Evgeny Michnov-Voitenko
1892 - 1980A Leningrad-based abstract artist, representing "non-official art." He was a pioneer of his own painting techniques, such as the "tube" technique (squeezing paint directly from the tube onto the canvas) and painting with nitro-enamel on glass. He developed a spontaneous painting method and frequently employed tools like palette knives and palette scrapers to create relief compositions on canvas. He also worked as a monumental artist and interior decorator. From 1959 to 1988, while being part of the staff at the Painting and Decorative Art Combine (KZhOI) of the Art Fund, he created wall panels for the interiors of the "Moscow" restaurant in Leningrad.
His artworks are held in the State Russian Museum, the New Museum collection in St. Petersburg, as well as in international collections.
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Roger-Edgar Gillet
1924 - 2004
Roger-Edgar Gillet was born in Paris in 1924. From 1939 to 1943, he studied medal engraving at École Boulle and attended courses by Maurice Brianchon at the Higher School of Decorative Arts to avoid compulsory labor service. He then taught at the Julian Academy from 1946 to 1948, where he met his wife, Theresa.
Originally working in abstract aesthetics, he participated in several exhibitions organized by critics Michel Tapié and Charles Estienne. He later became associated with European lyrical abstraction, also known as informal art or Nouvelle École de Paris, alongside artists like Georges Mathieu, Pierre Alechinsky, Jean Messagier, Serge Poliakoff, and others.
He presented his first solo exhibition in 1953 at the Craven Gallery in Paris. In 1954, he was awarded the Prix Fénéon. After an exhibition at Galerie de France, he received the Katerwood Prize and traveled to the United States. Upon returning, he exhibited at Galerie Ariel. In 1957, he joined Galerie de France along with other young artists (Alechinsky, Lévy, Marayan), and there were three solo exhibitions in 1959, 1961, and 1963. Departing from abstraction, he left Galerie de France and returned to Galerie Ariel through his friend Jean Pollak. This aligns with his gallery's direction, particularly evident in the exhibition "15 Artists of My Generation" (1964).
In the mid-1960s, Roger-Edgar Gillet turned to figuration, and humanity became a central theme in his work. His series includes "Les Poux," "Les Juges," "Les Bigotes," "Marilyn," "Les Musiciens," and "Les Mutants." He also didn't hesitate to reference themes from religious paintings, such as the Last Supper or the Crucifixion. He also approached landscapes with his cities and marines.
Aesthetically, Gillet exhibits similarities with Goya and the Flemish artist James Ensor. He can be linked to the new figuration and the expressionist movement.
He was a member of the selection committee for the Salon de Mai, with whom he traveled to Cuba in 1967 and participated in the creation of a collective fresco in Havana.
In the 1970s, he lived near Sens in Yonne with his wife and four children. Later, he split his life between Paris and Saint-Suliac, near Saint-Malo. He is a member of the honorary committee of the International House of Poets and Writers in Saint-Malo.
Gillet stopped drawing in 1998. He passed away from cancer in 2004 in Saint-Suliac. His ashes were scattered in Paris at the souvenir garden of the Père-Lachaise Cemetery.
1924 - 2004
Roger-Edgar Gillet was born in Paris in 1924. From 1939 to 1943, he studied medal engraving at École Boulle and attended courses by Maurice Brianchon at the Higher School of Decorative Arts to avoid compulsory labor service. He then taught at the Julian Academy from 1946 to 1948, where he met his wife, Theresa.
Originally working in abstract aesthetics, he participated in several exhibitions organized by critics Michel Tapié and Charles Estienne. He later became associated with European lyrical abstraction, also known as informal art or Nouvelle École de Paris, alongside artists like Georges Mathieu, Pierre Alechinsky, Jean Messagier, Serge Poliakoff, and others.
He presented his first solo exhibition in 1953 at the Craven Gallery in Paris. In 1954, he was awarded the Prix Fénéon. After an exhibition at Galerie de France, he received the Katerwood Prize and traveled to the United States. Upon returning, he exhibited at Galerie Ariel. In 1957, he joined Galerie de France along with other young artists (Alechinsky, Lévy, Marayan), and there were three solo exhibitions in 1959, 1961, and 1963. Departing from abstraction, he left Galerie de France and returned to Galerie Ariel through his friend Jean Pollak. This aligns with his gallery's direction, particularly evident in the exhibition "15 Artists of My Generation" (1964).
In the mid-1960s, Roger-Edgar Gillet turned to figuration, and humanity became a central theme in his work. His series includes "Les Poux," "Les Juges," "Les Bigotes," "Marilyn," "Les Musiciens," and "Les Mutants." He also didn't hesitate to reference themes from religious paintings, such as the Last Supper or the Crucifixion. He also approached landscapes with his cities and marines.
Aesthetically, Gillet exhibits similarities with Goya and the Flemish artist James Ensor. He can be linked to the new figuration and the expressionist movement.
He was a member of the selection committee for the Salon de Mai, with whom he traveled to Cuba in 1967 and participated in the creation of a collective fresco in Havana.
In the 1970s, he lived near Sens in Yonne with his wife and four children. Later, he split his life between Paris and Saint-Suliac, near Saint-Malo. He is a member of the honorary committee of the International House of Poets and Writers in Saint-Malo.
Gillet stopped drawing in 1998. He passed away from cancer in 2004 in Saint-Suliac. His ashes were scattered in Paris at the souvenir garden of the Père-Lachaise Cemetery.
Léon Zack
1892 - 1980Léon Zack was a Russian-born artist of the Paris School, known as a sculptor, set designer, poet, and representative of the Russian diaspora. In 1911, he graduated from the Moscow Gymnasium at the Lazarev Institute of Oriental Languages. From 1911 to 1916, he studied in the Romance-German department of the Historical-Philological Faculty of Moscow University. He took his initial painting lessons from artist Alexander Yakimchenko, later attending art studios run by Fyodor Rerberg and Ilya Mashkov. In the 1910s, he participated in exhibitions organized by the Moscow Society of Artists and the "World of Art" group. During this time, Léon Zack's artistic period of Futurism began. He joined the literary group of ego-futurists called the "Mezzanine of Poetry." He designed covers for poetry collections of group members and contributed to collective almanacs like "Zasakhare kry," "Vernisazh," and "Pir vo vremya chumy."
After the revolution, he, along with his wife and daughter, emigrated through Crimea and Turkey to Europe. From 1920 to 1921, he lived in Florence; then from 1922 to 1924, he resided in Berlin, where he worked as a set designer and book illustrator. In 1924, he moved to Paris, participating in the Autumn Salon and the Salon des Indépendants, exhibiting in galleries across Paris, London, Brussels, and Prague. He continued to illustrate books, create fabric designs, and craft glass statuettes. In the 1930s and 1940s, he returned to theater work, designing ballets. He acquired French citizenship in 1938.
In the mid-1940s, Léon Zack transitioned from figuration to expressionism, and later to abstraction. In 1948, at a solo exhibition at the des Garets gallery in Paris, he presented abstract-geometric compositions, which became and remain highly popular among collectors. In the 1950s, he conducted artistic and restoration work in Notre-Dame de Povr in Issy-les-Moulineaux, Pti-Frer-de-Povr, the Sacré-Cœur and St. Jeanne d'Arc cathedrals in Paris, and many others. In 1970, he received the Prize of the President of France at the Biennale in Menton. A memorial exhibition was held in 1981 as part of the Autumn Salon.
Léon Zack's works are held in the Museum of Modern Art in Paris, Tate Britain (London), the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, the Carnegie Institute (Pittsburgh), and museums in Nantes, Antwerp, Venice, and many others.
Yuri Kuper
*1940
Yuri Kuper is one of the most renowned Russian artists in the West. He is a graphic artist, decorator, set designer, and a representative of the younger generation of non-conformist artists. He emigrated from the USSR in 1972. He is known for his set designs and costumes for operas such as "Boris Godunov" at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow (2007, directed by Alexander Sokurov), "Othello" in Perm (2008, directed by Vladimir Petrov), "Carmen" in Rostov (2008, directed by Yuri Laptev), and other productions. He is the author of the play "Twelve Scenes from an Artist's Life" (staged at the Chekhov Moscow Art Theatre) and the novel "Sfumato" (2015). He resides in London, Paris, and New York.
Yuri Kuper's works are held in the State Tretyakov Gallery, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the collections of the French Ministry of Culture, the Library of Congress in the United States, and others.
*1940
Yuri Kuper is one of the most renowned Russian artists in the West. He is a graphic artist, decorator, set designer, and a representative of the younger generation of non-conformist artists. He emigrated from the USSR in 1972. He is known for his set designs and costumes for operas such as "Boris Godunov" at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow (2007, directed by Alexander Sokurov), "Othello" in Perm (2008, directed by Vladimir Petrov), "Carmen" in Rostov (2008, directed by Yuri Laptev), and other productions. He is the author of the play "Twelve Scenes from an Artist's Life" (staged at the Chekhov Moscow Art Theatre) and the novel "Sfumato" (2015). He resides in London, Paris, and New York.
Yuri Kuper's works are held in the State Tretyakov Gallery, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the collections of the French Ministry of Culture, the Library of Congress in the United States, and others.
Ladislas Kijno
1921 - 2012
Ladislas Kijno is a French artist of Polish origin. He studied philosophy at the University of Lille, where one of his professors was the philosopher and writer Jean Grenier, who had a significant influence on the young Albert Camus. In the early 1940s, while still a student, Kijno began creating his first works. He later attended a sculpture workshop by Germaine Richier, known for her "hybrids" of humans and animals. Even after moving to Paris in the late 1950s, Kijno maintained a strong friendship with Richier.
