Imi Knoebel (nato Klaus Wolf Knoebel)
Dessau, Germania, 31 dicembre 1940.
Studia a Darmastadt negli anni 1962-64, dove segue un corso basato su idee pre-Bauhaus tenuto da Johannes Itten e László Moholy-Nagy. Successivamente studia dal 1964 al 1971 all’Accademia di belle arti di Düsseldorf, partecipando ad un corso tenuto da Joseph Beuys. Tra i vari studenti e compagni di corso Knoebel incontrerà Blinky Palermo, Jörg Immendorff e Katharina Sieverding.
Le problematiche stilistiche e formali con cui si confronta il suo lavoro possono essere associate ai principi modernisti di Kazimir Malevich e la Bauhaus.
Nel 1968 Knoebel crea il primo lavoro di grande calibro, un' installazione di vari pezzi geometrici in legno e masonite chiamata Raum 19, in ricordo del numero della classe in cui aveva studiato con Beuys. Nello stesso anno tiene a Copenhagen IMI + IMI, la sua prima mostra col compagno di studi Imi Giese.
Dalla metà degli anni ’70, dopo un periodo in cui sperimenta la fotografia, Knoebel inizia un uso gestuale del colore utilizzando come supporto legno compensato o metallo. Mentre nei suoi primi lavori di questo tipo i colori utilizzati si riducevano al bianco, nero e marrone, dal 1977 inizia ad introdurre una gamma di colori ben più vasta.
Negli anni '80 l'artista ha continuato il suo percorso di geometrizzazione e ha dato vita alla serie di “Ritratti”, formati da tre rettangoli verticali e due orizzontali, arrangiati di volta in volta in diverse nuances di colori. Nel 1988, realizzò Kinderstern, una “scultura sociale”, seguendo l'esempio del maestro Beuys secondo cui l'arte ha un ruolo anche sociale e deve puntare a cambiare la società.
Nel 1996 la Haus der Kunst di Monaco ha organizzato un'ampia retrospettiva dell'artista portata poi in varie località d'Europa tra cui lo Stedelijk Museum di Amsterdam e l'Istituto d'Arte Moderna di Valencia. Nel 1997 il Bundestag tedesco gli ha commissionato l'installazione Rot Gelb Weiß Blau 1-4, per uno dei suoi uffici. Un'altra importante retrospettiva è stata organizzata a Berlino nel 2009 presso la Neue Nationalgalerie.
Nel 2011 sono state inaugurate le nuove vetrate della cattedrale di Reims create dall'artista. Nel 2014 il Kunstmuseum di Wolfsburg gli dedica una grande mostra antologica: Imi Knoebel. Works 1966 – 2014.
Le sue opere sono conservate in tutto il mondo in importanti collezioni pubbliche e private, tra cui Dia:Beacon, Beacon, USA; MOMA, New York; MOCA, Los Angeles; Museo Reina Sofia, Madrid; Sammlung Goetz, Monaco di Baviera; MMK, Francoforte; Kunstmuseum St. Gallen, Svizzera; Berardo Collection Museum, Lisbona; Fonds Regional d'Art Contemporain, Francia; Albertina a Vienna; Malmö Konsthall, Svezia.
Vive e lavora a Düsseldorf.
Imi Knoebel (born Klaus Wolf Knoebel)
Dessau, Germany, 31 December 1940.
He studied in Darmastadt in 1962-64, where he attended a course based on pre-Bauhaus ideas, directed by Johannes Itten e László Moholy-Nagy. He later attended a course directed by Joseph Beuys (1964-1971) at Fine Art Academy in Düsseldorf and amongst the other fellow students he met Blinky Palermo, Jörg Immendorff and Katharina Sieverding.
The stylistic and formal concerns of his work can be associated with the modernist principles of Kazimir Malevich and the Bauhaus.
In 1968 Knoebel created his first important work – an installation made of several geometric pieces in wood and masonite called Raum 19, in honour of the number of the room where he studied with Beuys. In the same year he held his first show in Copenhagen, titled IMI + IMI, together with the schoolmate Imi Giese.
