Giorgio Griffa / Reto Pulfer

Mostra personale di Giorgio Griffa: Une rétrospective 1968–2014 e mostra personale di Reto Pulfer: Dehydrierte Landschaft.

Comunicato stampa

Opening on May 28, the Centre d'Art Contemporain Genève is pleased to announce two important new solo exhibitions: a retrospective of the Italian artist Giorgio Griffa and Reto Pulfer’s first exhibition in a Swiss art institution.

Giorgio Griffa: Une rétrospective 1968–2014
One of the most radical and articulate artists of the neo-avant-garde working in Italy today, Giorgio Griffa became known in the late 1960s for his intense and highly concentrated paintings which he reduced to their essential components: canvas, colours and brushstrokes. The work of Griffa transcribes an idea of rhythm, sequence and the repetition of minimal gestures onto unprimed and unstretched, folded canvases.

Born in 1936 in Turin, where he still lives and works. Solo presentations of his work include MACRO, Museo d'Arte Contemporanea, Rome (2011), Neuer Kunstverein, Aschaffenburg (2005), Städische Kunsthalle, Dusseldorf (1978), Venice Biennale (1978 and 1980) and Sonnabend Gallery, New York (1970), among others.

The exhibition will be accompanied by an extensive catalogue published by Mousse Publishing. It will include a complete chronology of the artist's work and life, as well as newly commissioned texts by Andrea Bellini (Director of the Centre d'Art Contemporain Genève), Hans Ulrich Obrist (Co-Director of the Serpentine London), Chris Dercon (Director of Tate Modern), Suzanne Cotter (Director of Serralves), Laura Cherubini, Luca Cerizza, Marianna Vecellio and Martin Clark (Director of Bergen Kunsthall). It will also include a new visual essay by the artist.

This exhibition is produced in collaboration with the Bergen Kunsthall (28 August–18 October), the Fondazione Giuliani (2 February–4 April 2016) and the Serralves Foundation, Porto, (13 May–4 September 2016), Rome.

Reto Pulfer: Dehydrierte Landschaft
Self-taught artist Reto Pulfer constructs singular universes, both intuitive and complex kinds of "total artworks" combining installation, sculpture, painting, performance, music and architecture. To create his environments, he adopts a very simple technique, close to the crafts, and uses basic materials, often recycled, such as bed sheets, cloth, paper and found objects, tinged by an aura.

For Dehydrierte Landschaft, Pulfer proposes a walkthrough installation consisting of textile tents and a coloured hemp thread, splitting the exhibition space. Wall hangings made of torn textiles representing various symbols, plans and other systems will decorate the main room.

Reto Pulfer was born in 1981 in Bern (Switzerland) and lives and works in Berlin. In 2015, he will also present his work in solo exhibitions at Centre international d'art et du paysage, Île de Vassivière; Musée régional d'art contemporain Languedoc-Roussillon, Sérignan and Spike Island, Bristol.

A catalogue will be published to coincide with these exhibitions.