Join

J Join

by  Rebecca Welkens

Correspondence in the ZERO foundation Archive from A to Z

Introduction

In March 1958, Heinz Mack (b. 1931) and Otto Piene (1928–2014) sent thirty-one letters to people from various walks of life, asking them to respond to the question “Does contemporary painting conspicuously shape the world?”[i] This action can be seen as a prelude to the journalistic activities of Mack and Piene, who were in the process of developing the concept for the magazine ZERO 1, and wished to use people’s answers to the question in place of a foreword. The two young artists were not afraid of big names and so, for example, they contacted the physicist Werner Heisenberg (1901–1976) and the philosopher Theodor W. Adorno (1903–1969). Heisenberg let it be known via his office that he was traveling and didn’t have time to answer the question, but Adorno replied with a long letter, although he didn’t want to be part of the project. He also requested that “this letter not be published in any shape or form or used publicly.”[ii]

[i] Dirk Pörschmann, “ZERO bis unendlich: Genese und Geschichte einer Künstlerzeitschrift,” in Dirk Pörschmann and Mattijs Visser, eds., ZERO 4321 (Düsseldorf, 2012), pp. 424–42, 427.

[ii] Theodor W. Adorno to Heinz Mack and Otto Piene, March 18, 1958, archive of the ZERO foundation, estate of Otto Piene, inv. no. mkp.ZERO.2.I.1162; Werner Heisenberg to Otto Piene, March 20, 1958, archive of the ZERO foundation, estate of Otto Piene, inv. no. mkp.ZERO.2.I.969.

Postcard from Günther Uecker to Heinz Mack, front, undated, archive of the ZERO foundation, estate of Heinz Mack, inv. no. mkp. ZERO.1.I.873_1
Postcard from Günther Uecker to Heinz Mack, back, undated, archive of the ZERO foundation, estate of Heinz Mack, inv. no. mkp. ZERO.1.I.873

Although very few of those contacted took part in the project—in the end the texts of only six people were published—Mack and Piene’s project, especially for the ZERO period, can be seen as the start of a constantly growing network, which is accessed primarily via a sizable body of correspondence. Well over 6,000 letters are held in the ZERO foundation archive today, which testify to the lively communication among the ZERO artists, and those who were to become ZERO artists. The correspondence paints an animated and above all international picture of the ZERO network. This is also clear from the languages in which the letters are written; there are many in German and English, but also letters in Croatian, Spanish, French, and Italian, to only name a few.

Postcard from Walter Leblanc, Heinz Mack, Nanda Vigo, and Getulio Alviani to Otto Piene, front, undated, archive of the ZERO foundation, estate of Otto Piene, inv. no. mkp.ZERO.2.I.1914
Postcard from Walter Leblanc, Heinz Mack, Nanda Vigo, and Getulio Alviani to Otto Piene, back, undated, archive of the ZERO foundation, estate of Otto Piene, inv. no. mkp.ZERO.2.I.1914

Today, many of the letters would probably be classed as business correspondence, as their contents are mainly concerned with joint exhibitions or the sale of artworks. However, on taking a closer look at the letters, it becomes clear that the dividing line between private and professional is not as clear-cut as one might initially assume. In many letters, telegrams, and postcards, personal matters are discussed alongside professional affairs, congratulations are conveyed, and best wishes for a happy vacation are sent, all of which bear witness to the close friendships that existed between individual protagonists. Testament to this is the large number of postcards in the archive. Günther Uecker (b. 1930), for example, sends Heinz Mack “best wishes” from France and says he has been fishing with Yves Klein (1928–1962).[i] Or the postcard from Heinz Mack, Walter Leblanc (1932–1986), Getulio Alviani (1939–2018), and Nanda Vigo (1936–2020), sent from Milan with best regards to Otto Piene in Düsseldorf, who was probably unable to attend the meeting in Italy.[ii]

[i] Günther Uecker to Heinz Mack, n.d., archive of the ZERO foundation, estate of Heinz Mack, inv. no. mkp.ZERO.1.I.873.

[ii] Walter Leblanc, Heinz Mack, Nanda Vigo, and Getulio Alviani to Otto Piene, n.d., archive of the ZERO foundation, estate of Otto Piene, inv. no. mkp.ZERO.2.I.1914.

