Franz Gertsch. Retrospektive

For the occasion of Franz Gertsch’s 75th birthday, the museum franz gertsch is compiling a truly comprehensive retrospective of his works in cooperation with the Museum of Fine Arts Berne. The exhibition will be shown from November 13, 2005, to March 12, 2006 in both museums.

With almost 40 large-format paintings, the exhibition has collected nearly all Gertsch’s main works together for the first time ever. In addition to this, thirteen monumental woodcuts will be on show, as well as several gouaches and watercolours, making up a representative selection of works by the artist in his other favourite media.

In part one of the exhibition, the museum franz gertsch will be presenting works from Franz Gertsch created in the period from 1969 to 1976, among them main works such as "Huaa…!" (1969), "Medici" (1971-72), "Maria with Children" (1971), "Gaby and Luciano" (1973), "At Luciano’s House" (1973), "Barbara and Gaby" (1974) and "Marina Making Up Luciano" (1973). A highlight in the museum franz gertsch – in addition to several works which have very rarely been exhibited in public – is a room with large-format pictures from 1971, which brought international public recognition to Gertsch: "Medici", "Aelggi Alp" and "Maria with Children", each measuring 4 x 6 metres.

The Museum of Fine Arts Berne will be presenting part two of the exhibition which is comprised of works made after 1977, among them "Patti Smith" I, II and V (1978-79), "Self-portrait" (1980), "Irène" (1980), "Verena" (1982), "Johanna I" (1983-84), the Silvia portraits as well as "Gräser I" (1995-96) and "Gräser IV" (1998-99).

A special attraction of the exhibition will be the latest masterpiece "Silvia III", which has just been completed after almost two years of work. It will be shown to the public for the very first time in the Museum of Fine Arts Berne and presented in context with the two earlier Silvia portraits.

Afterwards, the exhibition will travel to the Ludwig Forum for International Art in Aachen (D), Kunsthalle Tübingen (D) and the MuMoK, Vienna (A).

To the exhibition a large catalogue in german/english is published with a fully updated catalogue raisonée of the paintings by Franz Gertsch.

Franz Gertsch
Retrospektive
Kurator: Reinhard Spieler

Stationen:
13.11.05 - 12.03.06 Museum Franz Gertsch, Burgdorf
13.11.05 - 12.03.06 Kunstmuseum Bern
08.04.06 - 25.06.06 Ludwig Forum, Aachen
14.07.06 - 01.10.06 Kunsthalle Tübingen