改变 I Wechsel I (Change I), 1982, Dispersion on canvas
110 1/4 x 110 1/4 inches, 280 x 280 cm, RP 356,
All works by A.R. Penck, © 2017 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn. Courtesy Michael Werner Gallery, New York and London.
A.R. Penck: Will Sign Become Reality?
Fosun Foundation, Shanghai
Exhibition: 9 November 2017 – 7 January 2018
Fosun Foundation, Shanghai, is pleased to present Will Sign Become Reality?, an important survey of work by the artist A.R. Penck. This is the first large-scale exhibition in the world after A.R. Penck passed away in May this year, and the artist’s first major exhibition in Asia. The exhibition is supported by Michael Werner Gallery, New York, London and Märkisch Wilmersdorf.
A.R. Penck (1939-2017), born Ralf Winkler in Dresden, Germany, is one of the greatest contemporary artists of the twentieth century. A.R. Penck was committed to creating a new language for society through his painting and sculpture. By utilizing a unique vocabulary of signs and symbols, he sought to express the psychological structure of mankind. His work is a unique and nuanced language: what may seem simple and composed of primitive pictographs has a strong sensitivity and depth of thought. An avid reader, A.R. Penck studied cybernetics to explore how people transmit and understand information and ideas. Throughout his career, his prolific output appears to follow an underlying system, as if metaphorically and silently pointing into the future.
人的运动 II Mann Bewegung II (Man Movement II), 1998, Oil on canvas
63 x 78 3/4 inches, 160 x 200 cm
All works by A.R. Penck, © 2017 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn. Courtesy Michael Werner Gallery, New York and London.
The question “Will Sign Become Reality?” is the theme of this exhibition. His novel concepts and images offer a new way of understanding that makes his work so relevant today. He said, “Everything is paradox and schizophrenic, flat and magnificent, extremely reactionary and very progressive, decadent and fascistic. And so am I! And so are you!” In addition to the visual arts, A.R. Penck was a writer and a jazz drummer with several publications to his name.
A.R. Penck’s symbolic systems are closely related to the common historical context of human existence. At the age of six, A.R. Penck witnessed the bombing of his hometown Dresden. These wartime experiences, followed by a turbulent post World War II period, are some of the driving forces behind Penck’s creations.
西德的经济 Westdeutsche Wirtschaft (West-German Economy), 1990
青铜雕塑、一版三件 Patinated bronze, from an edition of 3, 87 x 86 x 52 cm
All works by A.R. Penck, © 2017 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn. Courtesy Michael Werner Gallery, New York and London.
Since the early 1980s his exceptional work brought him international success, and his oeuvre has been exhibited several times at the famous documenta in Kassel, the Venice Biennale and many other major institutions worldwide.
A.R. Penck: Will Sign Become Reality? reviews the artist’s development over several decades, exploring his artistic diversity. On display are works from his early isolated pictorial and formal explorations, to his research and development of symbolic systems, to his later, critical investigations of social topics. Featuring a large selection of oil paintings, bronze sculptures, Standart-Modells, studies and works on paper, the exhibition will give Chinese audiences a chance to appreciate his mastery.
差异的定义 Definition eines Unterschiedes (Definition of a Difference), 1970 – 1971 硬纸板、瓶子、手稿、骰子，油漆Cardboard, bottles, manuscript, dice, paint 33 x 78 x 51.5 cm
All works by A.R. Penck, © 2017 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn. Courtesy Michael Werner Gallery, New York and London.
This exhibition commemorates the toughness and courage of A.R. Penck. His life was adrift: from the beginning, his unusual pursuit of art was suppressed by the East-German environment. But he was still able to build a profound world in his artwork. This was his way of resistance. He insisted that “art is not a pleasant thing, but a kind of intellectual training.” He fully understood and expressed the torn society of the time, and had always maintained his position and soberness on the social edge.
This exhibition is an invitation to all. It invites visitors to return to the history of art, to understand the artist’s responsibility and courage, and to return to the history of the human spirit. In the cave of civilization, Will Sign Become Reality?
在叠加时分离 III Trennung im Verdoppeln III (Separation in Doubling III), 1982 布面混合色彩Dispersion on canvas 130 x 280 cm
All works by A.R. Penck, © 2017 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn. Courtesy Michael Werner Gallery, New York and London.
A.R. 彭克在其工作室 A.R. Penck in his studio，ca. 1984
All works by A.R. Penck, © 2017 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn. Courtesy Michael Werner Gallery, New York and London.
Let us commemorate A.R. Penck, who painted allegories under the boundless sky.
This exhibition is hosted by the Fosun Foundation, Shanghai with Dr. Shen Qi Lan serving as curator. The exhibition will be accompanied by a full-color catalogue featuring essays by Dr. Pamela Kort, Dr. Shen Qi Lan, and a text by A.R. Penck.
