Heinz Mack
Encyclopedia
Heinz Mack is a German artist. Together with Otto Piene
he founded the ZERO movement
in 1957. He exhibited works at documenta
in 1964 and 1977 and he represented Germany at the 1970 Venice Biennale
. He is best known for his contributions to op art
, light art
and kinetic art
.
. In 1967 together with Otto Piene
he started a series of what were called Abendausstellungen (evening exhibitions) at their studio in Düsseldorf. This series was the initial event for the formation of the group ZERO (with Mack, Piene and Günther Uecker
as its nucleus) and the international ZERO movement. Among the participants of the ZERO movement were Yves Klein
, Lucio Fontana
, Piero Manzoni
and Jean Tinguely
.
In 1964 Mack, Piene and Uecker arranged the “ZERO Lichtraum (Hommage á Lucio Fontana)” at the 1964 documenta
in Kassel. From 1964 to 1966 Mack lived and worked in New York where the Howard Wise Gallery presented a solo exhibition in 1966.
1970 Mack was invited as visiting professor to Osaka, Japan. In the same year he represented Germany at the 1970 Venice Biennale
(together with Günther Uecker
, Georg Karl Pfahler and Thomas Lenk).
For the 1972 Summer Olympics
in Munich he created an illuminated “Wasserwolke” (Water cloud).
In 1972 he was asked to create a 230 ft tall sculpture for the United Nations
headquarters in New York (not realized).
Otto Piene
Otto Piene is a German artist. He lives and works in Düsseldorf and Groton, Massachusetts.-Biography:...
he founded the ZERO movement
Zero (art)
Zero is a group of artists founded by Heinz Mack and Otto Piene willing to became an international art movement.- History :Zero was the name of a magazine founded in 1957 by Heinz Mack officially disappeared in 1967....
in 1957. He exhibited works at documenta
Documenta
documenta is an exhibition of modern and contemporary art which takes place every five years in Kassel, Germany. It was founded by artist, teacher and curator Arnold Bode in 1955 as part of the Bundesgartenschau which took place in Kassel at that time...
in 1964 and 1977 and he represented Germany at the 1970 Venice Biennale
Venice Biennale
The Venice Biennale is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Venice, Italy. The Venice Film Festival is part of it. So too is the Venice Biennale of Architecture, which is held in even years...
. He is best known for his contributions to op art
Op art
Op art, also known as optical art, is a style of visual art that makes use of optical illusions."Optical art is a method of painting concerning the interaction between illusion and picture plane, between understanding and seeing." Op art works are abstract, with many of the better known pieces made...
, light art
Light art
Light art is a form of visual art where main media of expression is light. Light has been used for architectural aesthetical effects throughout human history. However, the modern concept of light art emerged with the development of artificial light sources and experimenting modern art...
and kinetic art
Kinetic art
Kinetic art is art that contains moving parts or depends on motion for its effect. The moving parts are generally powered by wind, a motor or the observer. Kinetic art encompasses a wide variety of overlapping techniques and styles.-Kinetic sculpture:...
.
Biography
Heinz Mack was born in 1931 in a small German village. Between 1950 and 1956 he studied at the Kunstakademie DüsseldorfKunstakademie Düsseldorf
The Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, formerly Staatliche Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, is the Arts Academy of the city of Düsseldorf. It is well known for having produced many famous artists, such as Joseph Beuys, Gerhard Richter, Sigmar Polke, Thomas Demand, and Andreas Gursky...
. In 1967 together with Otto Piene
Otto Piene
Otto Piene is a German artist. He lives and works in Düsseldorf and Groton, Massachusetts.-Biography:...
he started a series of what were called Abendausstellungen (evening exhibitions) at their studio in Düsseldorf. This series was the initial event for the formation of the group ZERO (with Mack, Piene and Günther Uecker
Günther Uecker
Günther Uecker, also known as Guenther Uecker, is a German sculptor, op artist and installation artist.- Biography :...
as its nucleus) and the international ZERO movement. Among the participants of the ZERO movement were Yves Klein
Yves Klein
Yves Klein was a French artist considered an important figure in post-war European art. He is the leading member of the French artistic movement of Nouveau réalisme founded in 1960 by the art critic Pierre Restany...
, Lucio Fontana
Lucio Fontana
Lucio Fontana was an Italian painter, sculptor and theorist of Argentine birth. He was mostly known as the founder of Spatialism and his ties to Arte Povera.-Early life:...
, Piero Manzoni
Piero Manzoni
Piero Manzoni was an Italian artist best known for his ironic conceptual art. Influenced by the work of Yves Klein, his own work anticipated, and directly influenced, the work of a generation of younger Italian artists brought together by the critic Germano Celant in the first Arte Povera...
and Jean Tinguely
Jean Tinguely
Jean Tinguely was a Swiss painter and sculptor. He is best known for his sculptural machines or kinetic art, in the Dada tradition; known officially as metamechanics...
.
In 1964 Mack, Piene and Uecker arranged the “ZERO Lichtraum (Hommage á Lucio Fontana)” at the 1964 documenta
Documenta
documenta is an exhibition of modern and contemporary art which takes place every five years in Kassel, Germany. It was founded by artist, teacher and curator Arnold Bode in 1955 as part of the Bundesgartenschau which took place in Kassel at that time...
in Kassel. From 1964 to 1966 Mack lived and worked in New York where the Howard Wise Gallery presented a solo exhibition in 1966.
1970 Mack was invited as visiting professor to Osaka, Japan. In the same year he represented Germany at the 1970 Venice Biennale
Venice Biennale
The Venice Biennale is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Venice, Italy. The Venice Film Festival is part of it. So too is the Venice Biennale of Architecture, which is held in even years...
(together with Günther Uecker
Günther Uecker
Günther Uecker, also known as Guenther Uecker, is a German sculptor, op artist and installation artist.- Biography :...
, Georg Karl Pfahler and Thomas Lenk).
For the 1972 Summer Olympics
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
in Munich he created an illuminated “Wasserwolke” (Water cloud).
In 1972 he was asked to create a 230 ft tall sculpture for the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
headquarters in New York (not realized).
Solo exhibitions
- 1957: Galerie Schmela, Düsseldorf
- 1966: Howard Wise Gallery, New York
- 1972: Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris
- 1977: Kunsthalle Düsseldorf
- 1989: Galerie Neher, Essen
- 1993: Galerie Schoeller, Düsseldorf
- 1998: Liechtensteinische Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Vaduz
- 2001: Galerie Denise René, Paris
- 2001: Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, Teheran
- 2004: Galerie Geiger, Konstanz
- 2006: Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art, Düsseldorf
- 2006: Pergamonmuseum, Berlin
- 2009: Ludwig Museum, Koblenz
Publications
- Heinz Mack. TRANSIT – zwischen Okzident und Orient. Faszination und Inspiration der Islamischen Kultur im Werk des Künstlers – ein Werkaspekt 1950-2006. Museum für Islamische Kunst, Pergamonmuseum, Berlin. Exhib.: October 7, 2006 – January 21, 2007. ISBN 978-3-8321-7755-3.
- Heinz Mack – Licht der ZERO-Zeit. Ludwig Museum im Deutschherrenhaus, Koblenz. Exhib.: August 30 – November 1, 2009. ISBN 978-3-86678-334-8