However, it is not only the acquaintances and friendships that existed which can be traced through the correspondence. The letters also bear witness to the first contacts between artists—for example, one of Heinz Mack’s first letters to Lucio Fontana (1899–1968), dated July 1960, requests him to write an article for theZERO 3 magazine.[i] Newly established contacts were also strengthened through written exchanges, as can be seen from a letter by Hans Haacke (b. 1936) to Otto Piene in November 1960. Haacke writes that he has pleasant memories of his visit to Düsseldorf, and tells Piene about his new acquaintances in Paris, Bernard Aubertin (1934–2015) and Yves Klein. But that’s not all—Haacke also tells us that “the ‘Mack et Piene’ firm … is known here as an operation where new things are tried out in which one should perhaps take an interest,” thus painting a vivid picture of the far reach of ZERO’s influence in France.[ii] In addition to first contacts and the expansion of the circle of acquaintances, the correspondence also provides information about when relationships and collaborations came to an end. For example, in April 1963, Almir Mavignier (1925–2018) wrote that he wanted no more contact with ZERO for the time being, and did not wish to participate in any more events of the ZERO circle.[iii]

[i] Heinz Mack to Lucio Fontana (draft), July 2, 1960, archive of the ZERO foundation, estate of Heinz Mack, inv. no. mkp.ZERO.1.I.316.

[ii] Hans Haacke to Otto Piene, November 1, 1960, archive of the ZERO foundation, estate of Otto Piene, inv. no. mkp.ZERO.2.I.847.

[iii] Almir Mavignier to Heinz Mack, April 28, 1963, archive of the ZERO foundation, estate of Heinz Mack, inv. no. mkp.ZERO.1.I.809.

Letter from Heinz Mack to Lucio Fontana [draft letter], July 2, 1960, archive of the ZERO foundation, estate of Heinz Mack, inv. no. mkp.ZERO.1.I.316
Letter from Heinz Mack to Lucio Fontana [draft letter], July 2, 1960, archive of the ZERO foundation, estate of Heinz Mack, inv. no. mkp.ZERO.1.I.316

The following list gives an idea of the written world of ZERO, and the rich and diverse network that the ZERO artists, male and female, were able to build up within a very short time. The list includes only the names of the correspondents that are entirely legible and, above all, are clearly identifiable. The individual institutions, such as the museums and galleries as well as the companies with which the ZERO artists worked, have been omitted for reasons of clarity. The starting point is primarily the correspondence in the estates of Heinz Mack and Otto Piene. These are the people to whom Mack and Piene themselves wrote, and the letters that they received in return, especially in the nineteen-fifties and nineteen-sixties.[i]

Finally, it should be said that this list is by no means complete. The correspondence in the archive is constantly being added to, so the following list should rather be seen as a work in progress that only provides a rough overview.

[i] For a detailed insight, it is worth taking a look at the database of the ZERO foundation, d:kult, which can be accessed via the following link: https://emuseum.duesseldorf.de/institutions/113282/zerofoundation (accessed March 12, 2024).

List

A

Abe, Nobuya

Ackermann, Oscar

Adorno, Theodor

Adrian, Marc

Aengevelt, Leo

Albers, Josef

Alberts, Eduard

Alfieri, Bruno

Alloway, Lawrence

Altenstadt, Ulrich S. von

Alviani, Getulio

Apollonio, Umbro

Argan, Carlo Giulio

Arman

Aubertin, Bernard

Aue, Marianne

Aue, Walter

Aust, Günter

B

Baerwind, Rudi

Baier, Hans Alexander

Bänfer, Carl

Barlen, Dieter

Barras, Henri

Bartels, Hermann

Battisti, Eugenio

Baukloh, Friedhelm

Baum, Gustav Adolf

Baum, Stella

Baumgärtel, Gerhard

Beck, Heinz

Becker, Andreas

Bek, Bozo

Belloli, Carlo

Bendixen, Klaus

Berndt, Jürgen

Bethsold, Werner

Bette, J. Michael

Beuys, Eva

Bhavsar, Natvar

Blicke, Maurits

Bill, Max

Blomenroehr, Bernd D.

Böcker, Christa

Boom, Raoul van den

Börner, Klaus

Boukes, Renate

Boveri, Margret A.