In 1950, Kijno formed the "Cadran Group" (together with Paul Gay), and in 1954, his first solo exhibition took place. In the same year, he decided to fully dedicate himself to painting. However, the following year proved to be a crisis for the artist. Kijno burned all of his paintings (around 250 works) and moved to Antibes, France. In 1957, Romuald Dor de la Souchère, a friend of Nicolas de Staël and Pablo Picasso, initiated the organization of Kijno's first major exhibition at the Musée d'Antibes.
In 1958, Ladislas Kijno moved to Paris and joined the committee of the "Salon de Mai," a collective of French artists who had been meeting at a cafe on Rue Dufin since 1943, during the occupation. He regularly participated in major Parisian salons such as "New Realities," "Comparisons," "Youth Department," and "Contemporary Sacred Art." Around the same time, Kijno began a long correspondence with Camille Claudel's younger brother, poet, playwright, and diplomat Paul Claudel.
In Paris, Kijno invented the technique of "froissage" — working with crumpled paper. During this period, the artist also began experimenting with spray paint cans, creating a synthesis between traditional painting techniques and modern "industrial" innovations. Through the use of spray cans, he became known as one of the "spiritual fathers" of French street art.
While Kijno leaned more towards abstraction, he never stopped exploring the difference between figurative and abstract art, seeking all means to bridge the gap between them. This exploration led Kijno to create his own artistic universe, his own mythology. During this period, Kijno sought inspiration in numerous travels: to China, the Marquesas Islands, the Tuamotu Islands, and Easter Island. In 1980, he exhibited 30 monumental canvases in his recognizable "crumpled" technique at the Venice Biennale under the collective title "The Theater of Neruda."
1921 - 2012
Ladislas Kijno is a French artist of Polish origin. He studied philosophy at the University of Lille, where one of his professors was the philosopher and writer Jean Grenier, who had a significant influence on the young Albert Camus. In the early 1940s, while still a student, Kijno began creating his first works. He later attended a sculpture workshop by Germaine Richier, known for her "hybrids" of humans and animals. Even after moving to Paris in the late 1950s, Kijno maintained a strong friendship with Richier.
In 1950, Kijno formed the "Cadran Group" (together with Paul Gay), and in 1954, his first solo exhibition took place. In the same year, he decided to fully dedicate himself to painting. However, the following year proved to be a crisis for the artist. Kijno burned all of his paintings (around 250 works) and moved to Antibes, France. In 1957, Romuald Dor de la Souchère, a friend of Nicolas de Staël and Pablo Picasso, initiated the organization of Kijno's first major exhibition at the Musée d'Antibes.
In 1958, Ladislas Kijno moved to Paris and joined the committee of the "Salon de Mai," a collective of French artists who had been meeting at a cafe on Rue Dufin since 1943, during the occupation. He regularly participated in major Parisian salons such as "New Realities," "Comparisons," "Youth Department," and "Contemporary Sacred Art." Around the same time, Kijno began a long correspondence with Camille Claudel's younger brother, poet, playwright, and diplomat Paul Claudel.
In Paris, Kijno invented the technique of "froissage" — working with crumpled paper. During this period, the artist also began experimenting with spray paint cans, creating a synthesis between traditional painting techniques and modern "industrial" innovations. Through the use of spray cans, he became known as one of the "spiritual fathers" of French street art.
While Kijno leaned more towards abstraction, he never stopped exploring the difference between figurative and abstract art, seeking all means to bridge the gap between them. This exploration led Kijno to create his own artistic universe, his own mythology. During this period, Kijno sought inspiration in numerous travels: to China, the Marquesas Islands, the Tuamotu Islands, and Easter Island. In 1980, he exhibited 30 monumental canvases in his recognizable "crumpled" technique at the Venice Biennale under the collective title "The Theater of Neruda."
Serge Charchoune
1888 - 1975
Serge Charchoune was a French painter, graphic artist, and poet of Russian origin, who was interested in various artistic movements throughout his life, including Futurism, Cubism, Dadaism, and Abstractionism.
He spent his childhood in Buguruslan. In October 1909, he moved to Moscow, where he studied in private studios under Ilya Mashkov and Konstantin Yuon. In 1912, he deserted from the army and moved to Paris, where he began studying painting. He attended Maria Vassilieff's Russian Academy and La Palette Academy, studying under Henri Le Fauconnier, Jean Metzinger, and André Lhote. In 1913–1914, he presented his first Cubist experiments at the Salon des Indépendants.
In Paris, he joined the Dada group and participated in many Dadaism events. In 1921, he exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants, the group exhibition of Dadaists at the Montaigne gallery, and the Exhibition of Russian Art at the Whitechapel Gallery in London.
In the mid-1940s, he transitioned to abstract-geometric painting. He often explored themes of water and music in his works.
In 1960, he moved to Vanv. His solo exhibitions took place in Paris, New York, Milan, Düsseldorf, Saint-Étienne, Geneva, Luxembourg, Reims, Cannes, and others. In 1971, a retrospective was held at the National Museum of Modern Art in Paris, after which recognition followed, and many of his paintings were acquired by collectors and museums.
In 1976, memorial exhibitions were presented at the C. Ratié and de Seine galleries, as well as at the National Museum of Modern Art in Paris. In 2006, an exhibition of the artist's works was organized by the Russian Museum and the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts.
Serge Charchoune's works are held in the collections of major contemporary art museums in Europe and the USA, including the Georges Pompidou Center (Paris), the Museum of Contemporary Art of the Lille Metropole, and the State Tretyakov Gallery (Moscow).
1888 - 1975
Serge Charchoune was a French painter, graphic artist, and poet of Russian origin, who was interested in various artistic movements throughout his life, including Futurism, Cubism, Dadaism, and Abstractionism.
He spent his childhood in Buguruslan. In October 1909, he moved to Moscow, where he studied in private studios under Ilya Mashkov and Konstantin Yuon. In 1912, he deserted from the army and moved to Paris, where he began studying painting. He attended Maria Vassilieff's Russian Academy and La Palette Academy, studying under Henri Le Fauconnier, Jean Metzinger, and André Lhote. In 1913–1914, he presented his first Cubist experiments at the Salon des Indépendants.
In Paris, he joined the Dada group and participated in many Dadaism events. In 1921, he exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants, the group exhibition of Dadaists at the Montaigne gallery, and the Exhibition of Russian Art at the Whitechapel Gallery in London.
In the mid-1940s, he transitioned to abstract-geometric painting. He often explored themes of water and music in his works.
In 1960, he moved to Vanv. His solo exhibitions took place in Paris, New York, Milan, Düsseldorf, Saint-Étienne, Geneva, Luxembourg, Reims, Cannes, and others. In 1971, a retrospective was held at the National Museum of Modern Art in Paris, after which recognition followed, and many of his paintings were acquired by collectors and museums.
In 1976, memorial exhibitions were presented at the C. Ratié and de Seine galleries, as well as at the National Museum of Modern Art in Paris. In 2006, an exhibition of the artist's works was organized by the Russian Museum and the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts.
Serge Charchoune's works are held in the collections of major contemporary art museums in Europe and the USA, including the Georges Pompidou Center (Paris), the Museum of Contemporary Art of the Lille Metropole, and the State Tretyakov Gallery (Moscow).
Marlen Spindler
1931 - 2003
Marlen Spindler was a Soviet and Russian nonconformist artist who worked in a style closely related to abstract expressionism.
The name "Marlen," inspired by the revolution (Marlen = Marx + Lenin), was given to him by his father, who was a hatter by profession. His father wanted his son to become an artist, so he enrolled him in an art studio at "Mosfilm." Later, Marlen studied in the studios of Alexander Gluskin, Elia Belyutin, and the Sokolniki House of Culture, where he was taught by Alexander Kuprin, a former member of the "Bubnovy Valet" group.
Mikhail Schwarzman, a painter, graphic artist, monumental artist, and the inventor of the artistic direction called "Hieraticism," had a strong influence on Spindler. They met on a train. Upon Schwarzman's recommendation, Spindler worked as a graphic designer at the Industrial Graphics Combine, a significant Soviet graphic design bureau. Both artists were involved in the revival of "iconic" art.
In his youth, Spindler invented his own initial sign - the letter "Ш" with three horizontal bars ("three crosses"). There are numerous interpretations of this symbol: a symbol of happiness, family, and the Holy Trinity. This symbol turned out to be a sign of Spindler's destiny, as he was imprisoned or exiled three times (he spent almost 15 years in camps and in exile).
Spindler painted his artworks on burlap and personally mixed paints for them, grinding minerals with egg yolk, as icon painters did in the past.
In 1962, he participated in an exhibition of artists from Belyutin's studio on Bolshaya Kommunisticheskaya Street, alongside E. Neizvestny, Yu. Sobolev-Nol, Yu. Sooster, and V. Yankilevsky (Moscow). In 1974, he participated in an exhibition on Bolshaya Gruzinskaya Street, and in 1975, in the House of Culture at VDNKh.
From the 1980s, he participated in many exhibitions both in his home country and abroad: "Graphics of Moscow Artists" (Central House of Artists, Moscow, 1988), "Treasures in the Mud" (Tampere Art Museum, Finland, 1990), "Other Art" (State Tretyakov Gallery, 1990), "Postmodernism and National Traditions" (State Tretyakov Gallery, 1993), "Nonconformists - the Second Russian Avant-Garde 1955-1988. From the Collection of Jacob and Kenda Bar-Gera" (State Tretyakov Gallery, 1996), and more. In the 1990s, several personal exhibitions of the artist took place at the Center for Contemporary Art (1993, 1994), and the International Federation of Artists (1994).
In 1996, a personal exhibition of Marlen Spindler was held at the Tretyakov Gallery.