From the mid seventies, after a period of photographic experimentation, he started to employ colour in a gestural way using plywood or metal as supports. While in his first works of this kind colours were limited to white, black and brown, starting from 1977 he introduced a wider range of colours. During the eighties the artist continued his geometrical way producing his series of “Portraits”, made up of three vertical rectangles and two horizontal ones, arranged in different nuances of colours from time to time.
In 1988 he created Kinderstern, a social sculpture that followed the example of his master Beuys according to whom art should also have a social role and should aim at changing society. In 1966 the Haus der Kunst in Munich organized a wide retrospective show, later travelling around various European locations such as the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam and the Institute of Modern Art in Valencia. In 1997 the German Bundestag commissioned him the installation Rot Gelb Weiß Blau 1-4, for one of his offices. Another important retrospective was organized in Berlin in 2009 at Neue Nationalgalerie.
In 2011 the stain glasses panes created for Reims Cathedral were open to the public. In 2014 Wolfsburg Kunstmuseum dedicated him a big anthological show: Imi Knoebel. Works 1966 – 2014.
His works can be found in some of the most important private and public collections all over the world: Dia:Beacon, Beacon, USA; MOMA, New York; MOCA, Los Angeles; Museo Reina Sofia, Madrid; Sammlung Goetz, Munich; MMK, Frankfurt; Kunstmuseum St. Gallen, Switzerland; Berardo Collection Museum, Lisboa; Fonds Regional d'Art Contemporain, France; Albertina,Vienna; Malmö Konsthall, Sweden.
He lives and works in Düsseldorf.
Esposizioni personali / personal exhibitions
2020
London, White Cube Bermondsey, Imi Knoebel Recent Works
2019
Berlin, Kewenig Galerie, Imi Knoebel: Dass Die Geschichte Zusammenbleibt
Seoul, Leeahn Gallery, Big girl and friends
Düsseldorf, Schacky Art & Advisory, Imi Knoebel - Works from Private Collections
Knokke-Zoute, Patrick De Brock Gallery, Imi Knoebel
Munich, Jahn und Jahn, Imi Knoebel. Tafelbilder (Panel Paintings)
Berlin, Galerie Fahnemann, Imi Knoebel - New works
2018
Berlin, Galerie Fahnemann, Imi Knoebel: Fishing
Otegem, Deweer Gallery, Imi Knoebel
Colonia, Galerie Christian Lethert, Imi Knoebel
Zurigo, Museum Haus Konstruktiv, Imi Knoebel – Till Velten
2017
Frankfurt, Galerie Bärbel Grässlin, Imi Knoebel: VEB Kontor
Vienna,Galerie nächst St. Stephan Rosemarie Schwarzwälder
2016
Paris, Galerie Thaddeus Ropac, Galerie Caroline Smulders, Drawing Now
Brussels, Galerie Stepahnaie Jaax
Paris, Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac
Leipzig, Museum der Bildenden Künste, Musée National Fernand Léger
2015
Frankfurt am Main, Galerie Bärbel Grässlin,
Düsseldorf, Malewitsch zu Ehren, Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen
Krefeld, Museum Haus Esters
London ,White Cube
2014
Cologne,Galerie Christian Lethert
Wolfsburg, Kunstmuseum
2013
Cologne, Kunstasammlungen Chemnitz
Frankfurt am Main, Galerie Barbel Grasslin
2011
Sindelfinger, Schauwerk Sindelfinger
Bielefeld, Galerie nachst St. Stephan Rosemarie Schwarzwalder
2010
Salzburg, Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac
Frankfurt am Main, Galerie Barbel Grasslin
