MICHEL MAJERUS

Early Works (solo show)
KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin
22 October 2022 – 15 January 2023

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KW Institute for Contemporary Art is pleased to take part in a major tribute to artist Michel Majerus (b. 1967­ – dec. 2002, LUX) with a multifaceted program all over the city of Berlin as well as Germany that demonstrate the late artist’s influence on his peers as well as the following generations.
 
Twenty years after his sudden death, the tribute will commemorate Majerus by showing both his reflections on painting as a medium as well as his groundbreaking vision. One of a world in which popular culture, advertisement, and the virtual realms of TV, videogames and computers have infiltrated the very essence of everyday life, a process that is only intensified by the developments in the digital realm. Referencing the work of distinguished artists of previous generations, their reflections and strategies, Majerus was continuously shifting back and forth between historical, mundane, and contemporary imagery. By sampling fragments, creating series, embodying speed, and referring to the challenging statements made by his predecessors, Majerus’ practice is characterized by continuous and unmitigated observations of surface and space—both physical and virtual—which he used to reflect on the meaning and power of visual culture at large.
 
The exhibition at KW Institute for Contemporary Art will present the earlier paintings of Michel Majerus produced between 1988–1995, an attempt to uncover the very first stratums of his artistic force. Simultaneously, Neuer Berliner Kunstverein, neugerriemschneider, Michel Majerus Estate, and Kunstverein Hamburg will present exhibitions by the artist. Several renowned art institutions across Germany will also present Majerus works from their collections, including Kunsthalle Bielefeld, Kunsthalle Mannheim, Kunstmuseum Bonn, Kunstmuseum Stuttgart, Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, Neues Museum Nürnberg, Museum Ludwig, Saarlandmuseum – Moderne Galerie and Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus and Kunstbau. The many collaborations with institutions across Germany will strengthen the visibility of Majerus’ artistic influence and demonstrate the rootedness of his practice in the country’s art discourse.

KW Institute for Contemporary Art