The master's works are held in the collections of the Tretyakov Gallery, the State Russian Museum, galleries, and private collections in Russia, Europe, and America.
1931 - 2003
Marlen Spindler was a Soviet and Russian nonconformist artist who worked in a style closely related to abstract expressionism.
The name "Marlen," inspired by the revolution (Marlen = Marx + Lenin), was given to him by his father, who was a hatter by profession. His father wanted his son to become an artist, so he enrolled him in an art studio at "Mosfilm." Later, Marlen studied in the studios of Alexander Gluskin, Elia Belyutin, and the Sokolniki House of Culture, where he was taught by Alexander Kuprin, a former member of the "Bubnovy Valet" group.
Mikhail Schwarzman, a painter, graphic artist, monumental artist, and the inventor of the artistic direction called "Hieraticism," had a strong influence on Spindler. They met on a train. Upon Schwarzman's recommendation, Spindler worked as a graphic designer at the Industrial Graphics Combine, a significant Soviet graphic design bureau. Both artists were involved in the revival of "iconic" art.
In his youth, Spindler invented his own initial sign - the letter "Ш" with three horizontal bars ("three crosses"). There are numerous interpretations of this symbol: a symbol of happiness, family, and the Holy Trinity. This symbol turned out to be a sign of Spindler's destiny, as he was imprisoned or exiled three times (he spent almost 15 years in camps and in exile).
Spindler painted his artworks on burlap and personally mixed paints for them, grinding minerals with egg yolk, as icon painters did in the past.
In 1962, he participated in an exhibition of artists from Belyutin's studio on Bolshaya Kommunisticheskaya Street, alongside E. Neizvestny, Yu. Sobolev-Nol, Yu. Sooster, and V. Yankilevsky (Moscow). In 1974, he participated in an exhibition on Bolshaya Gruzinskaya Street, and in 1975, in the House of Culture at VDNKh.
From the 1980s, he participated in many exhibitions both in his home country and abroad: "Graphics of Moscow Artists" (Central House of Artists, Moscow, 1988), "Treasures in the Mud" (Tampere Art Museum, Finland, 1990), "Other Art" (State Tretyakov Gallery, 1990), "Postmodernism and National Traditions" (State Tretyakov Gallery, 1993), "Nonconformists - the Second Russian Avant-Garde 1955-1988. From the Collection of Jacob and Kenda Bar-Gera" (State Tretyakov Gallery, 1996), and more. In the 1990s, several personal exhibitions of the artist took place at the Center for Contemporary Art (1993, 1994), and the International Federation of Artists (1994).
In 1996, a personal exhibition of Marlen Spindler was held at the Tretyakov Gallery.
The master's works are held in the collections of the Tretyakov Gallery, the State Russian Museum, galleries, and private collections in Russia, Europe, and America.
Bernard Schultze
1915 - 2005
Bernard Schultze was a German artist and a key figure in the German abstract painting of the 1950s and 60s. He was born in the western Polish territories, which were part of Germany at that time. From 1922, he lived in Berlin. From 1934 to 1939, he studied at the School of Art Education (Hochschule für Kunsterziehung) in Berlin and the Art Academy (Kunstakademie) in Düsseldorf. He served in the military from 1939 to 1945.
In 1947, the artist's father, a judge by profession, was appointed to the Higher Regional Court (Oberlandesgericht) in Frankfurt-on-the-Main. Bernard Schultze settled with his father in this city. During this time, he frequently visited Paris to attend exhibitions of informalist artists. In 1951, he started creating abstract paintings himself.
In December 1952, the famous "Quadriga" group exhibition took place in Frankfurt. The group consisted of four abstract artists - Bernard Schultze, Karl Otto Götz, Otto Greis, and Heinz Kreutz. This was the first avant-garde artistic group in Germany after the dominance of Nazi "realism."
In 1955, Schultze married the artist Ursula Blum. In 1968, they moved to Cologne.
Starting from 1955, Bernard Schultze created relief paintings by attaching various objects to canvases. From 1957, he worked on "tabuscripts" - mixed-media works, and from 1961, he created "Migofs" - figurative sculptures made from found materials, depicting life forms that don't exist in nature (the term "Migof" was invented by the artist).
In 1966, he received the Wilhelm Loth Prize from the city of Darmstadt. In 1972, he was elected as a member of the Berlin Academy of Arts. In 1981, he was awarded the title of honorary professor in North Rhine-Westphalia. He received numerous awards throughout his career, including the Großer Hessischer Kulturpreis in 1984 and the Binding-Kulturpreis in 2002.
During the 1980s and 1990s, large retrospectives of Schultze's works were held. During the same period, he energetically worked on large monumental canvases. He was also renowned as an exceptional graphic artist.
Schultze's works can be found in the collections of several prominent museums, including the Ludwig Museum in Cologne, Städel Museum in Frankfurt, MUMOK in Vienna, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, Centre Pompidou in Paris, Tate Gallery in London, MoMA in New York, and the Harvard Art Museums. His paintings also decorate the dining room of the Hammerstein Villa in Bonn (the residence of the President of the FRG until the mid-1990s).
1915 - 2005
Bernard Schultze was a German artist and a key figure in the German abstract painting of the 1950s and 60s. He was born in the western Polish territories, which were part of Germany at that time. From 1922, he lived in Berlin. From 1934 to 1939, he studied at the School of Art Education (Hochschule für Kunsterziehung) in Berlin and the Art Academy (Kunstakademie) in Düsseldorf. He served in the military from 1939 to 1945.
In 1947, the artist's father, a judge by profession, was appointed to the Higher Regional Court (Oberlandesgericht) in Frankfurt-on-the-Main. Bernard Schultze settled with his father in this city. During this time, he frequently visited Paris to attend exhibitions of informalist artists. In 1951, he started creating abstract paintings himself.
In December 1952, the famous "Quadriga" group exhibition took place in Frankfurt. The group consisted of four abstract artists - Bernard Schultze, Karl Otto Götz, Otto Greis, and Heinz Kreutz. This was the first avant-garde artistic group in Germany after the dominance of Nazi "realism."
In 1955, Schultze married the artist Ursula Blum. In 1968, they moved to Cologne.
Starting from 1955, Bernard Schultze created relief paintings by attaching various objects to canvases. From 1957, he worked on "tabuscripts" - mixed-media works, and from 1961, he created "Migofs" - figurative sculptures made from found materials, depicting life forms that don't exist in nature (the term "Migof" was invented by the artist).
In 1966, he received the Wilhelm Loth Prize from the city of Darmstadt. In 1972, he was elected as a member of the Berlin Academy of Arts. In 1981, he was awarded the title of honorary professor in North Rhine-Westphalia. He received numerous awards throughout his career, including the Großer Hessischer Kulturpreis in 1984 and the Binding-Kulturpreis in 2002.
During the 1980s and 1990s, large retrospectives of Schultze's works were held. During the same period, he energetically worked on large monumental canvases. He was also renowned as an exceptional graphic artist.
Schultze's works can be found in the collections of several prominent museums, including the Ludwig Museum in Cologne, Städel Museum in Frankfurt, MUMOK in Vienna, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, Centre Pompidou in Paris, Tate Gallery in London, MoMA in New York, and the Harvard Art Museums. His paintings also decorate the dining room of the Hammerstein Villa in Bonn (the residence of the President of the FRG until the mid-1990s).
Jean Miotte
1920 - 1999
Jean Miotte, an eminent French abstract artist, was born in Paris. He completed his studies at the Ecole des Travaux Publics (Paris) in 1944, obtaining a bachelor's degree in mathematics. He began his artistic journey in 1945. After serving in the army from 1945 to 1946, he devoted himself entirely to art and engaged in self-education. He frequented museums and visited studios of artists on Montparnasse, including Otto Freundlich and Ossip Zadkine. The paintings of Jacques Villon, Henri Matisse, and Georges Rouault deeply influenced him, followed by Robert Delaunay and Fernand Léger.
Through his Russian friends, Miotte developed an appreciation for ballet and attended performances in London and Monte Carlo. He later designed many theater decors and costumes.
In 1948, he traveled to Italy, gaining both museum experiences and friendships among young Italian artists and architects. In 1950, he began working in his studio in Meudon, where he also turned to abstract painting for the first time. He became acquainted with Jean Arp and Gino Severini, both of whom were exploring abstraction. In 1952, he met artist Sam Francis and visited his studio in Villiers-d'Avray.
Jean Miotte made his debut at the Salon des Réalités Nouvelles in 1952. In 1953, his work was acquired by the Museum of Modern Art in Paris. He further expanded his artistry in Boulogne and was visited by Hans Hartung and his students. In 1954, his first solo exhibition was held at Lucien Durand's gallery in Paris.
During the mid-1950s, Miotte connected with Russian artists of the Second Paris School, including Lanskoï, Poliakov, and Dimitrienko. Michel Seuphor included him in his "Dictionary of Abstract Painting" (1957). His artwork was also showcased at the "50 Years of Abstract Painting" exhibition at the Knoedler Gallery, celebrating the release of Seuphor's book. In 1958, Miotte joined Jacques Dubourg's gallery.
In 1961, Jean Miotte received a grant from the Ford Foundation, enabling him to live in New York for six months. He acquainted himself with artists such as Alexander Calder, Robert Motherwell, Jacques Lipchitz, and Mark Rothko. His works were acquired by the Knoedler Gallery, conductor Vladimir Golschmann, and cellist Alfred Wallenstein.
During the 1960s, several solo exhibitions of Miotte's work were held in galleries and museums in the Netherlands and Denmark. He actively participated in the events of May 1968 in Paris.
