Rudolf Stingel

Rudolf Stingel

Born in 1956 in Merano, Italy, and based in New York since 1987, Rudolf Stingel is one of the most internationally-celebrated painters of his generation. From the onset, his way of working has been hallmarked by a substantive exploration of the medium of painting, and of the principles and forms of representation that constitute it.

He has exhibited internationally, with solo shows including those at Palazzo Grassi, Venice (2013); Secession, Vienna (2012); and LIVE at the Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin (2010); and a major retrospective at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago and the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York (2007). Other major solo shows include those at the Museum für Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt (2004) and the Museo d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Trento, Italy (2001).

His work was included in the 2003, 1999 and 1993 Venice Biennales.

Artist's book - What can painting be today

Starting with his exploration of classic visual themes, Rudolf Stingel has developed a wealth of motifs. Besides various series of abstract and photo-realist paintings, he makes large-format works out of Styrofoam, paintings cast in metal, and spaces covered in carpeting or acoustic tiles that viewers can touch or walk through. In his first European museum exhibition, the Fondation Beyeler is presenting Stingel’s most important series of works from all phases of his career. The companion catalogue has been conceived as an artist’s book and unfolds the visual variety and diversity of Stingel’s art. Contrasting photographs of individual works and views of exhibitions point out new associations, allowing a completely refreshing perspective of his oeuvre.