Alberto Giacometti
20 Nov 2010 - 06 Mar 2011
Alberto Giacometti
Grande tête mince/Large Narrow Head, 1954
Bronze 4/6
64,5 x 38,1 x 24,4 cm
Collection Fondation Giacometti, Paris (Inv. Nr.: 1994-0175)
Photo: Marc Domage
© ADAGP / Fondation Giacometti, Paris / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2010
Grande tête mince/Large Narrow Head, 1954
Bronze 4/6
64,5 x 38,1 x 24,4 cm
Collection Fondation Giacometti, Paris (Inv. Nr.: 1994-0175)
Photo: Marc Domage
© ADAGP / Fondation Giacometti, Paris / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2010
ALBERTO GIACOMETTI
The Origin of Space
Retrospective of the mature work
20.11.2010 - 06.03.2011
Space does not exist, it has to be created... Every sculpture based on the assumption that space exists is wrong; there is only the illusion of space.
Alberto Giacometti, Notes, circa 1949
For the first time in 12 years, the Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg is presenting a comprehensive overview of Alberto Giacometti’s mature work in Germany. Around 60 sculptures will be displayed alongside more than 30 paintings and several drawings in the circa 2000 square meter exhibition space. The exhibition offers unique insights into the fascinating oeuvre of one of the most important artists of the twentieth century.
Giacometti’s vision of situating his figures within their own space and temporality will be realized for the first time in Wolfsburg as the exhibition architecture has been specially designed and constructed around the sculptures on display. Each of the carefully chosen works is provided with the space it requires to unfurl its true strengths. The exhibition clearly demonstrates the continued relevance of the work of Giacometti, who died in 1966, and its lasting influence on subsequent generations of artists. With his completely new conception of the human figure in relation to space and time, Giacometti can literally be considered—and this is one of the exhibition’s key theses—the inventor of virtual space.
Organized in cooperation with the Museum der Moderne Salzburg, the exhibition juxtaposes major works from Giacometti’s oeuvre with selected pieces from private collections and the artist’s estate. The works on show in Wolfsburg are drawn in large part from the estate holdings of the Alberto and Annette Giacometti Foundation in Paris; this is the first time they have been presented on this scale in Germany. The display also includes important loans from the Alberto Giacometti Foundation in Zurich, as well as works from leading museums and private collections in Europe and the United States.
With its high-quality collection of contemporary art since 1968, the Kunstmuseum Wolfburg offers the unique opportunity to vividly demonstrate Giacometti’s unbroken influence on subsequent generations of artists. A focussed selection of works which address related issues of figural depiction and space has therefore been partially integrated into the Giacometti exhibition and will also be presented in the upper galleries from 12 December 2010 until 30 January 2011 onwards, parallel to the major retrospective of the artist’s mature work. Positionings – The Question of Space in Contemporary Art, the selection includes works by Carl Andre, Andreas Gursky, Imi Knoebel, Joseph Marioni, Bruce Nauman, James Turrell, Jeff Wall and Franz West.
The Origin of Space
Retrospective of the mature work
20.11.2010 - 06.03.2011
Space does not exist, it has to be created... Every sculpture based on the assumption that space exists is wrong; there is only the illusion of space.
Alberto Giacometti, Notes, circa 1949
For the first time in 12 years, the Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg is presenting a comprehensive overview of Alberto Giacometti’s mature work in Germany. Around 60 sculptures will be displayed alongside more than 30 paintings and several drawings in the circa 2000 square meter exhibition space. The exhibition offers unique insights into the fascinating oeuvre of one of the most important artists of the twentieth century.
Giacometti’s vision of situating his figures within their own space and temporality will be realized for the first time in Wolfsburg as the exhibition architecture has been specially designed and constructed around the sculptures on display. Each of the carefully chosen works is provided with the space it requires to unfurl its true strengths. The exhibition clearly demonstrates the continued relevance of the work of Giacometti, who died in 1966, and its lasting influence on subsequent generations of artists. With his completely new conception of the human figure in relation to space and time, Giacometti can literally be considered—and this is one of the exhibition’s key theses—the inventor of virtual space.
Organized in cooperation with the Museum der Moderne Salzburg, the exhibition juxtaposes major works from Giacometti’s oeuvre with selected pieces from private collections and the artist’s estate. The works on show in Wolfsburg are drawn in large part from the estate holdings of the Alberto and Annette Giacometti Foundation in Paris; this is the first time they have been presented on this scale in Germany. The display also includes important loans from the Alberto Giacometti Foundation in Zurich, as well as works from leading museums and private collections in Europe and the United States.
With its high-quality collection of contemporary art since 1968, the Kunstmuseum Wolfburg offers the unique opportunity to vividly demonstrate Giacometti’s unbroken influence on subsequent generations of artists. A focussed selection of works which address related issues of figural depiction and space has therefore been partially integrated into the Giacometti exhibition and will also be presented in the upper galleries from 12 December 2010 until 30 January 2011 onwards, parallel to the major retrospective of the artist’s mature work. Positionings – The Question of Space in Contemporary Art, the selection includes works by Carl Andre, Andreas Gursky, Imi Knoebel, Joseph Marioni, Bruce Nauman, James Turrell, Jeff Wall and Franz West.