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Nic Hess
"Frightened Girl", Collage, Roy Liechtenstein, Pop Art, Cubism, Contemporary

2018

About the Item

Nic Hess (*1968 in Zurich, where he also lives and works) studied at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam and at the University of the Arts, Berlin. He got mainly known for his expansive installations and wall collages made of tapes and foils. With these, he deconstructed signs (logos) and symbols from the worlds of business and art history. Now, however, he resorts to his own sign-system, signs that stem from his biography or his personal environment. In particular, for his collages, that he was doing in the last years, he was using hundreds of art and architecture books that he had found in his late father’s library. Like many people in a similar situation, Hess asked himself what he was to do with the books. And he decided to make productive use of them and for his own work. By transforming the books of the library into his own art he created a sort of memorial to his father. Because with the reproductions of some of the illustrated books he made collages, playful new compositions based on the works of artists like – amongst others – Edward Hopper or Roy Liechtenstein. For his own "Frightened Girl" Hess made use of girls of Roy Liechtenstein-paintings. He cut and re-connected them, creating a kind of cubist version of the original. The result, that even made use of the caption in a Liechtenstein-monograph, was carefully put in a frame chosen by the artist. Hess looks back to a long career and to a very large number of institutional solo-shows of which here just a few are mentioned: Zulieferer unter Druck, Städtische Galerie, Wolfsburg (2016); Der Stoff aus dem die Träume waren, Kunsthalle Münster, Münster (2015); Ein Titel muss her!, Kunststation Wolfsburg, Wolfsburg (2013); The Birds (for Lilou), Swiss Institute, New York (2012); Silberpfeil, Mercedes Benz Museum, Stuttgart (2011); Automatic Crash Response, Armand Hammer Museum, Los Angeles (2009); Escape, Schloß Ringenberg, Hamminkeln (2009); Sculptures, The Project, New York (2008); Food4Less, Museo de Zapopan, Zapopan (2007); Walls/Muri (with Federico Herrero), Fondazione Bevilacqua, Venice (2006); Rice-Fields and Bushes, Casa del Lago, Mexico City (2006); Icons will survive / Wände haben Ohren, Media Center of the Swiss Govern¬ment, Bern (2006); Guten Morgen Deutschland, Haus der Kunst, Munich (2004); Logo (with Francis Baudevin and Mathieu Mercier), Swiss Institute, New York (2004); Berlin – New York (with Emmanuelle Antille), Kunsthaus Baselland, Muttenz (2003); To the MANOR born, Kunstmuseum Winterthur, Winterthur (2002); Ola de Cola, OPA (Officina de Proyectos de Arte), Guadelajara (2002); Dolly II, Kunstwerke, Berlin (2000); Swinging Swindle, Queens Museum of Art, New York (2000); Together Now, The Drawing Center, New York (2000); Transit 21 – Projekt Durchbruch (Kompromiss nach Eiland) (with Kerim Seiler), Kunsthalle St. Gallen, St. Gallen (1999). His works (and installations) have been acquired by numerous institutional and important private collections: Amt für Arbeit und Wirtschaft des Kantons Zürich, Zurich; Bank Julius Bär Collection, Zurich; Bundeskunstsammlung der schweizerischen Eidgenossenschaft, Bern; Bundesmedienhaus, Bern; Collection Deutsche Bank, Frankfurt; Credit Suisse Collection; Daimler Art Collection, Berlin / Stuttgart; Dow Chemical, Zurich; Ernst & Young, Zurich; Fundación Colección JUMEX, Mexico City; Hammer Museum, Los Angeles; Kantonalbank Zürich, Zurich; Kunsthaus Zürich, Zurich; Kunstmuseum St. Gallen, St. Gallen; Kunstmuseum Stuttgart, Stuttgart; Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst, Zurich; Montblanc Kulturstiftung, Hamburg; Museo de Zapopan, Guadalajara; Swiss National Bank Art Collection, Zurich; Swiss RE, Zurich; Walker Art Center, Minneapolis.
  • Creator:
    Nic Hess (1968)
  • Creation Year:
    2018
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 12.8 in (32.5 cm)Width: 12.8 in (32.5 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Cologne, DE
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU134425686361
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    Nic Hess (*1968 in Zurich, where he also lives and works) studied at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam and at the University of the Arts, Berlin. He got mainly known for his expansive installations and wall collages made of tapes and foils. With these, he deconstructed signs (logos) and symbols from the worlds of business and art history. Now, however, he resorts to his own sign-system, signs that stem from his biography or his personal environment. In particular, for his collages, that he was doing in the last years, he was using hundreds of art and architecture books that he had found in his late father’s library. Like many people in a similar situation, Hess asked himself what he was to do with the books. And he decided to make productive use of them and for his own work. By transforming the books of the library into his own art he created a sort of memorial to his father. Because with the reproductions of some of the illustrated books he made collages, playful new compositions based on the works of mainly three artists: the Swiss Max Bill, the American Edward Hopper and the Belgian René Magritte – all being his father's heroes. "Uhu Schuhu" has been collaged with reproductions stemming from illustrations of paintings by René Magritte. It is a neo-surrealist work that Hess – with a tongue in cheek – loaded with humor. Hess looks back to a long career and to a very large number of institutional solo-shows of which here just a few are mentioned: Zulieferer unter Druck, Städtische Galerie, Wolfsburg (2016); Der Stoff aus dem die Träume waren, Kunsthalle Münster, Münster (2015); Ein Titel muss her!, Kunststation Wolfsburg, Wolfsburg (2013); The Birds (for Lilou), Swiss Institute, New York (2012); Silberpfeil, Mercedes Benz Museum, Stuttgart (2011); Automatic Crash Response, Armand Hammer Museum, Los Angeles (2009); Escape, Schloß Ringenberg, Hamminkeln (2009); Sculptures, The Project, New York (2008); Food4Less, Museo de Zapopan, Zapopan (2007); Walls/Muri (with Federico Herrero...
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