Lawrence Weiner

Lawrence Weiner was an American artist born in 1942, in the Bronx, New York. He is best known for his contributions to the conceptual art movement, a genre that emerged in the 1960s and focused on the idea behind the artwork rather than the physical object. Weiner's work often involves the use of language as a medium, and he is considered a pioneer in the use of text-based art.


Weiner's early career was influenced by his work as a mover and his exposure to the diverse neighborhoods of New York City. In the 1960s, he became associated with the Fluxus movement and began experimenting with the use of language in art. One of his significant contributions during this period was the formulation of his famous statement: "The artist may construct the piece. The piece may be fabricated. The piece need not be built." This statement encapsulates his emphasis on the conceptual aspect of art, where the idea itself is the artwork, and it can be realized in various forms.


Weiner's work often takes the form of installations, sculptures, and public art projects, all incorporating language as a central element.


Throughout his career, Lawrence Weiner has created works that challenged traditional notions of art and engaged viewers in a thoughtful exploration of language and meaning.


His works are featured in renowned institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, the Tate Modern in London, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C.

Biography

Solo exhibitions
Year
Country, Exhibition Name, Location
2024
PRC, Lawrence Weiner: A PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS ASAP, UCCA Beijing, Bejing
2023
ROK, LAWRENCE WEINER: UNDER THE SUN, Amorepacific Museum of Art, Seoul
2022
USA, Lawrence Weiner Poster Retrospective, Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver
Q, All the Stars in the Sky Have the Same Face, Qatar Museum, Doha
I, Having Been Done At, Museo del Novecento, Firenze
USA, Stars Dont Stand Still in the sky For Anybody, Regen Projects, Los Angeles
CH, StaOut of Sight, "Messeplatz," Art Basel, Basilea
AT, Out of Sight, Albertina Modern, Vienna
CH, As Long As It Lasts, Mai 36, Zurich
I, The Language of Lawrence Weiner, Arsenale Institute for Politics of Representation, Venezia
USA, APROPOS LAWRENCE WEINER, Marian Goodman Gallery, New York.
2012
UK, Be That As It May, Lisson Gallery, London
I, Ever so much/ Mai così tanto, Base/Progetti per l'Arte, Firenze
2009
I, Inclined enough to roll, Fondazione Merz, Torino
The Bay of Naples, Alfonso Artiaco, Napoli
USA, At the Level of the Sea, Marian Goodman Gallery, New York
F, Lawrence Weiner, 1/2 Empty 1/2 Full, Yvon Lambert , Paris
2008
I, With A Line Of Graphite / Con una linea di grafite, Massimo De Carlo, Milano
Quid Pro Quo, Gagosian Gallery, Roma
D, Lawrence Weiner - Statements (1970-88), El Sourdog Hex, Berlin
USA, Lawrence Weiner, Regen Projects II, Los Angeles
USA, AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE, MOCA The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
UK, Offsides, Lisson Gallery, London
2007
USA, As far as the eye can see, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York
HK, Lawerence Weiner: China, Para/Site, Hong Kong
D, Lawrence Weiner, Germany, Haus der Kunst, München
P, Lawrence Weiner - THE DIE IS CAST, Cristina Guerra Contemporary Art, Lisboa
UK, Inherent in the Rhumb Line, National Maritime Museum, Greenwich
2006
USA, Have & Take Give & Get, Cereal Art Project Room, Philadelphia
NL, Lawrence Weiner, Printed Works, Van Abbe Museum, Eindhoven
I, Concetto, Corpo e Sogno. Lawrence Weiner: Fatto per Produrre una Scintilla Curated by Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, Castello di Rivoli, Rivoli
A, X Y & Z, Bawag Foundation, Wien
Group exhibitions
Year
Country, Exhibition Name, Location
2022
USA, Alfredo Jaar, Galerie Lelong, New York
F, Written on the Wind, Château de la Borie, Solignac
B, L'art et son Concept, QG Gallery, Knokke
D, Spektren: Farbe als Programm, Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn
LT, European Capital of Culture, Menos Parkas, Kaunas
DK, GO GO: Kirsten Ortwed, Rosemarie Trockel, Lawrence Weiner, Den Frie Centre of Contemporary Art, Copenhagen
USA, Pentinence Alley, Higher Pictures Generation, New York
USA, Stuff, Pace Gallery, New York
I, L'altro, lo stesso – The other, the same, Foundation Merz, Torino
2021
I, Stop Painting, Fondazione Prada, Venezia
2020
MASSIMO DE CARLO FOR MILANO: A Benefit Sale to Support Local Hospitals, ARTSY
2017
IT, Take Me (I'm Yours) Curated by Christian Boltanski, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Chiara Parisi, Roberta Tenconi, Pirelli Hangarbicocca, Milano
2016
I, Quand fondra la neige, ou ira le blanc. Collezionismo Contemporaneo a Palazzo Fortuny, Palazzo Fortuny, Venezia
USA, Spots, Dots, Pips, Tiles: An exhibition about dominoes Curated by Arden Sherman, Maria Elena Ortiz, Hunter East Harlem Gallery, New York
2015
I, Andy Warhol sul comò. Opere della collezione Rosetta Barabino, Museo d'arte contemporanea Villa Croce, Genova
I, Personal Structures: Crossing Borders, Palazzo Mora / Palazzo Bembo, Venezia
2012
B, TRACK, S.M.A.K., Gent
A, Fremde überall - Foreigners everywhere. Zeitgenössische Kunst aus der Sammlung Pomeranz, Jüdisches Museum Wien, Wien
F, Only parts of us will ever touch parts of others, Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Paris
2011
ROK, TEXT/VIDEO/FEMALE: Art after 60's, PKM Gallery, Seoul
NL, Melanchotopia, Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art, Rotterdam
I, Arte Povera International, Castello di Rivoli, Torino
MEX, Estrella Distante, Kurimanzutto, Mexico City
I, Themi e Variazioni. Scrittura e Spazio / Gastone Novelli a Venezia, Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venezia
D, Color in Flux, Weserburg Museum, Bremen
LT, In Deed: Certificates of Authenticity in Art, De Kabinetten van De Vleeshal, Middelburg, NL; Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa, Venezia, I; KHOJ International Artists’ Association, New Delhi, IND; Mumbai Art Room, Mumbai, IND; Nero HQ, Rome, I; The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, USA; SALT Beyoğlu, Istanbul, TR; The Drawing Center, New York, USA; Weatherspoon Art Museum, Greensboro, USA; Contemporary Art Centre, Vilnius
2010
D, Radical Conceptual, MMK Museum Fur Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt am Haim
I, Exhibition, Exhibition Curated by Adam Carr, Castello di Rivoli Museo d'Arte Contemporanea, Rivoli-Torino
USA, The Crude and the Rare, The Cooper Union, New York
I, Il Museo Privato - La passione per l'arte contemporanea nelle collezioni bergamasche Curated by Giacinto Di Pietrantonio e Maria Cristina Rodeschini, GAMeC - Galleria d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Bergamo
2009
D, Monuments with a Horizon Line II, Buchmann Galerie, Berlin
Time - Space - Existence Curated by Karlyn De Jongh e Sarah Gold, Konstlerhaus Palais Thurn und Taxis, Bregenz