Bowen, Denis

Bowness, Alan

Breier, Kilian

Brüning, Peter

Brusberg, Dieter

Buchholz, Erich

Burchartz, Max

Burgauer, Curt

Burnham, Jack

Bury, Pol

Busse, Hal

C

Calderara, Antonio

Castellani, Enrico

Cauduro, Ed

Chatterji, Nimai

Christen, Andreas

Chruxin, Christian

Cladders, Johannes

Clert, Iris

Clüsserath, August

Copier, Dirk

D

Dadamaino

Dahmen, Ursula

Damiano, Charles

Dasi, Gerardo Filberto

Daume, Willi

Dauphin, Gerald

Deilmann, Harald

Dietrich, Hansjoachim

Doldinger, Klaus

Domnick, Greta

Dorazio, Piero

Dorfles, Gillo

Dotremont, Philippe

Drescher, Renate

Dreste, Hans

E

Eckert, Engelbert

Eichler, Hans

Engel, Otmar

Engelskirchen, Hein

Engert, Bernhard

Epple, Waldemar

Epple, Waldemar

Erb, Leo

Ertel, Kurt Friedrich

Estenfelder, Cam

Etecheverry, Diégo

Evans, David

F

Fackler, Helmut

Faigle, Walter

Fassbender, Franz

Fata, Ferruccio

Faulhaber, Ulrich

Fedeck, Walter

Feigel, Marie-Suzanne

Fischer, Ernst

Fischer, Klaus Jürgen

Fitzsimmons, James

Fleischmann-Roepcke, Anna

Fontana, Lucio

Franken, Heinrich

Freese, Jan

Fried, Kurt

Friedman, Martin

Friedrich, Gerhardpaul

Fuchs, Günther

Fuegen, Willy

Funcke, Brigitte

Fyvel, Tosco R.

G

Gardiner, Margaret

Gebhard, Klaus

Geccelli, Johannes

Geelhoed, Lex

Gehlen, Arnold

Geiger, Rupprecht

Gekeler, Hans

Gerber, Helmut

Gerhardt, Renate

Gerlach, Rose D.

Gerstendörfer, J. J.

Gerstner, Karl

Gielow, Wolfgang

Gloudemans, Jan

Godfrey, Thomas B. A.

Goepfert, Hermann

Goeritz, Mathias

Gorges, Claus

Gorzolka, Otto

Gossel, Christa

Gossel, Hans Bernd

Götz, Karl Otto

Graevenitz, Gerhard von

Greef, Ulrich Volker

Green, Samuel Adams

Gribaudo, Ezio

Grisebach, Hanna

Grobe, Gustav

Grochowiak, Thomas

Grohmann, Will

Groschwitz, Gustave von

Grosse, Helmut

Günther, Volkmar

H

Haacke, Hans

Haas, Helmuth de

Haftmann, Werner

Hajek, Otto-Herbert

Hake, Wolfgang

Hammarberg, Jarl

Hammond, John E.

Harms, Gudrun

Hartmann, Adolf

Hartung, Gerd

Hartung, Karl

Hastings, Margarte

Hausmann, Raoul

Hehns, Dietrich

Heimzely, Marc

Heisenberg, Werner

Helms, Dietrich

Hennig, Emil

Herstand, Arnold

Hewitt, Francis R.

