HEINRICH NICOLAUS
Biography
Heinrich Nicolaus was born in Munich in 1955 and attended the Academy of Fine arts at Kiel during the nineteen-seventies - a decade of intense critical analysis of the state of contemporary art. Though he became involved in the Neo-Expressionist movement, his cultural references point rather to strong Neo-Dadaist roots. Since he left Germany for Italy in 1981, his works have brought to bear a range of different but complimentary disciplines: over and above painting he uses sculpture, publishing, graphics and video so as to create those dynamic and mutating developments that have defined his artistic route. Nicolaus works at a multitude of levels, in a refined and thoughtful artistic quest that allows the viewer to immerse himself in what amounts to an eclectic and independent vision. Nicolaus started to practice a systematic research as a method of art production in the early 1990.
In 1992 he oversaw Tinaia 9, a publishing project on Marcel Broodthaers and the production of a book entitled Madras, with Francesco Clemente.
The artist became a curator in 1996, when he coordinated ICECOCU, a project for an international cultural foundation for the SsangYong Corporation in Seoul, South Korea. Between 1998 and 2000 he was a partner in the Agency for Art and Business, Frankfort. Since 1999 he has been involved in the Dormice Department of Research project.
In 2005 he took up his own work again with the cycle of works entitled Clante, in collaboration with the art historian Wolf Guenter Thiel, and also founded MOMAP (Museum of Modern Art Panzano).
Since 2007 he is developing ToM as a collaborative work of art based on the “Teatro della Memoria” by Giulio Camillo.
In 2010 he moves from Italy to Belgium, and becomes partner of VAMP, an art and Interior design based firm with the Dutch Interior Designer Karin Draaijer.
Since 2011 he carries on a research based project about the secondary art market, called ToM Act IV, SAM.
2017 with Karin Draaijer initiates Institute 54.
He has been a member of the Accademia degli Incolti in Rome since 1994.
Nicolaus' work can be found in the following collections:
The Uffici, Florence,
The Albertina, Vienna;
Museum moderner Kunst, Linz,
The Deutsche Bank Collection Fankfurt and Singapore,
The Chase Manhattan Collection, New York;
The Leopold Hoesch Museum, Dueren;
Stadtmuseum Ratingen,
The Wuerth Museum, Kuenzelsau;
The City of Munich Collection,
MOMA Buenos Aires,
Löwensstein collection Buenos Aires/Miami
MOMA Bogota,
Hundertwasser collection, New Zealand,
Mercedes Benz New York,
MOMA Palma de Mallorca,
Tengelmann Collection Cologne,
Fendi collection Italy,
Amsler collection Bieberstein,
The City of Kiel Collection;
The FRAC Collection Burgundy and Strasbourg;
The Toulouse Museum;
Palazzo Forti,
Verona (with Dormice);
The Scottsdale Center for Contemporary Art, Arizona;
The University of Graz;
The Kunstkolletion Bouw Fonds, Hoevelaken;
The Griesbach Collection, Graz;
The Frieder Burda Collection, Baden Baden;
The Amsler Collection Aarau, Suisse,
Greve in Chianti (open-air sculpture) and
Civitella d’Agliano (open-air sculpture)
Stephane Janssen Collection, Los Angeles
