MONOTYPES

Kunsthalle Zürich and Edition VFO (Association for Original Print) are working in partnership to present the exhibition MONOTYPES, which will be on view at Kunsthalle Zürich from September 20 to 24. Kunsthalle Zürich hosts Edition VFO, continuing a long history of partnerships with like-minded institutions. Celebrating the 75th anniversary of Edition VFO, this show marks a new chapter in the history of Switzerland’s biggest limited-edition print publisher giving printmaking greater visibility. The exhibition features 47 exclusive and newly produced monotypes, offering the viewers an insight into what is possible in the medium of print today.

MONOTYPES focuses on the concept of the unique and the original, exploring the essence of artistic creation. As printmaking has historically played a central role in debates about mass distribution and accessibility as opposed to the value of the original, the exhibition addresses these timeless questions in the context of today’s production possibilities and challenges to notions of authenticity. ‘MONOTYPES’ opens a dialogue between print and painting by combining traditional techniques and contemporary craft as a means of artistic expression. In doing so, the show carefully examines the intricacies of value creation and the search for artistic meaning in the choice of means of production.

A monotype is a unique print and a classic printing technique that has existed since the 17th century. The exhibition examines the monotype, offering new perspectives on the diversity of the medium and how it intertwines with painting, sculpture and drawing. A traditional monotype is painted on a smooth plate and, while the color is still wet, transferred to an image support by applying pressure—the process is, therefore, a mixture of painting and print. Our exhibition will, additionally, feature some monoprints. Monoprints differ from monotypes in that they are printed via a technique that would allow the production of several identical prints, such as screen, relief, flat, intaglio or digital printing, but where the artist deliberately chooses to make only one impression, instead of an edition. The main objective of this exhibition is to highlight the singularity and painterly qualities of print and how different media cannot in fact be considered distinctly, be that painting, sculpture or print.

Featured artists: Henni Alftan, John M Armleder, Marc Bauer, Patricia Bucher, Ralph Bürgin, Sol Calero, Isabelle Cornaro, Andriu Deplazes, Hannah Sophie Dunkelberg, Cédric Eisenring, Klodin Erb, Gritli Faulhaber, Pia Fries, Franziska Furter, Frederic Gabioud, Louisa Gagliardi, Luisanna Gonzalez Quattrini, Michael Günzburger, Dieter Hall, Zuni Halpern, Andrea Heller, Federico Herrero, Charlotte Herzig, Sanya Kantarovsky, Melike Kara, Emil Michael Klein, donna Kukama, Izidora I LETHE, Zilla Leutenegger, Renée Levi, Lorenza Longhi, Stefan Marx, Olivier Mosset, Yoan Mudry, Maria Pomiansky, Adrian Schiess, Albrecht Schnider, Kristina Schuldt, Elza Sīle, Dominik Stauch, Rebekka Steiger, Milva Stutz, Barthélémy Toguo, Gaia Vincensini, Dan Walsh, Markus Weggenmann and Uwe Wittwer.

Curated by David Khalat, Director Edition VFO, and Valérie Hashimoto, research associate Edition VFO.

For more information and high-resolution images, please contact: David Khalat via info [​at​] vfo.ch.