solignac
2019
D, jene, Wentrup, Berlin
2017
D, intercom, Sammlung Philara, Düsseldorf
2016
UK, Margaret, Massimo De Carlo, London
2015
USA, ALMANAC, Corbett vs. Dempsey, Chicago
D, 1&5, (Dieter Krieg Prize), Kunstmuseum, Stuttgart
2014
F, Étui, jousseentreprise, Paris
I, Iron & Diamonds, Massimo De Carlo, Milano
I, Homey. Opere 1986 - 2013, Museo d'arte contemporanea Villa Croce, Genova
2013
I, Thomas Grünfeld - homey, Werke von 1981 bis 2013, Museum Morsbroich, Leverkusen
2012
D, Thomas Grünfeld, Galerie Klaus Gerrit Friese , Struttgart
2011
UK, Young Steerer (junger Lenker), Hidde van Seggelen Gallery, London
2010
CH, Felt, Galerie Haas AG, Zürich
2009
F, salon II, jousseentreprise, Paris
2008
D, Théba ̈ide, Galerie Michael Janssen, Berlin
B, Heimspiel, MCBride Fine Art, Anversa
F, Salon, Jousse Enterprise, Paris
2007
I, Feltri, Massimo De Carlo, Milano
2006
D, felt felt, Galerie Michael Janssen, Köln
2005
MEX, Thomas Grünfeld - Peter Zimmermann, OMR Galerie, Ciudad de México
F, Homey, Jousse Enterprise, Paris
2004
UK, Thomas Grünfeld: New Small Eye Paintings, Karsten Schubert Ltd, London
2003
D, Sineflam 1307, Galerie Ulrich Fiedler, Köln
2002
D, Thomas Grünfeld, Galerie Haas & Fuchs, Berlin
2001
UK, Thomas Grünfeld, Chapman Fine Arts, London
F, Thomas Grünfeld, Jousse Entreprise, Paris
D, Spy (con Gary Hume e Andreas Schulze), Monika Sprüth Galerie, Köln
2000
D, Thomas Grünfeld, Galerie Philomene Magers, München
D, Heimspiel, Galerie Haas & Fuchs, Berlin
D, Heimspiel, Galerie Michael Janssen, Köln
BR, Thomas Grünfeld, Thomas Cohn Gallery, San Paolo
Group exhibitions
Year
Country, Exhibition Name, Location
2023
UK, Thread Routes, MASSIMODECARLO, London
F, Animaux Fantastiques, Louvre Lens, Lens
2022
D, Thomas Grünfeld – Misfit (Schwan/Gnu), Vitrine im Hentrichhaus, Malkasten, Düsseldorf
I, Winter Wunderkammer, MASSIMODECARLO, VSpace
Pastorale Curated by Thomas Grünfeld, MASSIMODECARLO, VSpace
2021
FIN, Supernatural. Sculptural visions of the body, Oulu Museum of Art, Oulu
2020
D, Supernatural. Sculptural visions of the body, Kunsthalle Tübingen, Tübingen
D, Zoom in Zoom out, Wentrup, Berlin
2019
D, Installationen aus 25 Jahren Sammlung Falckenberg, Deichtorhallen, Hamburg
I, MCMXXXIV, Massimo De Carlo, Milano
D, The Unstrung Harp Curated by Thomas Grünfeld, Parrotta Contemporary Art, Köln & Bonn
PL, Painting still alive, Centre of Contemporary Art Znaki Czasu, Toruń
D, Copines – Copains – Berlin, Wentrup, Berlin
2017
UK, Interior Scenes, Galerie Patrick Seguin, London
2016
RI, Dead Animals, D.W. Bell Gallery/ Brown University, Providence
NL, Cassini Cruise IV, The Ridder, Maastricht
2015
I, Still Life Remix Curated by Ilaria Bonacossa, Antinori Art Project, San Casciano Val di Pesa
USA, H.D. Buttercup’s Apartment, H.D. Buttercup, Los Angeles
F, Un ète dans la Sierra, Chateau Rentilly, Bussy-Saint-Martin
USA, Hybridity: The New Frontier, Museum 21c, Louisville
F, étranges bestiaires, Palais des Èveques, Saint Lizier
NL, Adam, Eve & the Devil, Marres, Maastricht
2014
F, la part animale, Galerie Sophie Scheidecker, Paris
UK, HOME/SCULPTURE, Massimo De Carlo, London
D, Auf der Spur der Erfindung/ Bildhauer zeichnen, Akademie Galerie, Düsseldorf
NL, Moules, Oeufs, Frites, The Ridder, Maastricht
F, Quiz, Galerie Poirel, Nancy
2013
D, Die Bildhauer. Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, 1945 bis heute, K20, Düsseldorf
UK, Beastly Hall, Hall Place, Bexley, London
NL, Curiosity: Art & The Pleasures of Knowing, Turner Contemporary, Margate/ Castle Museum & Art Gallery, Norwich/ Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin/ IRL, de Appel, Amsterdam
2012
D, Living with art, Galerie Reinhard Hauff, Stuttgard
D, formal?, Galerie Max Weber Six Friedrich, München

