Artists

Imi Knoebel was born in 1940 in Dessau, Germany. Lives and works in Dusseldorf. Between 1964 and 1971 he studied at the Kunstakademie in Düsseldorf, in the laboratory of Joseph Beuys with Jörg Immendorff and Blinky Palermo.

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Knoebel's abstract art has as its objective the discovery of the basic principles of art (in particular of painting and sculpture) through a research on form, color and material. The artist captures these foundations in the link between man and the essential condition of the world. Educationally influenced by early modernism and a follower of non-representational art, he draws inspiration from great masters such as Kazimir Malevich and Piet Mondrian. His style has been defined as “knife cuts”, as he gives life to abstract, geometric-puristic and expressive shapes, using brushstrokes of color and contrasting panels. Color for Knoebel is physical, radiant, solid and elusive; he prefers red, yellow and blue. The colors are scrupulously arranged to create harmony and three-dimensionality, the latter characteristic also deriving from the stratification of the material supports used. In fact, the works can be considered almost real sculptures or installations.

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His works are held in major public collections including the Musée National d'Art Moderne, Paris; Dia:Beacon and Dia Art Foundation, New York; Bonnefanten Museum, Maastricht; MMK, Frankfurt; Museu Coleção Berardo, Lisbon; The Broad, Los Angeles; MoMa, New York; MOCA, Los Angeles; Reina Sofia Museum, Madrid; Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin; Norton Museum, West Palm Beach; and Sammlung Goetz, Munich.

Among the main exhibitions: Dia Beacon, New York (2021 and 2008); Museum Haus Konstrucktiv, Zurich, Switzerland (2018); Skulpturenpark Waldfrieden, Wuppertal, Germany (2017); Musée Fernand Léger, Biot, France (2016); Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, Germany (2014); In 2011, Knoebel created six stained glass windows for Reims Cathedral in France as well as exhibiting at the Museum der bildenden Künste, Leipzig, Germany (2011); Deutsche Guggenheim, Berlin, Germany (2009); Hamburger Kunsthalle, Germany (2004); Kestner Gesellschaft, Hanover, Germany (2002); Institut Valencia d'Art Modern, Valencia, Spain (1997); Kunstmuseum Lucerne, Switzerland (1997); Haus der Kunst, Munich, Germany (1996); Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (1996 and 1972); Deichtorhallen, Hamburg, Germany (1992) Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden, Germany (1986); Imi Knoebel, Kunstmuseum Bonn, Germany (1983); Dia Art Foundation, Cologne, Germany (1981 and 1983); Städtische Kunsthalle Düsseldorf, Germany (1975);

Imi Knoebel has also participated in international exhibitions such as Documenta, Kassel (1972, 1977, 1982, 1987) and the 18th Bienal de Sao Paulo, Brazil.