ARTISTS
Per Kirkeby is a Danish artist whose interest in geology and natural environments has exerted great influence over his paintings and brick sculptures. “A structure-less painting is, to me, a painting that does not matter. Structure mirrors your degree of responsibility toward the work”, he said of making art. “You can’t just let it float around in pretty colours. It needs a kind of core. But this is an inner structure”. Born on September 1, 1938 in Copenhagen, Denmark, Kirkeby studied geology at the University of Copenhagen, but continued to pursue his art practice, producing paintings, sculptures, film and prints. During the 1960s, Kirkeby’s performance art led him to collaborations with Conceptual artists, including Joseph Beuys, Nam June Paik, and Charlotte Moorman. From 1978-88 he held a chair for painting at Kunstakademie Karlsruhe, from 1979-2000 at Städelschule Frankfurt/Main.
Kirkeby lived and worked between Copenhagen, Læsø, and Arnasco. The artist’s works are held in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Tate Gallery in London, and the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk, Denkmark, among others.
He died on May 9th 2018 at the age of 79.
Exhibitions (Selection)
2022
“Per Kirkeby”, Charlottenborg Foundation, Denmark
2019
“Per Kirkeby. Bau und Bild”, Stiftung Insel Hombroich, Germany
2018
2017
2016
2015
2013
2012
2009—2010
Museum Kunst Palast, Düsseldorf
2008—2009
Louisiana Museum, Humblebaek
2003
Herbert-Boeckl-Prize for his life work Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humblebaek. Museum Ludwig, Cologne
1999
Tate Gallery, London; Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich
1996
Coutts Contemporary Art Foundation. Henrik Steffens Award by the Alfred Toepfer Foundation, Hamburg
1995
Haus der Kunst, Munich. Musée des Beaux Arts, Nantes
1990
Moderna Museet, Stockholm. Nord LB Art Prize
1987
Thorvalsden Medal. Ludwig Museum, Cologne
1982
DAAD scholarship for Berlin. Stedelijk van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven
1980
Danish Pavilion at Venice Biennale. Participation in A new Spirit in Painting,
1978—1989
Professorship at the Cologne Academy of Arts
1979
Kunsthalle Bern Museum
1977
Folkwang, Essen
Literature (Selection)
Per Kirkeby—Paintings 1957-77. Catalogue Raisonné, ed. by Ane Hejlskov Larson, Cologne, 2003
Per Kirkeby—Catalogue Raisonné of Etchings, ed. by Troels Andersen, Bern Berlin, 2002
Per Kirkeby—Louisiana 2008, ed. by Michael Juul Holm, Louisiana, 2008
Per Kirkeby—Die Welt ist Material, ed. by Museum Kunst Palast, Düsseldorf, 2010