In 1971, he became a jury member of the Salon des Réalités Nouvelles. In 1972, he opened a studio in Hamburg. The first monograph on Miotte, featuring texts by José Augusto França and Károly Siebel, was published in 1975, followed by another written by American writer Chester Himes in 1976.
Miotte moved to New York in 1976, established a studio in SoHo, and collaborated with the Martha Jackson Gallery. He also participated in exhibitions and traveled extensively during this period.
Throughout his career from the late 1950s to the late 1990s, Miotte participated in numerous group and solo exhibitions in various countries. He transitioned from oil painting to acrylics in the 1970s. Besides painting, he worked in lithography, created limited-edition livres d'artiste, and had his designs turned into carpets.
His works are housed in the MoMA, the Cooper Hewitt Museum, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and the Chelsea Art Museum in New York. They are also present in the Museum of Modern Art in Paris, the collections of the French Ministry of Culture, the National Library of France, the French National Fund for Contemporary Art, the Opéra Bastille in Paris, the Ludwig Museum in Cologne, the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro, the National Museum of Singapore, the National Museum of Bangladesh in Dhaka, the Taiwanese Art Museum in Taichung, Brandeis University Museum in the USA, Ackland Art Museum in Chapel Hill, USA, SMPK, Kupferstichkabinett in Berlin, the Cultural Center of Cuautémoc in Mexico, and various museums across Europe including places like Saint-Omer, Dunkirk, Rocbrune-Cap-Marten, Châteauroux, Berck-sur-Mer, Marc-en-Barœul, Munich, Saarbrücken, Dortmund, Hamburg, Valladolid, and Villafamés in Spain, Maassluis in the Netherlands, Monte Carlo, Copenhagen, and Beirut.
1920 - 1999
Jean Miotte, an eminent French abstract artist, was born in Paris. He completed his studies at the Ecole des Travaux Publics (Paris) in 1944, obtaining a bachelor's degree in mathematics. He began his artistic journey in 1945. After serving in the army from 1945 to 1946, he devoted himself entirely to art and engaged in self-education. He frequented museums and visited studios of artists on Montparnasse, including Otto Freundlich and Ossip Zadkine. The paintings of Jacques Villon, Henri Matisse, and Georges Rouault deeply influenced him, followed by Robert Delaunay and Fernand Léger.
Through his Russian friends, Miotte developed an appreciation for ballet and attended performances in London and Monte Carlo. He later designed many theater decors and costumes.
In 1948, he traveled to Italy, gaining both museum experiences and friendships among young Italian artists and architects. In 1950, he began working in his studio in Meudon, where he also turned to abstract painting for the first time. He became acquainted with Jean Arp and Gino Severini, both of whom were exploring abstraction. In 1952, he met artist Sam Francis and visited his studio in Villiers-d'Avray.
Jean Miotte made his debut at the Salon des Réalités Nouvelles in 1952. In 1953, his work was acquired by the Museum of Modern Art in Paris. He further expanded his artistry in Boulogne and was visited by Hans Hartung and his students. In 1954, his first solo exhibition was held at Lucien Durand's gallery in Paris.
During the mid-1950s, Miotte connected with Russian artists of the Second Paris School, including Lanskoï, Poliakov, and Dimitrienko. Michel Seuphor included him in his "Dictionary of Abstract Painting" (1957). His artwork was also showcased at the "50 Years of Abstract Painting" exhibition at the Knoedler Gallery, celebrating the release of Seuphor's book. In 1958, Miotte joined Jacques Dubourg's gallery.
In 1961, Jean Miotte received a grant from the Ford Foundation, enabling him to live in New York for six months. He acquainted himself with artists such as Alexander Calder, Robert Motherwell, Jacques Lipchitz, and Mark Rothko. His works were acquired by the Knoedler Gallery, conductor Vladimir Golschmann, and cellist Alfred Wallenstein.
During the 1960s, several solo exhibitions of Miotte's work were held in galleries and museums in the Netherlands and Denmark. He actively participated in the events of May 1968 in Paris.
In 1971, he became a jury member of the Salon des Réalités Nouvelles. In 1972, he opened a studio in Hamburg. The first monograph on Miotte, featuring texts by José Augusto França and Károly Siebel, was published in 1975, followed by another written by American writer Chester Himes in 1976.
Miotte moved to New York in 1976, established a studio in SoHo, and collaborated with the Martha Jackson Gallery. He also participated in exhibitions and traveled extensively during this period.
Throughout his career from the late 1950s to the late 1990s, Miotte participated in numerous group and solo exhibitions in various countries. He transitioned from oil painting to acrylics in the 1970s. Besides painting, he worked in lithography, created limited-edition livres d'artiste, and had his designs turned into carpets.
His works are housed in the MoMA, the Cooper Hewitt Museum, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and the Chelsea Art Museum in New York. They are also present in the Museum of Modern Art in Paris, the collections of the French Ministry of Culture, the National Library of France, the French National Fund for Contemporary Art, the Opéra Bastille in Paris, the Ludwig Museum in Cologne, the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro, the National Museum of Singapore, the National Museum of Bangladesh in Dhaka, the Taiwanese Art Museum in Taichung, Brandeis University Museum in the USA, Ackland Art Museum in Chapel Hill, USA, SMPK, Kupferstichkabinett in Berlin, the Cultural Center of Cuautémoc in Mexico, and various museums across Europe including places like Saint-Omer, Dunkirk, Rocbrune-Cap-Marten, Châteauroux, Berck-sur-Mer, Marc-en-Barœul, Munich, Saarbrücken, Dortmund, Hamburg, Valladolid, and Villafamés in Spain, Maassluis in the Netherlands, Monte Carlo, Copenhagen, and Beirut.
Gérard Schneider
1896 - 1986
One of the early and prominent artists of French lyrical abstraction, Gérard Schneider was born in Switzerland in a family of an antique dealer. He spent his childhood in Neuchâtel. At the age of 20, he entered the National School of Decorative Arts (École nationale des arts décoratifs) in Paris and later transferred to the Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts, where he studied under Fernand Cormon, a patriarch of French academic painting and a teacher of Van Gogh and Toulouse-Lautrec. Since 1922, he has been living permanently in Paris. In 1926, he exhibited for the first time at the Salon d'Automne.
The 1920s were a period of extended self-discovery for Gérard Schneider. He worked as a restorer of paintings, studied art history, experimented with techniques, and was involved in the literary group of surrealists. By 1932, influenced by Kandinsky and the surrealists, Schneider gradually moved away from representational art. He began defining his painting as lyrical abstraction. In 1936, he exhibited five of his works at the Salon des Indépendants, followed by one in 1937 and three abstract works with the same title "Composition" in 1938.
During the war, Gérard Schneider lived in occupied Paris. He continued creating abstract paintings, which from 1945 onwards he named "Opus" followed by a numerical identifier. One of his later works titled "Composition" from 1945 became one of the first acquisitions of the National Museum of Modern Art.
In 1946, he participated in the first Salon des Réalités Nouvelles, the main recurring exhibition of abstract art in Paris (Schneider also participated in subsequent editions in 1949, 1956, and 1958). In 1947, Schneider's works were featured in a group exhibition titled "Abstract Painting" at the Denise René Gallery. The same year, his solo exhibition took place at the Lydia Conti Gallery.
In the 1950s, Gérard Schneider enjoyed the peak of his fame. Alongside his friends Hans Hartung and Pierre Soulages, he was considered a key figure in the abstract art movement. His paintings were frequently included in comprehensive exhibitions of French art across various countries. Sometimes, he participated in up to ten exhibitions simultaneously.
Starting from 1949, Schneider exhibited regularly at the Salon de Mai and became a member of its organizing committee in 1956. He participated in the touring exhibition "Wanderausstellung Französischer Abstrakter Malerei" in West Germany in 1948-49, exhibited in the USA in 1949 and 1951 at the Betty Parsons Gallery, and later in the "Advancing French Art" exhibition across different cities in the United States. From 1955 to 1961, the renowned Samuel Kootz Gallery in New York exclusively represented Gérard Schneider in the USA. In 1950, the Phillips Gallery purchased Opus 445, and in 1955, MoMA acquired Opus 95.
In 1953, Schneider's first retrospective was held in Brussels. The second took place in 1962 at Kunstverein in Düsseldorf. He exhibited at the Venice Biennale in 1948, 1954, and 1966, at the São Paulo Biennale in 1951, 1953, and 1961, and at Documenta in Kassel in 1955 and 1959. His solo exhibition at the French Pavilion during the 1966 Venice Biennale was a highlight. In 1970, another retrospective of Schneider's work was held at the City Gallery of Modern Art in Turin, followed by a showing at the "Earth of Men" pavilion in Montreal. The preface to its catalogue was written by Eugène Ionesco.
In 1950, when Gérard Schneider participated in a collective exhibition in Japan, he received the Tokyo Governor's Prize. In 1957, he was awarded the Prix Lissone, and in 1975, he received the Grand Prix National des Arts.
Gérard Schneider's abstract painting is emotional and intuitive. He viewed it as a reflection of the artist's inner world. Schneider was also a connoisseur of music and saw many parallels between painting and musical structure.
Works by Gérard Schneider are held in prestigious institutions including the Pompidou Centre and the Museum of Modern Art in Paris, MoMA, the Ludwig Museum in Cologne, the Gallery of Modern Art in Rome, the Phillips Collection in Washington, the Museum of Fine Arts in Montreal, the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro, the Museum of Modern Art in Brussels, the Fine Arts Museum in Nantes, the Museum of Fine Arts in Phoenix, Yale University in New Haven, Princeton University, the University of California in Los Angeles, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, the Fine Arts Center in Colorado Springs, the Jakarta Museum, the Art Museum in Seoul, the State Museum in Kamakura, the Soni Heni Foundation, and the Onstad Foundation in Oslo, the City Gallery of Modern Art in Turin, the Worcester Art Museum in the USA, Kunsthaus Zurich, and the Art and History Museum in Neuchâtel. Schneider's mosaic is also located in the building of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications in Paris.