Hildebrand, Heide

Hiltmann, Jochen

Hoehme, Gerhard

Hoeydonck, Paul von

Holtmann, Heinz

Holweck, Oskar

Honisch, Dieter

Horn, Karl

Hulten, Pontus

Hündeberg, Jürgen von

I

Iserloh, Hans

J

Jappe, Georg

Jürgen-Fischer, Klaus

K

Kage, Manfred

Kahmen, Volker

Kalinowski, Horst Egon

Kalish, Ursula

Kandzia, Christian

Kaufmann, Herbert

Kawakita, Michiaki

Keller-Hämmerle, Alfons

Kemp, Willi

Kepes, György

Kirschbaum, Walter

Klapheck, Konrad

Klebus, Herbert

Klein, Yves

Kleint, Boris

Knoche, Werner

Knöll, Niklaus

Knorr, Anneliese

Koestler, Arthur

König, Willi

Korn, Karl

Kowallek, Rochus

Kraayenhof, Hans

Kreiterling, Willi

Kricke, Norbert

Krippendorf, Klaus

Krüger, Gerhard Georg

Kühl, Siegfried

Kultermann, Udo

Kusama, Yayoi

L                

Laszlo, Carl

Latham, John

Laugs, Heinz Werner

Leblanc, Walter

Leering, Jean

Lehmbrock, Josef

LeParc, Julio

Leuze, Ursula

Linfert, Carl

Lipman, Jean

Lippsmeier, Georg

Liverani, Gian Tomaso

Lo Savio, Francesco

Löffelholz, Franz

Lohmeyer, Brigitte

Lorenz, Marianne

Lück, Herbert

Lückeroth, Jupp

Lufft, Peter

Luther, Adolf

M

Mack, Heinz

Mack, Margret

Mack, Ute

Mäckle, Richard

Maglietta, Nina

Mahlow, Dietrich

Manfred, Ernest

Mansch, Joachim

Manzoni Meroni, Valeria

Manzoni, Piero

Marck, Jan van der

Mari, Enzo

Marx, Eberhard

Massironi, Manfredo

Mavignier, Almir

McCray. Porter

Megert, Christian

Meinborn, Els

Meisner, Günter

Melland, David

Menninger, Klaus

Mestrovic, Matko

Meyerholz, Hans

Mikorey, Franz

Moeller, Hans

Moldow, Ira

Moll, Paul

Morschel, Jürgen

Motte, Manfred de la

Muche, Georg

Müllenholz, Leo

Müller, Hans-Jürgen

Müller-Hauck, Janni

Murakami, Moriyuki

N

Naegeli, Eduard

Nebel, Karl

Nebelung, Hella

Neuerburg, Doris

Neufert, Peter

Neumann, Eckhard

Noah, Heinz

Nordland, Gerald

Novarro, Eddy

Novarro, Nana

O

Oehm, Herbert

Oestereich, Jürgen

Oppen, Hans von

Otto, Wolfgang Th.

P

Paik, Nam June

Pée, Herbert

Peeters, Henk

Pellegrini, Aldo

Perkins, G. Holmes

Petersen, Ad

Petersen, Peter Jes

Petitot, Léonce

Pfennig, Reinhard

Piek, Heinz

Piene, Otto

Pietzsch, Eva

Plaoutine, Nicolas

Platschek, Hans

Pohl, Uli

Pomodoro, Arnaldo

Pomodoro, Gio

Popper, Frank

Puvogel, Edgar H.

Q

Quinte, Lothar

R

Radin, Paul

Rahn, Eckart

Rainer, Arnulf

Ramsbott, Wolfgang

Rathke, Wolfgang

Raum, Walter

Reindel, Wolfgang

Rekort, Hartmut

René, Denise

Renger, Konrad

Restany, Pierre

Reydams, Jacqueline

Richter, Hans

Rickey, George

Río, Eustolio del

Rodker, Joan M.

Roeckenschuss, Christian

Roh, Franz

Roh, Juliane

Rose, Barbara

Rosenquist, Jim

Rosenthal, Nan

Rosenthal, Sol Roy

Rot, Diter

Rothe, Wolfgang

Rottloff, Helgard

Rotzler, Willy

Ruhnau, Werner

Ruhrberg, Karl

Rumbler, Helmut

Ruths, Heiner

S

Salentin, Hans

Schiessel, Johanna

Schirmer, Lutz

Schmalenbach, Werner

Schmela, Alfred

Schmela, Monika

Schmidt, Thomas

Schmied, Wieland

Schneider, Aenne

Schneider-Esleben, Paul

Schnitzler, Dieter

Schönenberger, Horst

Schreib, Werner

Schröder, Anneliese

Schroeter, Rolf

Schuldt, Herbert

Schulze-Vellinghausen, Albert

Schumacher, Emil

Schurz, Carl

Schwager, Frithjof

Schwarz, Arturo

Schweicher, Curt

Schweighofer, Fritz

Schwickert, Ludwig

Schwippert, Hans

Sedlmayr, Hans

Seel, Eberhard

Seide, Wilhelm

Seitz, Fritz

Seitz, Wilhelm C.

Seyfried, Ludwig

Shimbun, Yomiuri

Siepmann, Heinrich

Simmat, William E.

Slotnick, Merv

Sloves, Jack

Sonnabend, Michael

Soprano, Edoardo

Soto, Jesús Rafael

Spielberg, Joan

Spielberger, Roman

Spielmann, Heinz

Spindel, Ferdinand

Spoerri, Daniel

Stachelhaus, Heiner

Stahl, Lotte

Stankowski, Anton

Stassig, Franz

Staudt, Klaus

Stempel, Hans

Stiehl, Hans Adolf

Stielow, Reimar

Stolz, Elisabeth

Storck, Gerhard

Sturm, Robert

Szeemann, Harald

T

Thwaites, John Anthony

Tigerman, Stanley

Tilmann, Gustav

Tinguely, Jean

Tischer, Manfred

Trier, Eduard

Trost, Horst E.