Bibliography

Year
Author, Publication Title, Date
2021
Morgan, Polly, The Open Art Fair
2017
Korman, Sam, ArtReview, December
2016
Elephant Magazine, May
2014
Conti, Viana, Arte e Critica78
2010
Irrek, Hans, Thomas Grünfeld FELT, Exhibition Catalogue. Zürich, Galerie Haas AG
2008
Selvaggio, Rita, L’Angelo Sigillato, Exhibition Catalogue. Peccioli (PI), Museo di Icone Russe F. Bignazzi
Zanoni, Francesca, Ventiquattro
2007
Collins, Judy, Sculpture today
Fulco, Elisa, Flash Art
2006
Thomas Grünfeld, Exhibition Catalogue. Madrid, Galeria Metta
Montes, Javier, ABC de las Artes y las Letras
Manganaro, Silvano, Drome Magazine
Stahl, Enno, Kölner Stadtanzeiger
Escribano, María, Arte y Parte
Huici, Fernando, El Pais
Barnatán, Marcos-Ricardo, El Mundo 1
2005
Machmasters, Merry, La Jornada
Freedman, Kerry, Studies in Art Education
Söns, Heike, El Economista
2004
Rebollar, Mónica, Lapiz
Kulikow, Sergej, FHM
Goedel, Eva, Self Service
2003
Brandt, Reinhard, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (Feuilleton)
Der Silberne Schnitt, Exhibition Catalogue. Stoccarda, Stiftung Baden-Württemberg
20th Anniversary Show, Exhibition Catalogue. Colonia, Galerie Monika Sprüth & Philomene Magers
Grünewald, Dietrich, Kunst entdecken II
Anker, Suzanne e Dorothy Nelkin, The Molecular Gaze
2002
Julius, Anthony, Transgressions. The Offences of Art
Schoew, Ferry, Man
Disturb, Exhibition Catalogue. Salonicco, Contemporary Art Centre
La Part de l'Autre, Exhibition Catalogue. Nimes, Musée d'art contemporain
Hall, Sarah, The Guardian

Public collections

Country
Location
France
Château d’Oiron, Oiron
Collection Marie-Christine & Roger Pailhas, Marseille
Frac Lorraine, Metz
Frac Midi-Pyrénées, Toulouse
Germany
Akademiegalerie, Düsseldorf
Kunstakademie, Stuttgart
Museum Morsbroich, Leverkusen
Nationalgalerie, Berlin
Sammlung anna friebe-Reininghaus, Köln
Sammlung Falckenberg, Hamburg
Sammlung Heinrich Carstens, Berlin
Sammlung Reich, Berlin
Sammlung, Landesbank Baden-Württemberg
Sprengel Museum, Hanover
Mexico
Centro Cultural de Arte Contemporanea, Ciudad de México
Portugal
Museu Coleccao Berardo, Lisboa
Spain
CAL CEGO Collection, Barcelona
The Netherlands
Caldic Collectie, Museum Voorlinden,Wassenaar
Museum Boijmans van Breuningen, Rotterdam
United States of America
Chase Manhattan Bank, New York

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