1896 - 1986
One of the early and prominent artists of French lyrical abstraction, Gérard Schneider was born in Switzerland in a family of an antique dealer. He spent his childhood in Neuchâtel. At the age of 20, he entered the National School of Decorative Arts (École nationale des arts décoratifs) in Paris and later transferred to the Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts, where he studied under Fernand Cormon, a patriarch of French academic painting and a teacher of Van Gogh and Toulouse-Lautrec. Since 1922, he has been living permanently in Paris. In 1926, he exhibited for the first time at the Salon d'Automne.
The 1920s were a period of extended self-discovery for Gérard Schneider. He worked as a restorer of paintings, studied art history, experimented with techniques, and was involved in the literary group of surrealists. By 1932, influenced by Kandinsky and the surrealists, Schneider gradually moved away from representational art. He began defining his painting as lyrical abstraction. In 1936, he exhibited five of his works at the Salon des Indépendants, followed by one in 1937 and three abstract works with the same title "Composition" in 1938.
During the war, Gérard Schneider lived in occupied Paris. He continued creating abstract paintings, which from 1945 onwards he named "Opus" followed by a numerical identifier. One of his later works titled "Composition" from 1945 became one of the first acquisitions of the National Museum of Modern Art.
In 1946, he participated in the first Salon des Réalités Nouvelles, the main recurring exhibition of abstract art in Paris (Schneider also participated in subsequent editions in 1949, 1956, and 1958). In 1947, Schneider's works were featured in a group exhibition titled "Abstract Painting" at the Denise René Gallery. The same year, his solo exhibition took place at the Lydia Conti Gallery.
In the 1950s, Gérard Schneider enjoyed the peak of his fame. Alongside his friends Hans Hartung and Pierre Soulages, he was considered a key figure in the abstract art movement. His paintings were frequently included in comprehensive exhibitions of French art across various countries. Sometimes, he participated in up to ten exhibitions simultaneously.
Starting from 1949, Schneider exhibited regularly at the Salon de Mai and became a member of its organizing committee in 1956. He participated in the touring exhibition "Wanderausstellung Französischer Abstrakter Malerei" in West Germany in 1948-49, exhibited in the USA in 1949 and 1951 at the Betty Parsons Gallery, and later in the "Advancing French Art" exhibition across different cities in the United States. From 1955 to 1961, the renowned Samuel Kootz Gallery in New York exclusively represented Gérard Schneider in the USA. In 1950, the Phillips Gallery purchased Opus 445, and in 1955, MoMA acquired Opus 95.
In 1953, Schneider's first retrospective was held in Brussels. The second took place in 1962 at Kunstverein in Düsseldorf. He exhibited at the Venice Biennale in 1948, 1954, and 1966, at the São Paulo Biennale in 1951, 1953, and 1961, and at Documenta in Kassel in 1955 and 1959. His solo exhibition at the French Pavilion during the 1966 Venice Biennale was a highlight. In 1970, another retrospective of Schneider's work was held at the City Gallery of Modern Art in Turin, followed by a showing at the "Earth of Men" pavilion in Montreal. The preface to its catalogue was written by Eugène Ionesco.
In 1950, when Gérard Schneider participated in a collective exhibition in Japan, he received the Tokyo Governor's Prize. In 1957, he was awarded the Prix Lissone, and in 1975, he received the Grand Prix National des Arts.
Gérard Schneider's abstract painting is emotional and intuitive. He viewed it as a reflection of the artist's inner world. Schneider was also a connoisseur of music and saw many parallels between painting and musical structure.
Works by Gérard Schneider are held in prestigious institutions including the Pompidou Centre and the Museum of Modern Art in Paris, MoMA, the Ludwig Museum in Cologne, the Gallery of Modern Art in Rome, the Phillips Collection in Washington, the Museum of Fine Arts in Montreal, the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro, the Museum of Modern Art in Brussels, the Fine Arts Museum in Nantes, the Museum of Fine Arts in Phoenix, Yale University in New Haven, Princeton University, the University of California in Los Angeles, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, the Fine Arts Center in Colorado Springs, the Jakarta Museum, the Art Museum in Seoul, the State Museum in Kamakura, the Soni Heni Foundation, and the Onstad Foundation in Oslo, the City Gallery of Modern Art in Turin, the Worcester Art Museum in the USA, Kunsthaus Zurich, and the Art and History Museum in Neuchâtel. Schneider's mosaic is also located in the building of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications in Paris.
Alexandre Garbell
1903 - 1970
A French artist and representative of the Paris School, Alexander Garbell was born in Riga. He began drawing at the age of thirteen. After studying in Moscow, he moved with his family to Germany and began attending the Heidelberg Academy. In 1923, he arrived in Paris and became a student at the Ranson Academy, where he studied under Roger Bissière, a representative of lyrical abstraction. There, Garbell met Alfred Manessier, Francis Gruber, and others, becoming part of what is known as the Paris School. He quickly developed his own style.
From 1928, Garbell's works were regularly exhibited in Paris, both in solo and group exhibitions. During World War II, like many other artists such as Marcelle Rivier and André Lanskoy, Garbell found refuge in Mirmande, where André Lhote (an artist, sculptor, educator, and art theorist) established an academy. While teaching at André Lhote's Academy, Garbell influenced a new generation of artists.
In 1946, Alexander Garbell returned to Paris, befriended Paul Ackerman, and exhibited in major galleries such as Delpierre, Galerie du Siècle, and Pierre Loeb. He regularly participated in significant exhibitions in France: Salon des Surindépendants, Salon de Mai (1950, 1954-1961), Salon des Réalités Nouvelles (1961), Salon Comparaisons (1956, 1957, 1962, 1963), and many others. In the 1950s and 1960s, his works were showcased in exhibitions in Denmark, Switzerland, England, Italy, and the USA. A television film titled "The Artist and His Works" was made about Garbell for the exhibition held in New York in 1956.
A major solo exhibition titled "Garbell, Fifteen Years of Painting" took place in 1970 at Galerie Framond in Paris. The artist passed away in December of the same year and was buried in Montreuil. Alexander Garbell had a son named Camille Garbell, who is a sculptor.
In the early stages of his artistic career, Garbell was fascinated by abstraction. Later, he moved away from a stark opposition between abstract and figurative painting. Rocks and beaches in Mer-le-Ben, a commune in northern France, became some of his main sources of inspiration.
Jean Mailhe
1912 - 1997
A French artist born in Reims, Jean Mailhe spent time in the French Foreign Legion before living in North Africa, primarily in Morocco. His first exhibitions took place there: in 1935 and 1939 in Meknes, and in 1939 in Rabat.
Since 1946, he has lived in France. In 1950, on the advice of Albert Gleizes, he moved to Paris and under the influence of Gleizes, he departed from figurative art. In 1962, Jean Mailhe had a solo exhibition first in his own studio and then at the nearby l’Antipoète gallery. In 1962-63, he participated in group exhibitions alongside artists like Serge Poliakoff, Jean Arp, and Kurt Seligmann. In 1967, he received a gold medal at the Biennale in Ancona. After 1975, he exhibited at the Autumn Salon, the Salon des Indépendants, and Salon Comparaisons.
The artist's works are held in the Paris Museum of Natural History, the Fondation Maeght in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, and the Pfäzichheim Museum.
1912 - 1997
A French artist born in Reims, Jean Mailhe spent time in the French Foreign Legion before living in North Africa, primarily in Morocco. His first exhibitions took place there: in 1935 and 1939 in Meknes, and in 1939 in Rabat.
Since 1946, he has lived in France. In 1950, on the advice of Albert Gleizes, he moved to Paris and under the influence of Gleizes, he departed from figurative art. In 1962, Jean Mailhe had a solo exhibition first in his own studio and then at the nearby l’Antipoète gallery. In 1962-63, he participated in group exhibitions alongside artists like Serge Poliakoff, Jean Arp, and Kurt Seligmann. In 1967, he received a gold medal at the Biennale in Ancona. After 1975, he exhibited at the Autumn Salon, the Salon des Indépendants, and Salon Comparaisons.
The artist's works are held in the Paris Museum of Natural History, the Fondation Maeght in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, and the Pfäzichheim Museum.
Rimma Zanevskaya (Sapgir)
1930 – 2021
Rimma Zanevskaya was a Soviet and Russian artist whose works are characterized by clear contours and concise color schemes. The interplay of geometric planes in her works imparts rhythm and dynamic expression. In the early 1960s, she was a member of the group of kinetic artists "Dvizheniye" (Movement) along with Francisco Infante.
During 1944-1945, Zanevskaya studied at the art school of the "Mosfilm" film studio. In 1961, after meeting Lev Nusberg, she started seriously pursuing art. She was the first wife of the poet Genrikh Sapgir. In the mid-1970s, Zanevskaya participated in significant unofficial exhibitions, including the Bulldozer Exhibition (1974), Izmailovsky Exhibition (1974), and an Exhibition of Works by Moscow Artists held at the VDNKh "House of Culture" pavilion (1975). In her later years, she engaged in icon painting. She lived in Moscow.
Rimma Zanevskaya's works are held in the collection of the State Tretyakov Gallery (Moscow) and in other state and private collections.
1930 – 2021
Rimma Zanevskaya was a Soviet and Russian artist whose works are characterized by clear contours and concise color schemes. The interplay of geometric planes in her works imparts rhythm and dynamic expression. In the early 1960s, she was a member of the group of kinetic artists "Dvizheniye" (Movement) along with Francisco Infante.