Trouillard, John

Tunnard, Peter H.

U

Uecker, Günther

Ungers, Oswald Mathias

V

Vanista, Josip

Verheyen, Jef

Vietta, Egon

Vigo, Nanda

Vircher, Antoinette

Vismara, Zita

Vogel, Albert

Vogel, Hermann

Vollmer, Franziska

Vostell, Wolf

Vree, Paul de

vries, herman de

W

Wacker, Karl-Heinz

Walter, Hans-Albert

Wasmuth, Johannes

Wedewer, Josef

Wedewer, Rolf

Wehling, Oskar

Weidler, Charlotte

Wember, Paul

Westphal, Bernd

Wiegers, Hartmut

Wiehager, Renate

Wilhelm, Jean Pierre

Wilkes, Günter

Williams, Emmett

Williams, Hermann Warner

Willing, Jürgen

Winkler, Gerhard

Wise, Howard

Wolfshohl, Ernst-Otto

Wormland, Theo

Wunderwald, Alfred

Wunderwald, Erika

X

Y

Z

Zander, Josef

Zillmann, Adolf

This text has been translated from German into English by Gloria Custance.

Mehr correspondences

Telegram from Nanda Vigo to Heinz Mack, no date (ca. 1963-1965), Inv.-Nr.: mkp.ZERO.1.I.822, estate Heinz Mack, ZERO foundation, Düsseldorf.
Letter from Christian Megert to William E. Simmat, 1965, Inv.no.: mkp.ZERO.7.I.21, William E. Simmat estate, ZERO foundation, Düsseldorf.
Letter from Galerie nota to ZERO, 1959, Inv.Nr.: mkp.ZERO.2.I.1, NL Otto Piene, ZERO foundation, Düsseldorf.
Letter from Oskar Holweck to Otto Piene, 1958, Inv.Nr.: mkp.ZERO.2.I.880, NL Otto Piene, ZERO foundation. Düsseldorf.
Postcard from McRoberts & Tunnard Gallery to Heinz Mack, 1965, Inv.Nr.: mkp.ZERO.1.I.940, VL Heinz Mack, ZERO foundation, Düsseldorf.
Letter from Heinz Mack to Paul de Vree, 1964, Inv.Nr.: mkp.ZERO.1.I.1517, VL Heinz Mack, ZERO foundation, Düsseldorf.
Request for “ZERO” no. 3, 1961, Inv.-Nr.: mkp.ZERO.2.I.2710, Nachlass Otto Piene, ZERO foundation, Düsseldorf