He has been the subject of published work by: Sandro Candreva, Fabio Cavallucci, Viana Conti, Andrea B. del Guercio, Maria Luisa Frisa, Siegfried Gnichwitz, Wolfgang Hilger, Wolfgang Längsfeld, Karl Heinz Schmidt, Friedhelm Mennekes Norbert Messler Giandomenico Semeraro Martin Stather, Wolf- Günter Thiel, Elda Torres, Thomas Veit, Frank Günter
Zehnder, Alessandra Galletta, Gabrielle Perretta, Maurizio Sciaccaluga, Luca Marziani, Luca Beatrice, Victor Fleming
Solo exhibitions
1980 Galerie Hinterhaus, Kiel
1981 Galerie Marley, Kiel, Galerie Christoph Dürr, München; Schönstrasse Unendlich, Hamburg
1982 Galerie Quadriga Forum, Zürich; Galerie Imanuel, Rodenbach
1983 Galerie 7,Freiburg
1984 Galerie Ferdinand Maiere, Kitzbuehel, Galerie Schiessl Monaco, Galerei Karin Bolz, Muehlheim
1985 Galerie Stahlberger, Weil am Rhein; Galeria Peccolo, Livorno, Galerei Severina Teucher, Zurigo, Getler Saper Gallery, New York; Galerie Hilger, Wien
1986 Creative Arts Council, Sharon, Connecticut; Museum Gelsenkirchen; Galerie Kremer Tengelmann, Gelsenkirchen, Galerie Schiessl, Monaco, Galerie am kleinen Markt, Mannheim
1987 Galerie Kremer-Tangelmann, Köln; Galerie Hilger, Vienna, Galerie Hilger, Francoforte, Galerie Stahlberger, Weil am Rhein
1988 Galeria Quatro Gats, Palma de Mallorca; Galerie Lamaignière Saint Germaine, Paris; Galerie am Rindermarkt, Zurigo
1989 Art actuelle, Liège; Galerie Marsilio Margiacchi, Arezzo; Galerie G., Besancon, Galerie Clairefontaine, Lussenburgo, Galerie Hilger, Francoforte, Galerie Lamaignère St. Germani, Paris, Galerie am kleinen Markt, Mannheim
1990 Galerie Kunststation Sankt Peter, Köln; Galerie Hilger,Vienna; Galleria Carini, Firenze; Galerie Brigitte Wagner, Bonn Kunstverein Rotenburg, Galerie Brinkmann, Amsterdam, Galerie Susanne Zander, Köln
1991 Galerie Die Brücke, Buenos Aires; Galerie Brinkmann, Amsterdam; Galerie Freund, Klagenfurt, Juul van der Heuvel, den Haag, Galerie Hilger, Vienna
1992 Galerie Brigitte Wagner, Bonn; Galerie Hilger, Wien ,Galerie LamaignèreSt. Germain, Paris, Galerie Brinkmann, Amsterdam
1993 Kunstverein Mannheim; Galerie Hilger, Francoforte
1994 Galerie Art Actuel; Liège; Venice Design Art Gallery, Venezia
1995 Galleria Solarte, Roma; Patrizia Pietrogrande, Firenze, Galerie Hilger, Vienna, Porto Turistico, Capri
1996 Galerie Paleo, Köln; Venice Design Art Gallery, Venezia
i Granai, Lucca, Fondazione ICECOCU, Seoul, Corea
1997 Associated American Artists, New York; Artcore Gallery, Toronto; Convento dei Passionisti, Monte Argentario, Andrew Han Gallery, Montreal, Galerie Bornemann, Lubecka
1998 Venice Design Art Gallery, Venezia, Galerie Madach 5, Budapest; Museum Kuenzelsau, Glaskasten Studtgart
1999 Venice Design Art Gallery, Venezia; Galerie Glacis, Graz
2004 Venice Design Art Gallery, Venezia
2005 Venice Design Art Gallery, Venezia
2006 Galerie Hilger, Vienna (with Dormice and Sawan Yawnghwe)
2007 Venice Design Art Gallery, Venezia,
Galerie Zeitkunst, Kitzbuehel
2009 ToM, Détournement Venice 09, collateral event 53 Biennale of Venice, German Italian Institut Palazzo Albrizzi
ToM, White Box, New York
2013 Centro Caprense So what? Still good! Capri