During 1944-1945, Zanevskaya studied at the art school of the "Mosfilm" film studio. In 1961, after meeting Lev Nusberg, she started seriously pursuing art. She was the first wife of the poet Genrikh Sapgir. In the mid-1970s, Zanevskaya participated in significant unofficial exhibitions, including the Bulldozer Exhibition (1974), Izmailovsky Exhibition (1974), and an Exhibition of Works by Moscow Artists held at the VDNKh "House of Culture" pavilion (1975). In her later years, she engaged in icon painting. She lived in Moscow.
Rimma Zanevskaya's works are held in the collection of the State Tretyakov Gallery (Moscow) and in other state and private collections.
Victor Vasarely
1906 – 1997
One of the primary artists of the second half of the 20th century, a key representative and theorist of Op Art and Kinetic Art.
Victor Vasarely (Hungarian: Vásárhelyi Viktor) was born in the city of Pécs, Hungary. He studied medicine at the University of Loránd Eötvös in Budapest. In 1927, he abandoned a medical career and entered the private art academy of Podolini and Folkman. A year later, he joined the "Mühely" – the private school of avant-garde artist Sándor Bortnyik, a former Bauhaus instructor who had recently returned to Budapest.
In 1930, Victor Vasarely married Claire Spinner, another student of Bortnyik, and moved to Paris with her. In France, he worked as a graphic designer, creating advertising posters for agencies like Havas, Draeger, and Devambez. He intended to develop the artistic education methodology of Sándor Bortnyik and open his own school, but he never did. In the 1930s, Vasarely created graphic series featuring zebras, tigers, harlequins, often employing optical effects.
From 1942 to 1944, he lived in Saint-Céré. After the war, his studio was located in Arcueil, a suburb of Paris. In 1961, he moved to Annet-sur-Marne.
Only from 1944 did Vasarely systematically engage in painting. Since that year, he regularly exhibited at the Denise René gallery in Paris. Initially, he chaotically explored the avant-garde painting of the time, imitating surrealists, cubists, and expressionists. From 1947, he began to create abstract paintings, and at that time, he started referring to his art as "optical."
From the late 1940s, Vasarely created series of works in each of which he systematically developed a single plastic motif: "Danfer" (named after the Danfer-Rochereau metro station in Paris, with the motif based on the mosaic decoration of that station), "Bel-Ille" with the motif of pebbles from the Bel-Ille beach, "Gord/Crystal" – featuring cubic structures resembling buildings from the town of Gordes in southern France (where Vasarely spent summers from 1948). There were other cycles as well, including "Homage to Malevich."
From 1951, he engaged in Kinetic Art. Alongside artists like Marcel Duchamp, Alexander Calder, Man Ray, Jesus Rafael Soto, and Jean Tinguely, he participated in the major exhibition "Le Mouvement" ("The Movement") at the Denise René gallery in Paris in 1955. This exhibition was accompanied by the publication of the "Yellow Manifesto" (Le Manifeste Jaune), which Victor Vasarely co-authored with Pontus Hultén and Roger Bordier. Thanks to this manifesto and several others written later, Vasarely became the main theorist and promoter of Op Art and Kinetic Art.
The works of Victor Vasarely during this period were black and white. It wasn't until 1960 that he reintroduced color into his works.
In addition to the annual exhibitions at the Denise René gallery and international exhibitions often organized by the same gallery, Vasarely regularly showcased his works at the Salon des Nouvelles Réalités, Salon des Surindépendants, and the May Salon. From 1958, he also collaborated with Ivaral, the son of Victor Vasarely, in partnership with the René gallery.
The ideas expressed in Vasarely's manifestos, particularly the notion that a work of art exists solely in the viewer's imagination, who perceives the same set of optical signals differently in various situations, led to the inspiration of artists among the Groupe de Recherche d'Art Visuel (GRAV, active from 1960-68). Following Vasarely's thoughts on the obsolescence of authorship, they worked collectively and didn't disclose their names.
Vasarely himself followed a different path. Similar to Malevich, Mondrian, and the artists of the Bauhaus, who viewed abstract painting as a systematic, almost scientific endeavor to develop universal compositional principles that could and should be used to reconstruct the entire material environment surrounding humans, he worked on developing his version of a universal plastic language (or plastic alphabet, as he referred to it) from the late 1950s.
Vasarely limited and organized a set of elements he worked with: three circles, two squares, three diamonds, two elongated rectangles, one triangle, and so on; as well as two or three shades of spectral and achromatic colors. He gradually expanded his "vocabulary," numbering each element. The creation of "artworks" theoretically boiled down to free combinations of a limited number of elements, but in practice, this system was so extensive that it left infinite space for creativity. The result of this work was the 1963 album "Planetary Folklore" (Folklore planétaire). Vasarely believed that his developed set of rules, clear, consistent, and scientific, should become a new universal language for design and architecture.
As a result, he often collaborated with architects. His first joint work was the monumental panel "Homage to Malevich" in the university town of Caracas in 1954 (designed by architect Carlos Raúl Villanueva). Additionally, Vasarely was involved in designing the Montparnasse railway station in Paris, the R.T.L. residential building in Paris, the Faculty of Philology in Montpellier, the Museum of Jerusalem, the French pavilion at the 1967 World Expo in Montreal, and an ice rink in Grenoble. He also created an ornament for the Suomi Timo Sarpaneva service for Rosenthal (1976).
From 1964 to 1976, he worked on the series "Hommage à l'Hexagone." He referred to the next period as the "Gestalt period."
In 1970, the Victor Vasarely Museum opened in Gordes (closed in 1997). In 1975, the second and main Victor Vasarely Museum opened in Aix-en-Provence in a building designed with the artist's involvement. This museum was one of the major cultural projects of Georges Pompidou, although he did not live to see its opening. In 1976, Victor Vasarely installed a large kinetic artwork called "Georges Pompidou" in the center named after Pompidou in Paris. Also in 1976, the third museum opened in Pécs, the artist's hometown. In 1987, the fourth museum opened in Budapest.
Victor Vasarely's art received numerous awards. In 1955, after the publication of the Yellow Manifesto, he received the Critics' Prize in Brussels, the Gold Medal at the Milan Triennale, international awards in Valencia and Venezuela. In 1964, he received the Guggenheim Prize. In 1965, he won the Grand Prix at the 6th International Graphic Exhibition in Ljubljana, the Grand Prix at the 8th São Paulo Biennial, and the Gold Medal from the Society for the Encouragement of Arts and Industry (France). In 1966, he received the prize at the 1st Graphic Biennial in Krakow and the Gold Medal at the 2nd International Symposium of Aesthetics in Rimini. In 1967, he received the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan prize at the 9th Tokyo Biennial and the Carnegie Institute Prize. In 1968, he won the 1st prize at the 2nd Graphic Biennial in Krakow, and in 1969, he received the "Golden Palette" prize at the International Painting Festival in Cannes.
He was named a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French Ministry of Culture in 1965 and a Knight of the Legion of Honour in 1970. He became a professor at the Budapest College of Applied Arts in 1969.
Victor Vasarely's works even made it to space: in 1982, a French cosmonaut Jean-Loup Chrétien took an album of his engravings on board the "Salut-7" spacecraft. Later, these engravings were sold at a charity auction in support of UNESCO.
Apart from the Victor Vasarely Foundation Museum in Aix and his two museums in Hungary, Vasarely's works are housed in various institutions, including the Centre Pompidou, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, MoMA and Guggenheim Museum in New York, LACMA, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Houston Museum of Fine Arts, Cranbrook Art Museum, National Museum of Fine Arts and Latin American Art Museum in Buenos Aires, National Museum of Fine Arts in Rio de Janeiro, EMMA in Espoo, Museum of Modern Art in Antwerp, Israel Museum in Jerusalem, and many more.
1906 – 1997
One of the primary artists of the second half of the 20th century, a key representative and theorist of Op Art and Kinetic Art.
Victor Vasarely (Hungarian: Vásárhelyi Viktor) was born in the city of Pécs, Hungary. He studied medicine at the University of Loránd Eötvös in Budapest. In 1927, he abandoned a medical career and entered the private art academy of Podolini and Folkman. A year later, he joined the "Mühely" – the private school of avant-garde artist Sándor Bortnyik, a former Bauhaus instructor who had recently returned to Budapest.
In 1930, Victor Vasarely married Claire Spinner, another student of Bortnyik, and moved to Paris with her. In France, he worked as a graphic designer, creating advertising posters for agencies like Havas, Draeger, and Devambez. He intended to develop the artistic education methodology of Sándor Bortnyik and open his own school, but he never did. In the 1930s, Vasarely created graphic series featuring zebras, tigers, harlequins, often employing optical effects.
From 1942 to 1944, he lived in Saint-Céré. After the war, his studio was located in Arcueil, a suburb of Paris. In 1961, he moved to Annet-sur-Marne.
Only from 1944 did Vasarely systematically engage in painting. Since that year, he regularly exhibited at the Denise René gallery in Paris. Initially, he chaotically explored the avant-garde painting of the time, imitating surrealists, cubists, and expressionists. From 1947, he began to create abstract paintings, and at that time, he started referring to his art as "optical."
From the late 1940s, Vasarely created series of works in each of which he systematically developed a single plastic motif: "Danfer" (named after the Danfer-Rochereau metro station in Paris, with the motif based on the mosaic decoration of that station), "Bel-Ille" with the motif of pebbles from the Bel-Ille beach, "Gord/Crystal" – featuring cubic structures resembling buildings from the town of Gordes in southern France (where Vasarely spent summers from 1948). There were other cycles as well, including "Homage to Malevich."