Endnotes

Heinz Mack, ZERO-Wecker , 1961/Artist15 x 13 x 6 cm, alarm clock with collage, ZERO foundation, Düsseldorf, Invent.-No. mkp.ZERO.2008.12, photo: Horst Kolberg
zerofoundation.de/en/zero-wecker-2/
  ZERO-Kurzbiografie Uli Pohl Der am 28. Oktober 1935 in München geborene Uli Pohl studiert von 1954 bis 1961 bei Ernst Geitlinger Malerei an der Akademie der Bildenden Künste in München. 1961 lädt Udo Kultermann den Absolventen zur Teilnahme an der Ausstellung 30 junge Deutsche im Schloss Morsbroich in Leverkusen ein. An dieser sind auch Heinz Mack, Otto Piene und Günther Uecker beteiligt. Es dauert nicht lange, da wird er in der Zeitschrift ZERO vol. 3 als DYNAMO POHL aufgenommen und von da an gehören seine Werke zu den ZERO-Ausstellungen. Pohls künstlerisches Wahlmaterial war lange Z
zerofoundation.de/uli-pohl/
  ZERO-Kurzbiografie Adolf Luther   Adolf Luther wird am 25. April 1912 in Krefeld-Uerdingen geboren. Er starb am 20. September 1990 in Krefeld. Nach seinem Jurastudium in Bonn, welches er 1943 mit seiner Promotion abschließt, ist er zunächst bis 1957 als Richter in Krefeld und Minden tätig. Bereits während des Krieges beginnt Luther sich mit der Malerei auseinanderzusetzen, zugunsten der er seinen Beruf als Richter aufgibt, und versucht durch gestisch-informelle Malerei traditionelle Strukturen zu überwinden. 1959 entstehen seine ersten ausschließlich schwarzen Materiebilder, dere
zerofoundation.de/adolf-luther/
  Short ZERO-Biography of Adolf Luther   Adolf Luther was born in Krefeld-Uerdingen on April 25, 1912. He died in Krefeld on September 20, 1990. After studying law in Bonn, which he completed with his doctorate in 1943, he initially worked as a judge in Krefeld and Minden until 1957. Already during the war Luther begins to explore painting, in favor of which he gives up his job as a judge, and tries to overcome traditional structures through gestural-informal painting. In 1959 he created his first exclusively black Materiebilder (matter paintings), whose relief protrudes into three
zerofoundation.de/en/adolf-luther-2/
  ZERO-Kurzbiografie Almir Mavignier   Almir Mavignier, geboren am 01. Mai 1925 in Rio de Janeiro, Brasilien, gestorben am 03. September 2018 in Hamburg, war Maler und Grafiker. Er studiert ab 1946 Malerei in Rio de Janeiro und malt drei Jahre später bereits sein erstes abstraktes Bild. 1951 zieht er nach Paris und von dort aus weiter nach Ulm, wo er bis 1958 an der Hochschule für Gestaltung bei Max Bill und Josef Albers studiert. In dieser Zeit entstehen seine ersten Punkt-Bilder sowie erste Rasterstrukturen, die seine Verbindung zur Konkreten Kunst aufzeigen. Ab 1958 beteiligt Ma
zerofoundation.de/almir-mavignier/
Short ZERO-Biography of Almir Mavignier   Almir Mavignier, born May 01, 1925 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, died September 03, 2018 in Hamburg, was a painter and graphic artist. He studied painting in Rio de Janeiro from 1946 and already painted his first abstract painting three years later. In 1951 he moved to Paris and from there on to Ulm, where he studied at the Hochschule für Gestaltungwith Max Bill and Josef Albers until 1958. During this time he created his first dot paintings as well as his first grid structures, which show his connection to Concrete Art. From 1958 Mavignier partici
zerofoundation.de/en/almir-mavignier-2/
ZERO-Kurzbiografie Christian Megert Christian Megert wird am 06. Januar 1936 in Bern geboren, wo er von 1952 bis 1956 die Kunstgewerbeschule besucht. Bereits 1956 stellt er in seiner ersten Ausstellung in Bern weiß-in-weiß gemalte Strukturbilder aus. Nach Aufenthalten in Stockholm, Berlin und Paris, bei denen er sich international behaupten kann, kehrt er 1960 in die Schweiz zurück. In diesem Jahr macht er Bekanntschaft mit den Künstler*innen der ZERO-Bewegung, an deren Ausstellungen er sich mit Environments, Spiegelobjekten und kinetischen Objekten beteiligt. Christian Megerts primäres künstlerisches Gestaltungsmittel ist der Spiegel, den er bereits zu Beginn seiner Karriere für sich entdeckt und mit dem er den Raum erforscht. In seinem Manifest ein neuer raum (1961) beschwört der Künstler seinen idealen Raum ohne Anfang und Ende. Seit 1973 ist Christian Megerts Domizil Düsseldorf, wo er von 1976 bis 2002 die Professur für Integration Bildende Kunst und Architektur an der Kunstakademie innehat. Weiterführende Literatur: Anette Kuhn, Christian Megert. Eine monographie,Wabern-Bern 1997. Foto: Harmut Rekort, Ausstellung "Christian Megert. Unendliche Dimensionen", Galerie d, Frankfurt, 1963