Capricorno Gallery, Capri
2014 De coöperatieve stad, Canvas, Wood, Paint, Hasselt
2014 De Unie Hasselt-Genk, Gelatinefabriek, TOM act III Start, Hasselt
2018 Brotkunsthalle Hilger, Vienna
2022 We Love You, Heinrich Nicolaus works 2010-2022 selected by I N S T I T U T E 54, MOEBART Elke Pateet, Diest, Belgium
Group exibitions
1980 Galerie Marley, Kiel;Museum am Dom, Lübeck
1982 Galerie Lang, Wien
1983 Imago, Nuernberg; Evangelische Akademie, Hamburg
1984 Getler Saper Gallery, New York
1985 Leopold Hoesch Museum, Dueren; Deutsche Bank, Heidelberg
1986 Kunstlerhaus Salzburg; Galerie Hilger, Wien; Accademia estiva Europa, Civitella d’Agliano; Collezione Amsler, Aarau; Staedtische Galerie im Trudelhaus, Baden
1987 Palazzo Lanfranchi, Pisa; Galleria Bonifacio, Genova; Kuenstlerwerkstaetten Lothringerstr., Monaco; Campo dei Segni, Civitella
1988 Convento Servito di Maria, Pesaro; Convento del Bosco, Firenze; Halle IV, Benconvento
1989 Galerie Susanne Zander; Galerie Lamaignère St.Germain, Paris; Galleria Civica, Reggio Emilia
1990 Galerie Brigitte Wagner, Bonn; Grafiktriennale, Frechen; Artlantis, Stuttgart
Galerie d’Art actuel, Liegi
1991 Scottsdale Center for Art, Arizona; RAI special show, Amsterdam
1992 Leonhardskirche und Hospitalhof, Stuttgart; Galerie Anton Meier, Genf; Kunstverein Horn
1993 Stadtmuseum, Saarbrucken; AMC Amsterdam
1994 Stadtmuseum, Wurzburg; Galerie Clairefontaine, Luxemburg; Holtegaard Foundation, Holte, Danimarca; Galerie der Bruecke, Buenos Aires
1995 Fundacion Cultural COAM, Madrid; Fundaçao Bienal de Sao Paulo
Galerie Marie Puck Broodthaers, Bruxelles
1996 Galerie Dominion, Montreal; The Landon Gallery, New York; Georgetown University Gallery, Washington; Museum of Modern Art, Medelin, Colombia; Joseph D.Carrier Art Gallery, Toronto
1997 Artcore Gallery,Toronto; American Associated Artists, New York; Vancouver Contemporary Artworks, Vancouver; Hospitalhof Stuttgart
1998 Museo degli Uffizi, Firenze; Galerie Stahlberger, Weil am Rheim
1999 Espace Paul Ricard, Paris; An unequals Eye, New York
2000 Palazzo delle Papesse, Siena, (con Dormice)
2001 Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna, Roma (con Dormice)
Foundation Pino Pascali, (with Dormice)
Museo d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Verona (con Dormice)
2002 Fondazione Sandretto Re Baudengo, Torino (con Dormice)
2003 Galleria Fernando La Torre, Saragozza
2004 MESEDU, Museum for cont. Art, Sassari (with Dormice)
MACI, Museum for cont. art, Isernia
Biennale in Transit, Castel St. Angelo, Rome (with Dormice)
2005 Center for Cont. Art, Cestello di Rivara, Turin (with Dormice)
Center for Cont. Art, Pesaro-Urbino (with Dormice)
2009 Biennale del libro d’artista, Roma
2010 TINA B, Biennale for multi media art and performance, Prague
Mediamorfosi, SudLab, Naples
2010 DX0.1 concept space, Milan
2011Stadtmuseum Ratingen, Schlaglichter II
2012 Kunstpalast Duesseldorf
2015 Kunstverein Jülich, Spiele, Jülich
2017 The Hilger Collection, Brotkunsthalle, Wien
2019 “Tutti i pani del Mondo” a cura di Andrea del Guercio, Fondazione Sassi, Matera
2020 Festival di Corciano, Medialismi 2.0' a cura di Gabriele Perretta
