Artists

Painter, photographer, graphic artist and sculptor, Günther Förg was born in Füssen, Germany. After studying at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, between 1992 and 1999 he became a teacher at the Staatliche Hochschule für Gestaltung in Karlsruche and since 1999 he has been a professor at the Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Munich.

​

Förg's paintings and photographs aim to be the mirror of modernity and the ways in which it manifests itself. Monochromy is a central character in his works and can take on two connotations: on the one hand it seems to almost symbolize a tribute to the minimalist current, on the other it appears as a way of underlining the decay of modernist ideals and presuppositions. The style that characterizes it is influenced by American abstract painting and modern architecture. The latter, in particular, becomes a fundamental aspect in the artist's photography and paintings, who immediately confronts the formalism of the avant-garde movements of the 20th century. This can be seen from the paintings on lead, a metal whose qualities Förg highly appreciates, especially the surface and heaviness. In fact, he affirms how in some of his completely painted works you can only feel the lead at the edges; this is what gives the work a very heavy feel and the color a different density and weight.

​

Förg's work has been exhibited in major institutions such as the Beyeler Fountain, Basel (2009); Langen Foundation in Neuss (2007); Kunstmuseum Basel (2006); Gemeentemuseum The Hague (2006); Tel Aviv Museum of Art (2002); Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía/Palacio de Velazquez, Madrid (1998); Toyko Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo (1991); Newport Harbor Art Museum, Newport Beach (1989) and SFMoMa, San Francisco (1989).

​

The works are exhibited in world-famous museums such as the Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam); National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa); Museum für Monderne Kunst (Frankfurt); Ludwig Museum (Cologne); Tate Modern (London); Museum of Modern Art (NY); SFMoMa (San Francisco) and Hamburger Bahnhof-Museum für Gegenwart (Berlin).