zerofoundation.de/christian-megert/
  Short ZERO-Biography of Christian Megert   Christian Megert was born on January 6, 1936 in Bern, where he attended the School of Applied Arts from 1952 to 1956. Already in 1956 he exhibits in his first exhibition in Bern white-in-white painted structural pictures. After residencies in Stockholm, Berlin and Paris, where he was able to establish himself internationally, he returned to Switzerland in 1960. In this year he became acquainted with the artists of the ZERO movement, in whose exhibitions he participated with environments, mirror objects and kinetic objects. Christian Mege
zerofoundation.de/en/christian-megert-2/
  ZERO-Kurzbiografie Daniel Spoerri   Daniel Spoerri, geboren am 27. März 1930 in Galati, Rumänien, studiert zunächst Tanz und ist zwischen 1952 und 1957 als Balletttänzer in Paris und Bern tätig. Bereits 1956 wendet er sich aber allmählich vom Tanz ab, und, nach einer kurzen Episode als Regieassistent, der bildenden Kunst zu. 1959 nimmt er mit seinem Autotheater an der Ausstellung Vision in Motion – Motion in Vision im Antwerpener Hessenhuis teil, an der auch Heinz Mack und Otto Piene beteiligt sind. Viele der späteren ZERO-Künstler beteiligten sich an seiner Edition MAT (1959), d
zerofoundation.de/daniel-spoerri/
  Short ZERO-Biography of Daniel Spoerri   Daniel Spoerri, born on March 27, 1930 in Galati, Romania, initially studied dance and worked as a ballet dancer in Paris and Bern between 1952 and 1957. As early as 1956, however, he gradually turned away from dance and, after a brief episode as an assistant stage director, toward the visual arts. In 1959 he participates with his Autotheater in the exhibition Vision in Motion – Motion in Vision in the Antwerp Hessenhuis, in which Heinz Mack and Otto Piene are also involved. Many of the later ZERO artists participated in his Edition
zerofoundation.de/en/daniel-spoerri-2/
  ZERO-Kurzbiografie von Günther Uecker Günther Uecker, geboren am 13. März 1930 in Wendorf, Mecklenburg, lebt und arbeitet in Düsseldorf. Nach einem Studium der angewandten Kunst in Wismar und später in Berlin/Weißensee siedelte er 1953 in die Bundesrepublik Deutschland über. Von 1955 bis 1957 studierte er an der Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, an der er dann von 1974 bis 1995 als Professor tätig wurde. 1958 nahm Günther Uecker an der 7. Abendausstellung „Das rote Bild“ teil, die von Heinz Mack und Otto Piene in der Gladbacher Straße 69 in Düsseldorf organisiert wurde. 1961 beteiligte er sic
zerofoundation.de/guenther-uecker/
Short ZERO biography of Günther Uecker Günther Uecker was born on 13 March 1930 in Wendorf and lives and works in Düsseldorf. After his studies of applied arts in Wismar and later also in Berlin/Weißensee, Uecker moved to the Federal Republic of Germany in 1953. From 1955 to 1957, he studied at the Kunstakademie (Academy of Arts) Düsseldorf, where he later worked at as a professor from 1974 to 1995. In 1958, Günther Uecker participated in the seventh “Abendausstellung” (evening exhibition), organised by Heinz Mack and Otto Piene at Gladbacher Straße 69 in Düsseldorf and called “D
zerofoundation.de/en/guenther-uecker-2/
ZERO-Kurzbiografie von Heinz Mack Heinz Mack, am 8. März 1931 im hessischen Lollar geboren, lebt und arbeitet in Mönchengladbach und auf Ibiza. Er studierte von 1950 bis 1956 Malerei an der Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, wo er Otto Piene kennenlernte, sowie Philosophie an der Universität zu Köln. 1957 initiierte er zusammen mit Otto Piene die sogenannten „Abendausstellungen“, die jeweils nur für einen Abend in den Atelierräumen der zwei Künstler in der Gladbacher Straße 69 zu sehen waren. 1958 gründete Heinz Mack mit Otto Piene die Zeitschrift „ZERO“, die einer ganzen internationalen Kunst
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Short ZERO biography of Heinz Mack Heinz Mack was born on 8 March 1931 in Lollar in Hesse and currently lives and works in Mönchengladbach and Ibiza. From 1950 to 1956, he studied the art of painting at the Kunstakademie [Academy of Arts] in Düsseldorf, where he met Otto Piene, as well as philosophy at the University of Cologne. In 1957, Mack, together with Piene, initiated the so-called “Abendausstellungen” [Evening exhibitions], which were only on display for one evening respectively. The exhibitions could be viewed inside the studio space of the two artists, located at Gladbacher S
