Gerhard Richter – Editions 1965–2011
12 February–13 May 2012
Press tour:
Friday, 10 February 2012, 1–4pm
Open Sunday:
Sunday, 12 February 2012, noon–6pm (admission free)
me Collectors Room Berlin
Olbricht Foundation
Auguststrasse 68
10117 Berlin
Hours:
Tue–Sun 12–6pm
From 12 February to 13 May 2012, me Collectors Room Berlin presents the exhibition Gerhard Richter – Editions 1965–2011.
Gerhard Richter has secured an international reputation as one of the most important and successful German artists of current times. Although most famous for his paintings, over the last few years his editions have also increasingly become the focus of attention. The Olbricht Collection is probably the only private art collection in the world to contain virtually all of Gerhard Richter’s editions, spanning a period from 1965 to 2011.
The major retrospective of Richter’s oil paintings at the Neue Nationalgalerie, held to coincide with his 80th birthday, presents us with a unique opportunity to unveil a parallel exhibition in Berlin that will place the spotlight on his diverse oeuvre of editions.
In 1998 he summed up the importance of this particular part of his oeuvre in a letter to the Museum of Modern Art New York: ‘I saw, and still see, editions as a welcome counterpart to producing paintings, which are one-offs. Editions are a wonderful opportunity to present my work to a wider audience.’
The editions offer the artist the chance to try out and experiment with new artistic possibilities. For this reason, they cover a broad variety of media and genres, in which we see the artist applying widely different essential strategies: figuration, abstraction, monochromy, optical illusion, reflection, grids, geometric constructions, to name but a few.
The exhibition comprises some 150 works and presents Gerhard Richter’s graphic prints, photographic editions, multiples, editions of paintings, artist’s books and artist’s posters. Among the works on show are popular motifs based on famous paintings, such as the photographic editions Ema (Nude on a Staircase) and Uncle Rudi, graphic editions, including Mao, Elisabeth, Betty, Canary Landscapes and Colour Fields, multiples such as Sphere and Mirror, as well as editions in oil such as Grey and Fuji.
Curator: Wolfgang Schoppmann, Consultant: Hubertus Butin
Event series
We will be hosting a series of expert talks to accompany the exhibitions (in German only):
22.02.2012, 7 p.m.
‘Painting as edition – Gerhard Richter’s editions in oil’
with Dr. Stefan Gronert, curator for contemporary art, director of the Prints Collection, Kunstmuseum Bonn
15.03.2012, 7 p.m.
‘Highlights from the editions: production, significance and stories behind the images’
with Hubertus Butin, art historical assistant to Gerhard Richter from 1996 to 1998, editor of catalogue raisonné of the editions, Berlin
At the Kulturforum: 12.04.2012, 7.30 p.m.
‘Gerhard Richter as a draughtsman’
Lecture by Dr. Dieter Schwarz, Kunstmuseum Winterthur, upon invitation by the Graphische Gesellschaft zu Berlin, held in the lecture hall at the Kulturforum, Matthäikirchplatz 8, 10785 Berlin
03.05.2012, 7 p.m.
‘From photograph to painting and back again / Gerhard Richter – editions’
with Dr. Dietmar Elger, Gerhard Richter Archive, Dresden
Visitors to the exhibition will also have the chance to see Victoria von Flemming’s documentary film on the artist, ‘The Portrait: My Pictures are Cleverer than I Am’, as well as browse through a wealth of catalogue material out on show.
Other events will also be on offer, including public talks with international collectors, a reading in German ‘Autonama liest Richter’ (Autonama reads Richter) at 8 p.m. on 29.02.2012 and guided tours: every Saturday at 3 p.m. (other appointments for groups bookable via art:berlin, www.artberlin-online.de), an art education programme for kindergarten and school pupils, and a sound art workshop. A scavenger hunt for kids is again available which can be commenced any time you want.
Prior registration is required for all events, programme details are available on our website: www.me-berlin.com.
Press contact me Collectors Room Berlin:
Tina Volk
Auguststraße 68, 10117 Berlin
T +49 30 86 00 85-114
F +49 30 86 00 85-120
presse@me-berlin.com
www.me-berlin.com
