Otto Piene

(Bad Laasphe 1928 - 2014 Berlin)
1928 Born Otto Ludwig Wilhelm Hermann Leonhard Piene in Laasphe, Westphalia, on 18 April.
1947 Abitur
1949/50 Studied painting and art education at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich
1950 – 1953 Studied painting and art education at the Düsseldorf Art Academy
1951 – 1964 Lecturer at the fashion school in Düsseldorf
1953 – 1957 Studied philosophy at the University of Cologne, graduated with a state examination.
1957 On 11 April, together with Heinz Mack, he founds the artist group ZERO in Düsseldorf, which later becomes internationally influential.
1964 Visiting Professor at the University of Pennsylvania
1968 – 1971 Fellow of the Center for Advanced Visual Studies (CAVS) founded by Gyorgy Kepes in 1967.
1972 Professor of Visual Design for Environmental Art at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1974 Director of the CAVS, which he headed until 1994
2008 Establishment of the ZERO Foundation together with Heinz Mack, Günther Uecker and the Foundation Museum Kunstpalast
2014 died in Berlin on 17 July

Preise und Stipendien (Auswahl)

2016 "Benennung eines Asteroiden nach ihm: 359103 Ottopiene"
2015 "Light and Air", LWL-Museum für Kunst und Kultur, Münster, Germany
2013 "Max-Beckmann-Preis der Stadt Frankfurt am Main"
2008 "Preiträger für bildende Kunst der Stadt Dortmund"
2008 "Großer Kulturpreis der Sparkassen-Kulturstiftung Rheinland"
2003 ""Leonardo da Vinci World Awaed of Arts" des Weltkulturrats", Mexiko-Stadt
1996 ""Sculpture Prize" der American Academy of Arts and Letters, New York"
1996 "Retrospektive1952-1996", Kunstmuseum Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
1994 "Ehrendoktorwürde als Doctor of Fine Arts h.c. der University of Maryland"
1989 "Verdienstkreuz 1. Klasse der Bundesreplublik Deutschland"
1987 "Verdienstorden des Landes Noerdrhein-Westfalen"
1968 "Konrad-von-Soest-Preis des Landschaftsverbandes Westfalen-Lippe"
"Erster Deutscher Lichtkunstpreis, Kunstmuseum Celle"

Ausstellungen (Auswahl)

2024 "Wege zum Paradies", Museum Tinguely, Basel, Switzerland
2019 "Aichimist und Himmelsstürmer", Arp Museum, Bahnhof Rolandseck, Rolandsesck, Germany
2019 "Werke aus dedr Sammlung Kemp"
2014 "More Sky", Neue Nationalgalerie; Deutsche Bank Kunsthalle, Berlin, Germany
2014 "Light and Air", Langen Foundation, Neuss, Germany
2010 "La Rouge et le Noir - Keramiken", Leopold-Hoesch-Museum, Düren, Germany
2009 "Es werde Licht", Kunstverein Langenfeld, Langenfeld, Germany
2008 "Otto Piene", Museum am Ostwall, Dortmund, Germany
2008 "Otto Piene - Verwandlung", Kunstmuseum Celle, Celle, Germany
2001 "Lichtjahre 1957-"001", Kunstmuseum Celle, Celle, Germany
1974 "Otto Piene", Kunstverein Ingolstadt, Ingolstadt, Germany
1968 "Otto Piene", Westfälisches Landesmuseum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte, Münster, Germany
0 "Otto Piene - Die Sonne kommt näher", Museum Haus Kontruktiv, Zürich, Switzerland

The predominant idea when the "ZERO" group was founded was a complete new beginning in painting, starting from the level of "zero" and the inclusion of light (and shadow) and - for Piene - fire in the artistic creation. Mack and Piene disseminated their views in the magazine "ZERO" until 1961. The traumatic times without light during the Second World War led him to make light his medium. The ZERO artist was very keen to create anti-museum and democratic art.
In 1959, Piene created ballets of light and smoke paintings with reference to elemental natural energies. The traces of fire and smoke are important elements of these works. He also experimented with multimedia combinations (1960). Piene is best known for his light ballet and other light-kinetic works. He also created air and light sculptures based on his intensive exploration of light and movement.
The multiple Documenta participant cites the sky as his role model and inspiration, as it is constantly changing. Otto Piene lets the light paint in his light ballet, in his fire gouaches the flames become his brush and in his sky projects the sky becomes his canvas. His art is characterised by a combination of art, nature, science and technology.
One of Otto Piene's well-known work cycles is entitled "Blue Planet / Blauer Planet". Piene is thus campaigning for the preservation of our Blue Planet by demanding: "Keep the Blue Planet green! / The Blue Planet should stay green!" Until 2009, Otto Piene created the trophy for the International Blue Planet Award of the ethecon Foundation (Ethics and Economics) as a unique piece every year on the basis of this motto.