From 1951, he engaged in Kinetic Art. Alongside artists like Marcel Duchamp, Alexander Calder, Man Ray, Jesus Rafael Soto, and Jean Tinguely, he participated in the major exhibition "Le Mouvement" ("The Movement") at the Denise René gallery in Paris in 1955. This exhibition was accompanied by the publication of the "Yellow Manifesto" (Le Manifeste Jaune), which Victor Vasarely co-authored with Pontus Hultén and Roger Bordier. Thanks to this manifesto and several others written later, Vasarely became the main theorist and promoter of Op Art and Kinetic Art.
The works of Victor Vasarely during this period were black and white. It wasn't until 1960 that he reintroduced color into his works.
In addition to the annual exhibitions at the Denise René gallery and international exhibitions often organized by the same gallery, Vasarely regularly showcased his works at the Salon des Nouvelles Réalités, Salon des Surindépendants, and the May Salon. From 1958, he also collaborated with Ivaral, the son of Victor Vasarely, in partnership with the René gallery.
The ideas expressed in Vasarely's manifestos, particularly the notion that a work of art exists solely in the viewer's imagination, who perceives the same set of optical signals differently in various situations, led to the inspiration of artists among the Groupe de Recherche d'Art Visuel (GRAV, active from 1960-68). Following Vasarely's thoughts on the obsolescence of authorship, they worked collectively and didn't disclose their names.
Vasarely himself followed a different path. Similar to Malevich, Mondrian, and the artists of the Bauhaus, who viewed abstract painting as a systematic, almost scientific endeavor to develop universal compositional principles that could and should be used to reconstruct the entire material environment surrounding humans, he worked on developing his version of a universal plastic language (or plastic alphabet, as he referred to it) from the late 1950s.
Vasarely limited and organized a set of elements he worked with: three circles, two squares, three diamonds, two elongated rectangles, one triangle, and so on; as well as two or three shades of spectral and achromatic colors. He gradually expanded his "vocabulary," numbering each element. The creation of "artworks" theoretically boiled down to free combinations of a limited number of elements, but in practice, this system was so extensive that it left infinite space for creativity. The result of this work was the 1963 album "Planetary Folklore" (Folklore planétaire). Vasarely believed that his developed set of rules, clear, consistent, and scientific, should become a new universal language for design and architecture.
As a result, he often collaborated with architects. His first joint work was the monumental panel "Homage to Malevich" in the university town of Caracas in 1954 (designed by architect Carlos Raúl Villanueva). Additionally, Vasarely was involved in designing the Montparnasse railway station in Paris, the R.T.L. residential building in Paris, the Faculty of Philology in Montpellier, the Museum of Jerusalem, the French pavilion at the 1967 World Expo in Montreal, and an ice rink in Grenoble. He also created an ornament for the Suomi Timo Sarpaneva service for Rosenthal (1976).
From 1964 to 1976, he worked on the series "Hommage à l'Hexagone." He referred to the next period as the "Gestalt period."
In 1970, the Victor Vasarely Museum opened in Gordes (closed in 1997). In 1975, the second and main Victor Vasarely Museum opened in Aix-en-Provence in a building designed with the artist's involvement. This museum was one of the major cultural projects of Georges Pompidou, although he did not live to see its opening. In 1976, Victor Vasarely installed a large kinetic artwork called "Georges Pompidou" in the center named after Pompidou in Paris. Also in 1976, the third museum opened in Pécs, the artist's hometown. In 1987, the fourth museum opened in Budapest.
Victor Vasarely's art received numerous awards. In 1955, after the publication of the Yellow Manifesto, he received the Critics' Prize in Brussels, the Gold Medal at the Milan Triennale, international awards in Valencia and Venezuela. In 1964, he received the Guggenheim Prize. In 1965, he won the Grand Prix at the 6th International Graphic Exhibition in Ljubljana, the Grand Prix at the 8th São Paulo Biennial, and the Gold Medal from the Society for the Encouragement of Arts and Industry (France). In 1966, he received the prize at the 1st Graphic Biennial in Krakow and the Gold Medal at the 2nd International Symposium of Aesthetics in Rimini. In 1967, he received the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan prize at the 9th Tokyo Biennial and the Carnegie Institute Prize. In 1968, he won the 1st prize at the 2nd Graphic Biennial in Krakow, and in 1969, he received the "Golden Palette" prize at the International Painting Festival in Cannes.
He was named a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French Ministry of Culture in 1965 and a Knight of the Legion of Honour in 1970. He became a professor at the Budapest College of Applied Arts in 1969.
Victor Vasarely's works even made it to space: in 1982, a French cosmonaut Jean-Loup Chrétien took an album of his engravings on board the "Salut-7" spacecraft. Later, these engravings were sold at a charity auction in support of UNESCO.
Apart from the Victor Vasarely Foundation Museum in Aix and his two museums in Hungary, Vasarely's works are housed in various institutions, including the Centre Pompidou, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, MoMA and Guggenheim Museum in New York, LACMA, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Houston Museum of Fine Arts, Cranbrook Art Museum, National Museum of Fine Arts and Latin American Art Museum in Buenos Aires, National Museum of Fine Arts in Rio de Janeiro, EMMA in Espoo, Museum of Modern Art in Antwerp, Israel Museum in Jerusalem, and many more.
Pierre Grimm
1898 – 1979
Painter, graphic artist, set designer, and photographer. Born in Russia into a noble family of German origin. He studied in the workshop of Y.F. Tsionglinsky in St. Petersburg and attended the Higher School of Art, Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture for several months.
In 1915, he participated as an artist and photographer in an ethnographic expedition to the Russian part of Central Asia. In 1917, he lived in Moscow and worked as a theater decorator, creating drawings for newspapers. He was passionate about photography. After a period of imprisonment, he moved to Crimea.
In 1920, he emigrated to Constantinople, then to Zagreb, Vienna, and Berlin. In 1923, he settled in Paris. From 1927, he lived in Montparnasse, where he had a small studio and painted views from its window. There he became acquainted with Y.P. Annenkov, I.A. Puni, M.E. Vieira da Silva, A. Senez, and A. Staritskaya.
After the war, he turned to abstract painting. Starting from 1952, he created designs for tapestries produced in the Bove factory.
He exhibited at the Autumn Salon (from 1929), Salon des Tuileries (1939), Salon des Indépendants (1957). His solo exhibitions took place in the Crausen gallery in Copenhagen (1935), Parisian galleries A. Poyet (1938), Rotgé (1943), Pierre (1949), Bellechasse (1957), Le Point Cardinal (1962), Knoedler gallery in New York (1949), O'Hana in London (1954), as well as in Stockholm and Oslo (1962). He participated in group exhibitions at the Beaux-arts gallery. In 1945-1946, he took part in exhibitions of Russian artists organized by the "France-USSR" committee and the Union of Russian Patriots.
His works were also exhibited in shows such as "Russian Gaze" in Heidelberg (1974), "Russian Artists of the Paris School" (1961), and "Again Russians" (1975) in Paris. In 1964, he was awarded the Order of Arts and Literature. In 2011, his artworks were exhibited in Moscow at the "Art Mission: Return to the Homeland" exhibition.
1898 – 1979
Painter, graphic artist, set designer, and photographer. Born in Russia into a noble family of German origin. He studied in the workshop of Y.F. Tsionglinsky in St. Petersburg and attended the Higher School of Art, Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture for several months.
In 1915, he participated as an artist and photographer in an ethnographic expedition to the Russian part of Central Asia. In 1917, he lived in Moscow and worked as a theater decorator, creating drawings for newspapers. He was passionate about photography. After a period of imprisonment, he moved to Crimea.
In 1920, he emigrated to Constantinople, then to Zagreb, Vienna, and Berlin. In 1923, he settled in Paris. From 1927, he lived in Montparnasse, where he had a small studio and painted views from its window. There he became acquainted with Y.P. Annenkov, I.A. Puni, M.E. Vieira da Silva, A. Senez, and A. Staritskaya.
After the war, he turned to abstract painting. Starting from 1952, he created designs for tapestries produced in the Bove factory.
He exhibited at the Autumn Salon (from 1929), Salon des Tuileries (1939), Salon des Indépendants (1957). His solo exhibitions took place in the Crausen gallery in Copenhagen (1935), Parisian galleries A. Poyet (1938), Rotgé (1943), Pierre (1949), Bellechasse (1957), Le Point Cardinal (1962), Knoedler gallery in New York (1949), O'Hana in London (1954), as well as in Stockholm and Oslo (1962). He participated in group exhibitions at the Beaux-arts gallery. In 1945-1946, he took part in exhibitions of Russian artists organized by the "France-USSR" committee and the Union of Russian Patriots.
His works were also exhibited in shows such as "Russian Gaze" in Heidelberg (1974), "Russian Artists of the Paris School" (1961), and "Again Russians" (1975) in Paris. In 1964, he was awarded the Order of Arts and Literature. In 2011, his artworks were exhibited in Moscow at the "Art Mission: Return to the Homeland" exhibition.
Claude Bellegarde
1927 – 2019
French abstract artist. In his youth, he studied painting and sculpture at a private workshop in Paris.
Towards the end of World War II, he encountered Lanza del Vasto, a famous advocate of nonviolent protest, poet, writer, and spiritual leader of the "Community of the Ark." Claude Bellegarde became an active participant in this community and began to engage in sculpture.
Inspired by Rorschach tests and the paintings of abstract expressionists, Bellegarde gradually turned towards Tachism ("painting by spots").