The Hague, Gemeentemuseum
Roma,Giacomo Guidi Arte Contemporanea
New York, Mary Boone Gallery
2009
Ostfildern, Deutsche Guggenheim Berlin
New York, Mary Boone Gallery
Hamburg, Hamburger Bahnhof
Berlin, Neue Nationalgalerie
2008
New York, Dia: Beacon
New York, Dia Art Foundation, The Dan Flavin Art Institute, Bridgehampton
2007
Bielefeld, Ludwigshafen am Rhein
Luwigshafen am Rhein, Wilhelm-Hack-Museum,
Madrid, Galeria Helga de Alvear
San Francisco, Museum of Modern Art, Project, Transform, Erase: Anthony McCall and Imi Knoebel
2006
Leeds, Henry Moore Institute
2005
Weimar, Kunsthalle Weimar Harry Graf Kessler
2004
Zurich, Galerie Lelong
Hamburg, Hamburger Kunsthalle
2003
Cologne, Kunstverein Braunscheweig
Madrid, Galeria Helga de Alvear
2002
Hannover, Kestner Gesellschaft
Brunswick, Kunstverein Braunschweig
Milano, Galleria Ala, Milano Paintings
2001
Paris, Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac
Frankfurt am Main, Galerie Barbel Grasslin
1999
Cologne, Kunstmuseum St. Gallen
1998
Salzburg, Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac
Schaan, Galerie am Lindenplatz
1997
Valencia, IVAM Centre del Carme
Düsseldorf, Kunsthalle Düsseldorf
Lucerne, Kunstmuseum Luzern
Grenoble, Musée de Grenoble
Madrid, Galeria Helga de Alvear
1996
Ostfildern-Ruit, Museé de Grenoble
Aachen, Ludwigforum
Munich, Haus der Kunst
Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum
Valencia, IVAM - Instituto Valenciano de Arte Moderno, Retrospektive 1968-1996
Cologne, Aachen
Luxembourg, Deutsche Bank
1995
Ljubljana, Moderna galerija
London, Goethe-Institut Gallery
Sundern, Stadtgalerie Kulturring
1994
Tochigi, Prefectural Museum of Fine arts
Berlino, Galerie Fahnemann
Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefectural Museum of Fine Art
Kassel, Museum Fridericianum
Chemnitz, Städtische Kunstsammlungen
1993
Berlino, Galerie Fahnemann
Quakenbrück, Städtische Galerie
1992
Darmstadt, Hessisches Landesmuseum
Hamburg, Deichtorhallen
Darmstadt, Hessisches Landesmuseum
Maastricht, Bonnefantenmuseum
1991
Taura, Akira Ikeda Gallery
Berlino, Galerie Fahnemann
Vienna, Galerie Nächst St. Stephan
New York, Barbara Gladstone Gallery
Milano, PAC Padiglione d’arte Contemporanea
1989
Maastricht, Bonnefantenmuseum
1988
Antwerp, Museum van Hedendaagse Kunst
1987
Zurich, Galerie Bruno Bischofberger
New York, Dia Art Foundation
1986
Baden-Baden, Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden
1985
La Roche sur Yon, Musée Municipal
Otterlo, Rijksmuseum Kröller-Müller
1984
Tokyo, Galerie Kanransha
Mönchengladbach, Städtisches Museum Abteiberg
Duisburg, Lehmbruck Museum
New York, Tony Shafrazi Gallery
1983
Köln, Dia Art Foundation
Winterthur, Kunstmuseum Winterthur
Bonn, Kunstmuseum Bonn
1982
Eindhoven, Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum
1981
Bonn, Galerie Klein
Köln, Dia Art Foundation
1979
Munich, Galerie Heiner Friedrich
1978
Munich, Galerie Heiner Friedrich
1977
Munich, Galerie Heiner Friedrich
1976
Köln and Munich, Galerie Heiner Friedrich
1975
Düsseldorf, Städtische Kunsthalle Düsseldorf
1974
Munich, Galerie Heiner Friedrich
1973
Munich, Galerie Heiner Friedrich
1972
Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum
1971
Munich, Galerie Heiner Friedrich
1970
Amsterdam, Art & Projekt
1969
Bremerhaven, Kabinett für aktuelle Kunst
1968
Copenhagen, Imi &Imi