Isa Genzken facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Isa Genzken
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Genzken in 2009
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| Born | 27 November 1948 Bad Oldesloe, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
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| Education | Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, Hamburg University of Fine Arts and Berlin University of the Arts |
Isa Genzken (born 27 November 1948) is a German artist. She lives and works in Berlin. Her main art forms are sculpture and installation. She uses many different materials like concrete, wood, and fabric. Isa Genzken also creates art with photography, video, film, and collage.
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Early Life and Art School
Isa Genzken grew up in Bad Oldesloe and Hamburg, Germany. She studied fine arts and art history. She attended the Hamburg University of Fine Arts from 1968 to 1971. Then she went to the Berlin University of the Arts from 1971 to 1973. To help pay for her studies, Genzken worked as a model.
In 1973, she moved to the Arts Academy Düsseldorf. There, she also studied art history and philosophy. After finishing her studies in 1977, Genzken taught sculpture at the academy. In 1982, she married the artist Gerhard Richter. She moved to Cologne in 1983. They separated in 1993, and Genzken moved back to Berlin.
Genzken has worked in many studios. These include places in Düsseldorf and Cologne. She also spent time in the United States, in Lower Manhattan and Hoboken, New Jersey. Today, she works in Berlin.
Exploring Isa Genzken's Artworks
Isa Genzken is best known for her sculptures. But she also creates art using many other methods. These include photography, film, video, and collages. Her art often talks about modern buildings and today's culture. Genzken's work is always changing, so it's hard to guess what she will do next!
She uses materials like plaster, cement, and everyday items. She makes structures that look like modern ruins. She also uses mirrors to make viewers feel part of her art. Genzken often uses columns in her work. These show how "high art" connects with everyday products.
In the 1970s, Genzken started carving wood into unique shapes. She made shapes like hyperboloids and ellipsoids. In her Hi-Fi-Serie (1979) photos, she showed ads for stereo players.
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In 1980, Genzken and Gerhard Richter designed a subway station. It was the König-Heinrich-Platz station in Duisburg, Germany. It opened in 1992. From 1986 to 1992, Genzken made sculptures from plaster and concrete. These sculptures explored architecture. They looked like buildings with rough openings and windows. Later, she made sculptures from epoxy resin. These looked like columns or lamps.
In 1990, she placed a steel frame called Camera on a gallery roof in Brussels. It offered a special view of the city. Later, in her New Buildings for Berlin series, she showed ideas for glass high-rises. This series was part of Documenta 11.
Her project Der Spiegel 1989-1991 is a series of 121 black and white photos. She cut these from the German news magazine Der Spiegel. Each photo is glued to white card and framed. The dates in the titles give clues about her ideas.
Her paintings of hanging hoops are called MLR (More Light Research) (1992). They look like gymnastics equipment caught in the middle of a swing.
Starting in 1995, Genzken spent time in New York. She created a three-volume collage book called I Love New York, Crazy City (1995–1996). It's a collection of memories from her visits. It includes photos of buildings, maps, hotel bills, and concert tickets.
One of Genzken's most famous works is Rose (1993/7). It's a public sculpture of a giant rose. Made from stainless steel, it stands eight meters tall at the Leipzig fairgrounds. Her similar sculpture, Rose II (2007), was placed outside the New Museum in New York in 2010.
Genzken has also made many films. Some titles include Zwei Frauen im Gefecht (1974) and Empire/Vampire, Who Kills Death (2003). She has also published five art books.
Since the late 1990s, Genzken has made sculptures and panel paintings using everyday items. She often uses materials from DIY stores. She also uses photos and newspaper clippings. She likes to use materials that show her works are temporary.
She is very interested in city spaces. She creates detailed installations with mannequins, dolls, and found objects. Her New Buildings for New York are made from plastic scraps, metal, and pizza boxes. The Empire/Vampire, Who Kills Death series has more than twenty sculptures. They were made after the September 11 attacks. These works combine found objects like action figures and plastic containers. They are arranged on stands in scenes that look like post-destruction buildings.
Elefant (2006) is a column of hanging blinds. It's decorated with plastic tubes, foil, fake flowers, and tiny toy soldiers. For her Oil installation, she changed the German Pavilion at the 2007 Venice Biennale. It became a futuristic art piece.
Genzken has worked often with David Zwirner. She had her fifth solo exhibition with him in 2020. This show included her early work and her recent "tower" sculptures. These towers were inspired by her love for architecture and city skylines. She used materials like wood, mirror foil, and spray paint.
How Isa Genzken Changed Art
Isa Genzken has had a big impact on the art world. She creates sculptures from many different materials. These include wood, concrete, steel, and even kitchen items. Her "Babies" series from 1997 is an example. Genzken helped redefine sculpture. She also fought against people who didn't think sculpture was important in the 1960s and 70s. Her work encourages and expands the art of sculpture. Genzken's art is often surprising and makes people think. Her sculptures can create illusions and open up the viewer's imagination.
Art Shows and Exhibitions
Genzken's first solo art show was in 1976. It was at the Konrad Fischer Gallery in Düsseldorf. Her first show with Galerie Buchholz was in 1986 in Cologne.
A big show called "Isa Genzken: Retrospective" was held from November 2013 to March 2014. It started at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Then, it traveled to the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and the Dallas Museum of Art.
Art Collections
Isa Genzken's art is in many museums around the world. Some of these include:
- The Museum of Modern Art, New York
- The Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh
- The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C.
- The Museum Ludwig, Cologne
- The Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven
- The Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam
- Ruby City, San Antonio, TX
Awards and Recognition
Isa Genzken has won several awards for her art.
- In 2002, she won the Wolfgang-Hahn-Prize from the Museum Ludwig in Cologne.
- In 2004, she received the International Art Prize.
Gallery
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Spiegel (1991), installed in Bielefeld, Germany
See also
In Spanish: Isa Genzken para niños
- List of German women artists
