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Galerie Christian Lethert, Cologne
presents
Imi Knoebel: Raum 19
IV
April 5
- June 7, 2014
Opening
reception: Saturday, April 5, 2014, 6-9 pm
We
are very delighted to present Raum 19
IV, Imi Knoebel’s first solo-exhibition at our
gallery. Imi Knoebel belongs to the group of artists that have
developed a radical, minimal form vocabulary in the 1960s.
Since the beginning of his artistic career, Kasimir Malerwich
has always been a very important reference point. Avoiding any
figuration, his early work is characterized by a reduced use
of color and a geometric form language: having started with
black and white line paintings and plywood installations, he
later turned to colorful painting on wood or aluminum. His
mostly serial work procedure on standardized materials always
reveals the hand-made gesture of the artist, such as visible
brush strokes.
The
room-installation Raum 19, which Imi Knoebel realised
in the Düsseldorfer Kunstakademie in 1968, plays a major role
in his non-figuartive work that already back then ranges
between painting and object. Constructive basic forms made of
hardboard, such as circular segments, stretcher frames, cubes
and boards are stacked or arranged side by side. “Despite its
sculptural-installative presence, Raum 19 alludes to
fundamental questions of painting. This is made clear by an
arsenal of stretchers and its parts, that have acquit
themselves of their function as picture carriers but still
refer to painting at the same time.” (Bernhard Bürgi, 1989).
Also the leaning or stacked hardboards remind of monochrome
panel paintings Imi Knoebel later works on in his group of
Hartfaserbilder.
Raum 19 IV from 2008 presented at Galerie
Christian Lethert is a unique 200x200 cm model consisting of
hardboard solids that are installed on a table. Further
Raum 19 works have been shown at DIA Art Foundation
in Beacon New York, Darmstadt and in the Neue Nationalgalerie
Berlin.
Raum 19 IV is accompanied by recent
hardboard works that are formally connected to the
installation. Also part of the exhibition is the small and
considerable work Keilrahmen from 1968/1989. Having
originally been part of the Raum 19 installation in 1968 this
simple, little, square stretcher frame was edited by Galerie
Klein 21 later in 1989. Johannes Stüttgen describes in his
publication about the role of the Keilrahmen that
this was integrated in the installation, being one of many
parts within the whole site, but since being the only one of
its kind had an individual character that stood for the whole
idea of the Raum 19. (Johannes Stüttgen, Der
Keilrahmen des Imi Knoebel 1968/89, 1991)
We
are happy to again participate in this year’s Art
Cologne from April 9 - 13. From April 25 - 27 we will
be part of Art Brussels for the first time,
followed by a presentation at NADA NYC from
May 9 - 11, 2014. On Friday, June 13, 2014 we will open our
third solo exhibition with Fergus
Feehily.
GALERIE
CHRISTIAN LETHERT
ANTWERPENER STRASSE
4
50672 COLOGNE,
GERMANY
T +49(0)221
3560590
F +49(0)221
3560554
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