Bibliography

Year
Author, Publication Title, Date
2022
Buchloh, Benjamin H.D., ARTFORUM, March 2022
2011
Lawrence Weiner - Suomi Finland Passi Port Passport, Exhibition Catalogue.
Sardo, Delfim, Historias De La Vida Material
2010
Il Museo Privato - La passione per l'arte contemporanea nelle collezioni bergamasche, Exhibition Catalogue. Bergamo, GaMeC
2009
The other side of a cul-de-sac, Exhibition Catalogue. Toronto, The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, Harbourfront Centre, 'p' toale pagine del volume: 48
Kotz, Liz, Art Forum
2008
Lawn, Andrzej, Flash Art International
Blasted Allegories-Works from the Ringier Collection, Exhibition Catalogue.
Revolutions - Forms That Turn, Exhibition Catalogue. Sydney, Biennale of Sydney
La Residenza Sabauda, la Collezione., Exhibition Catalogue. Rivoli (TO), Castello di Rivoli Museo d’ Arte Contemporanea
Stern, Steven, Frieze
Corbetta, Caroline, Ventiquattro magazine - Il Sole 24 Ore
Scanlan, Joe, Artforum
Robecchi, Michele, Contemporary 21
Helwig, Frederike, Art Review
Cattaneo, Giulio, Artkey
Conti, Tiziana, Titolo
Leoni, Chiara, Flash Art
H.D. Buchloh, Benjamin, Artforum International, Best of 2008
Contemporanea, Arte dal 1950 a oggi
Azimi, Negar, Artforum
2007
Caragliano, Renata, Arte
Antin, David, Artforum International
Schmidt, Jason, V magazine
V Magazine
2006
Tema Celeste
X Y & Z, Exhibition Catalogue. Vienna, Bawag Foundation
Tema Celeste, Vienna, BAWAG Foundation, Tema Celeste, 'n' 115, 'p' p. 108
Christov-Bakargiev, Carolyn, Lawrence Weiner, Exhibition Catalogue. Rivoli-Torino, Castello di Rivoli Museo d’Arte Contemporanea
2004
Tema Celeste, Tema Celeste, 'n' 105, 'p' p. 112
Flash Art, Flash Art, 'n' 247, 'p' p. 47
Prince, Mark, Art Monthly, Art Monthly, 'n' 276, 'p' p. 6

Public collections

Country
Location
Australia
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
Austria
Museum Moderner Kunst, Wien
University of Klagenfurt, Klagenfurt
Wiener Festwochen, Wien
Belgium
Anton and Annick Herbert Collection, Ghent
Het Museum Van Hedendaagse Kunst Te Gent, Ghent
Middelheim Openluchtmuseum, Antwerp
Canada
Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto
Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, Halifax
Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver
Ydessa Hendeles Foundation, Toronto
Denmark
City of Ballerup
City of Hostebro
Gentofte Kommunes Kunstbibliotek, Hellerup
Stadtisches Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen
Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen
France
Centre Pompidou, Paris
City of Chagny
City of Paris
City of Villeurbanne
FRAC Bourgogne, Dijon
FRAC Nord Pas de Calais, Dunkerque
FRAC Rhone-Alpes, Lyon
Musée d’art contemporain de Bordeaux, Bordeaux
Musée de Toulon, Toulon
Musée Saint Pierre, Art Contemporain, Lyon
Germany
City of Cologne/Museum Ludwig, Cologne
Deitchtorhallen, Hamburg
Deutsche Bank, Frankfurt am Main
Egidio Marzona Collection, Bielefeld
Krefelder Kunst Museen, Haus Esters
Kunst Museum Winterthur, Wolfsburg

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Lawrence Weiner