Starting from 1951, he entered a period of monochromatic painting called the "White Period." Bellegarde created a series of works under the title "Achromatism" - textured monochromatic abstract canvases. It was during this period that Bellegarde became recognized and a full-fledged member of the community of post-war French artists. He joined the avant-garde group "Dessins," which focused on action painting - an artistic technique involving the pouring, splattering, and other non-traditional methods of applying paint. Later, he became closer to abstract expressionism. Interestingly, in 1955, his "White" works were exhibited at the Facchetti gallery, the same gallery where Jackson Pollock, the most famous representative of abstract expressionism, was first introduced to the French public.
After receiving high praise from the art critic and theorist Pierre Restany, Bellegarde began to exhibit abroad: in Germany, Belgium, the United Kingdom, and Italy, where his works enjoyed special success. In Milan, his work was acquired by the renowned artist Lucio Fontana. During this period, his works started to be acquired by French museums and centers of contemporary art, including the National Center for Arts and Culture Georges Pompidou.
In the 1960s, Bellegarde reintroduced color into his paintings. He spent some time in America, participating in various artistic symposiums that explored color theory. In 1964, his works were exhibited at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. Returning to France, he continued to study color. He was offered to decorate a room for chromotherapy at the clinic of Dr. A. Tomatis, which was prompted by research into the influence of color on the psychological state of anxious patients. These studies were published in the book "Human Nature," and his symbolic work of this period, "History of the Eye," was acquired by the Museum of Fine Arts in Lyon.
Bellegarde represented France at the 1965 São Paulo Biennial. In the same year, he was awarded a prize at the Biennial of San Marino, Italy. In 1971, a retrospective exhibition of his works took place at the Museum of Modern Art in Paris.
In 1983, Bellegarde received a doctorate from the Sorbonne, after which he actively participated in various conferences and worked on architectural, musical, and cinematic projects. In 1986, the French Ministry of Culture awarded him the Order of Arts and Literature.
His works are held in the Museum of Modern Art in Paris, the Pompidou Center, the Cantini Museum in Marseille, the Museum of Fine Arts in Lille, the Tate Gallery, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Tokyo Museum of Contemporary Art, and others.
1927 – 2019
French abstract artist. In his youth, he studied painting and sculpture at a private workshop in Paris.
Towards the end of World War II, he encountered Lanza del Vasto, a famous advocate of nonviolent protest, poet, writer, and spiritual leader of the "Community of the Ark." Claude Bellegarde became an active participant in this community and began to engage in sculpture.
Inspired by Rorschach tests and the paintings of abstract expressionists, Bellegarde gradually turned towards Tachism ("painting by spots").
Starting from 1951, he entered a period of monochromatic painting called the "White Period." Bellegarde created a series of works under the title "Achromatism" - textured monochromatic abstract canvases. It was during this period that Bellegarde became recognized and a full-fledged member of the community of post-war French artists. He joined the avant-garde group "Dessins," which focused on action painting - an artistic technique involving the pouring, splattering, and other non-traditional methods of applying paint. Later, he became closer to abstract expressionism. Interestingly, in 1955, his "White" works were exhibited at the Facchetti gallery, the same gallery where Jackson Pollock, the most famous representative of abstract expressionism, was first introduced to the French public.
After receiving high praise from the art critic and theorist Pierre Restany, Bellegarde began to exhibit abroad: in Germany, Belgium, the United Kingdom, and Italy, where his works enjoyed special success. In Milan, his work was acquired by the renowned artist Lucio Fontana. During this period, his works started to be acquired by French museums and centers of contemporary art, including the National Center for Arts and Culture Georges Pompidou.
In the 1960s, Bellegarde reintroduced color into his paintings. He spent some time in America, participating in various artistic symposiums that explored color theory. In 1964, his works were exhibited at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. Returning to France, he continued to study color. He was offered to decorate a room for chromotherapy at the clinic of Dr. A. Tomatis, which was prompted by research into the influence of color on the psychological state of anxious patients. These studies were published in the book "Human Nature," and his symbolic work of this period, "History of the Eye," was acquired by the Museum of Fine Arts in Lyon.
Bellegarde represented France at the 1965 São Paulo Biennial. In the same year, he was awarded a prize at the Biennial of San Marino, Italy. In 1971, a retrospective exhibition of his works took place at the Museum of Modern Art in Paris.
In 1983, Bellegarde received a doctorate from the Sorbonne, after which he actively participated in various conferences and worked on architectural, musical, and cinematic projects. In 1986, the French Ministry of Culture awarded him the Order of Arts and Literature.
His works are held in the Museum of Modern Art in Paris, the Pompidou Center, the Cantini Museum in Marseille, the Museum of Fine Arts in Lille, the Tate Gallery, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Tokyo Museum of Contemporary Art, and others.
Ettore Sottsass
1917 – 2007
The famous Italian designer and architect, one of the leading ideologists of radical design, founder of the design group "Memphis," which made a splash at the Milan Furniture Fair in 1981. He was the recipient of the Compasso d'Oro award in 1959 for his design of the first Italian computer, the Elea 9003 for Olivetti, the author of the best-selling 1960s typewriter "Valentine," and the designer of Milan's largest airport, Malpensa.
1935–1939: Studied architecture at the Turin Polytechnic University.
During World War II, he was in a Yugoslav concentration camp in Sarajevo.
1945–1946: Worked with his father on housing construction projects at the architectural firm Giuseppe Pagano.
1956: Traveled to New York to work at George Nelson's studio and toured the USA.
1958: Became a design consultant for Olivetti.
1959: Received the Compasso d'Oro award for the Elea 9003 computer design for Olivetti.
1961: Traveled to India.
1964–1965: Created the Valentine typewriter, for which he received the Delta di Ore award, and led its global advertising campaign.
1966–1967: Started collaborating with the furniture factory Poltronova; created a large series of ceramic vases inspired by his trip to India.
1967: Became a co-founder of the literary magazine Planeta Fresco along with Allen Ginsberg.
1970: Gave lectures in the UK and Japan, received an honorary doctorate in architecture from the London College of Art.
1972: Collaborated with Alessi; participated in the collective exhibition "Italy, the New Domestic Landscape" at MoMA, New York.
1973–1975: Contributed to the creation of the Global Tools Group, an interdisciplinary experimental design education program. The program aimed to establish laboratories in Florence, Milan, and Naples for studying natural materials and their properties, with a focus on creating alternative relationships with the Italian industry.
1976: Held a major retrospective exhibition of Ettore Sottsass's work in Berlin, Paris, Jerusalem, and Sydney.
1980: Founded the company Sottsass Associati.
1981: The radical design group Memphis, led by Ettore Sottsass, was established, including members such as Marco Zanini, Aldo Cibic, Matteo Thun, Michele de Lucchi, Martin Bedin, Shiro Kuramata, Massanori Umeda, and Nathalie du Pasquier.
1985: Ettore Sottsass left Memphis and returned to architectural practice and industrial design at Sottsass Associati.
2000: Designed the Malpensa Airport in Milan.
2001: "Memphis Remembered" exhibition at the Design Museum in London.
2007: "Ettore Sottsass: Work in Progress" exhibition at the Design Museum in London.
2008–2009: "Ettore Sottsass et le design italien" exhibition at the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
Ettore Sottsass's works are part of the permanent collections of museums such as MoMA in New York, Centre Pompidou in Paris, and the National Museum in Stockholm.
1917 – 2007
The famous Italian designer and architect, one of the leading ideologists of radical design, founder of the design group "Memphis," which made a splash at the Milan Furniture Fair in 1981. He was the recipient of the Compasso d'Oro award in 1959 for his design of the first Italian computer, the Elea 9003 for Olivetti, the author of the best-selling 1960s typewriter "Valentine," and the designer of Milan's largest airport, Malpensa.
1935–1939: Studied architecture at the Turin Polytechnic University.
During World War II, he was in a Yugoslav concentration camp in Sarajevo.
1945–1946: Worked with his father on housing construction projects at the architectural firm Giuseppe Pagano.
1956: Traveled to New York to work at George Nelson's studio and toured the USA.
1958: Became a design consultant for Olivetti.
1959: Received the Compasso d'Oro award for the Elea 9003 computer design for Olivetti.
1961: Traveled to India.
1964–1965: Created the Valentine typewriter, for which he received the Delta di Ore award, and led its global advertising campaign.
1966–1967: Started collaborating with the furniture factory Poltronova; created a large series of ceramic vases inspired by his trip to India.
1967: Became a co-founder of the literary magazine Planeta Fresco along with Allen Ginsberg.
1970: Gave lectures in the UK and Japan, received an honorary doctorate in architecture from the London College of Art.
1972: Collaborated with Alessi; participated in the collective exhibition "Italy, the New Domestic Landscape" at MoMA, New York.
1973–1975: Contributed to the creation of the Global Tools Group, an interdisciplinary experimental design education program. The program aimed to establish laboratories in Florence, Milan, and Naples for studying natural materials and their properties, with a focus on creating alternative relationships with the Italian industry.
1976: Held a major retrospective exhibition of Ettore Sottsass's work in Berlin, Paris, Jerusalem, and Sydney.
1980: Founded the company Sottsass Associati.
1981: The radical design group Memphis, led by Ettore Sottsass, was established, including members such as Marco Zanini, Aldo Cibic, Matteo Thun, Michele de Lucchi, Martin Bedin, Shiro Kuramata, Massanori Umeda, and Nathalie du Pasquier.
1985: Ettore Sottsass left Memphis and returned to architectural practice and industrial design at Sottsass Associati.
2000: Designed the Malpensa Airport in Milan.
2001: "Memphis Remembered" exhibition at the Design Museum in London.
2007: "Ettore Sottsass: Work in Progress" exhibition at the Design Museum in London.
2008–2009: "Ettore Sottsass et le design italien" exhibition at the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
Ettore Sottsass's works are part of the permanent collections of museums such as MoMA in New York, Centre Pompidou in Paris, and the National Museum in Stockholm.