Bibliografy
Italienische Briefe, testo di Wolfgang Längsfeld, ed. Galerie Immanuel, 1982
Heinrich Nicolaus. Neue Arbeiten 1982-1984, testi di Maria Luisa Frisa e Norbert Messler, ed. Galerie Maier, Kitzbüel, 1984
Heinrich Nicolaus, testo di Maria Luisa Frisa, ed. Galerie Stahlberger e Galleria Peccolo, 1985
Nicolaus, Bilder fuer Skulpturen, die Morgenlandfahrt, testo di Andrea B. del Guercio, ed. Galerie Kremer 1986
Heinrich Nicolaus, testo di Wolfgang Hilger, ed. Galerie Hilger, Vienna 1986
Böcklin – Zyklus – Prolog, testo di Heinrich Nicolaus, Edition Muehlfeld & Hilger, Vienna/ Francoforte, 1987
Wie man Böcklin vergisst, testo di Viana Conti, ed. Galerie Hilger, Vienna/Francoforte, in collaborazione con Galerie Kremer-Tengelmann, Colonia, 1987
Heinrich Nicolaus, testo di Siegfried Gnichwitz, ed.Galerie Tengelmann, 1987
Heinrich Nicolaus. Monolog, ed. Galerie Hilger, Vienna/Francoforte, 1989
Re vera, testo di Sandro Candreva, ed. Carini, Firenze, 1990
Ich will das innere Feuer, testi di Heinrich Nicolaus, ed. Carini, Firenze, 1990
Ürberfahrt – Ankuft – Die Atlantikueberquerung, testo di Friedhelm Mennekes, ed. Galerie Hilger, Vienna/Francoforte, 1990
Heinrich Nicolaus, testo di Elda Torres, Ediciones Der Brücke, Buenos Aires, 1991
Tibet, testo di Viktor Fleming, ed. Galerie Hilger, Vienna, 1992
Heinrich Nicolaus, testo di Thomas Veit, ed. Galerie Brigitte Wagner, Bonn, 1992
Heinrich Nicolaus, testo di Martin Bochynek, Kunstmagazin ARTIST, Bremen, Heft 12, 2/92
Kopf und Figur, testi di Martin Stather e Thomas Veit, ed. Kunstverein Mannheim, 1993
Meisterwerke von Turner zur Gegenwart, ed. Galerie Brigitte Wagner, Bonn, 1994
Der Blick der Figuren und Köpfe, testo di Martin Stather, ed. Galerie HIlger, Vienna, 1995
Quando l’oro parla, ed. Galleria Fallani Best, Firenze, 1995
Lemniskatische Prozesse, ed. Galerie Stahlberger, Weil am Rhein, 1995
Dal progetto all’ opera, ed. Jospeh d. Carrier Art Gallery, Toronto e Gallery Dominion, Montreal, 1996
Nicolaus on Clemente, ed. Fondazione ICECOCU, Seoul, Corea, 1996
Artisti internazionali in Toscana, testo di Fabio Cavallucci, ed. Tuscia Electa, Hopefull Monster, Torino, 1996
Toxic Soup, ed. Vancouver Contemporary Artworks, Vancouver, 1997
Ovunque posa l’occhio c’è l’incanto, WEA, Milano, 1997
Das Zimmer der Malerei, testi di Ernst Hilger e Heinrich Nicolaus, ed. Museo Wuerth, Kuenzelsau, 1998
Diario 1992-1994, testo di Heinrich Nicolaus, Glaskasten Intermedia, Budapest/Leonberg, 1998
Sammlung Infled I, ed. Galerie Hilger, Vienna, 1998
Nicolaus. Dream House, testo di Wolf-Günter Thiel, ed. Venice Design Art Gallery, Venezia, 1999
Manuale n° 1 Lo stato del mondo, AAVV, ed. MOMAP, 2005
“Principesse in fuga” text by Lionello Puppi, ed. Venice Design, Venice, 2005
TOMagazine N.1, MOMAP Editions, 2009
Fair Magazine, Berlin/Vienna, TOM, Text Wolf Guenter Thiel, 2009
Teaching Experience:
1988 European University, Civitella d’Agliano, painting
1997 ContArt Vancouver, painting and the system
2004 Fine Art Academy, Dresden, seminar on collaboration
Performances
1980 Séance 1, Kiel Foyer
1981 Séance 2, “Selbstportrait” Schoenstrasse Unendlich, Dagmar von Gottberg, Hamburg