Heinz Mack Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Heinz Mack
Heinz Mack 2008
Born	Heinz Mack 8 March 1931 (1931-03-08) (age 94) Lollar, People's State of Hesse, Germany
Known for	op art, light art and kinetic art
Movement	Zero (art)

Heinz Mack (born March 8, 1931) is a famous German artist. He is known for creating art that uses light and movement. In 1957, he started an art group called the ZERO movement with his friend Otto Piene. His artworks have been shown in big art shows like documenta and the Venice Biennale. Heinz Mack is especially famous for his work in op art, light art, and kinetic art.

Early Life and Art
The ZERO Movement
Mack's Unique Art
Where His Art Was Shown
Gallery
See also

Early Life and Art

Heinz Mack was born in 1931 in a small German town called Lollar. He studied art at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf from 1950 to 1956.

In 1957, he teamed up with Otto Piene. They started holding "evening exhibitions" (called Abendausstellungen) in their studio in Düsseldorf. These shows were the beginning of the ZERO group. This group included Mack, Piene, and Günther Uecker. Many other famous artists like Yves Klein and Jean Tinguely also joined the international ZERO movement.

The ZERO Movement

The ZERO movement was all about new ideas in art. Artists wanted to create art that was different from what came before. They often used light, movement, and simple shapes in their work.

In the early 1960s, Heinz Mack also worked as an art teacher. In 1964, Mack, Piene, and Uecker created a special "ZERO Light Room" for the documenta art show in Kassel. This room was a tribute to another artist, Lucio Fontana. From 1964 to 1966, Mack lived in New York. He had his own art show there in 1966.

Mack's Unique Art

Heinz Mack is well-known for his large outdoor sculptures. These sculptures often have a minimalist style, meaning they use very simple forms. But he also made smaller artworks. Some of these were still, while others moved.

An example of his moving art is Light Dynamo #2 from 1966. This sculpture has spinning discs that create cool light effects. Since 1991, Mack has also been painting. His paintings are abstract and use bright acrylic colors.

In 1970, Mack was a visiting professor in Osaka, Japan. That same year, he represented Germany at the Venice Biennale. This is a very important art exhibition. For the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, he designed an amazing "Water Cloud" that glowed with light. He was also asked to create a huge sculpture for the United Nations in New York, but it was never built.