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Otto Piene, Sketch for the slide installation “Lichtballett ‘Hommage à New York'” , 1966Inv.-Nr.: mkp.ZERO.2.IV.90, Nachlass Otto Piene, ZERO foundation, Düsseldorf Otto Piene conceived the "Li...
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Otto Piene, Entwurf für die Dia-Installation „Lichtballett ‚Hommage à New York'“ , 1966Inv.-Nr.: mkp.ZERO.2.IV.90, Nachlass Otto Piene, ZERO foundation, Düsseldorf Otto Piene konzipierte das "L...
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Kurzbiografie Nanda Vigo Nanda Vigo, am 14. November 1936 in Mailand geboren und am 16. Mai 2020 ebenda gestorben, war Designerin, Künstlerin, Architektin und Kuratorin. Nachdem sie einen Abschluss als Architektin am Institut Polytechnique, Lausanne, sowie ein Praktikum in San Francisco absolvierte, eröffnet sie 1959 ihr eigenes Studio in Mailand. In diesem Jahr beginnen ihre Besuche in Lucio Fontanas Atelier und sie lernt Piero Manzoni und Enrico Castellani kennen. Zudem reist sie für verschiedenste Ausstellungen durch Europa und lernt so die Künstler*innen und Orte der ZERO-Bewegung in Deu
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  Short ZERO-Biography of Nanda Vigo   Nanda Vigo, born in Milan on November 14, 1936, where she died on May 16, 2020, was a designer, artist, architect and curator. After graduating as an architect from the Institut Polytechnique, Lausanne, and an internship in San Francisco, she opened her own studio in Milan in 1959. In this year her visits to Lucio Fontana’s studio begin and she meets Piero Manzoni and Enrico Castellani. She also travels through Europe for various exhibitions and gets to know the artists and places of the ZERO movement in Germany, France and Holland. In 1
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Short ZERO-Biography of Oskar Holweck   Oskar Holweck was born in St. Ingbert, Saarland, on November 19, 1924, and died there on January 30, 2007. Except for a few years of study in Paris, he remained loyal to the Saarland. He taught at the State School of Arts and Crafts and at the State School of Applied Arts in Saarbrücken. He turned down appointments at other art schools and invitations to the documenta exhibitions of 1959 and 1972. However, he takes part in the numerous exhibitions of the ZERO group. From 1958 on, he exhibited with its protagonists all over the world. At the begin
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ZERO-Kurzbiografie Oskar Holweck   Oskar Holweck wurde am 19. November 1924 in St. Ingbert im Saarland geboren und ist am 30. Januar 2007 ebenda verstorben. Bis auf einige Studienjahre in Paris bleibt er dem Saarland treu. Er lehrt an der Staatlichen Schule für Kunst und Handwerk sowie an der Staatlichen Werkkunstschule in Saarbrücken. Berufungen an andere Kunstschulen und Einladungen zu den documenta-Ausstellungen von 1959 und 1972 lehnt er ab. An den zahlreichen Ausstellungen der ZERO-Gruppe nimmt er aber teil. Ab 1958 stellt er mit ihren Protagonist*innen in der ganzen Welt aus. Zu
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  ZERO-Kurzbiografie von Otto Piene Otto Piene wurde am 18. April 1928 in Laasphe (Westfalen) geboren und starb am 17. Juli 2014 in Berlin. Nach zwei Jahren in München studierte er von 1950 bis 1957 Malerei an der Kunstakademie Düsseldorf sowie Philosophie an der Universität zu Köln. 1957 initiierte Otto Piene zusammen mit Heinz Mack, den er an der Kunstakademie kennengelernt hatte, die sogenannten „Abendausstellungen“, die jeweils nur für einen Abend in den Atelierräumen der zwei Künstler in der Gladbacher Straße 69 zu sehen waren. 1958 gründete er mit Heinz Mack die Zeitschrift „ZERO“
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  Short ZERO biography of Otto Piene Otto Piene was born on 18 April 1928 in Laasphe (Westphalia) and died on 17 July 2014 in Berlin. After spending two years in Munich, he studied the art of painting at the Kunstakademie [Academy of Arts] in Düsseldorf from 1950 to 1957, as well as philosophy at the University of Cologne. In 1957, Otto Piene, together with Heinz Mack, initiated the “Abendausstellungen”, which were only on display for one evening respectively. The artists had met in the Kunstakademie and the exhibitions could be viewed in their joint studio space, located at Gladbacher
zerofoundation.de/en/otto-piene-2/
Heinz Mack, Rotor für Lichtgitter , 1967Rotor: 141,5 x 141,5 x 25 cm, Sockel: 60 x 125 x 35 cm, Aluminium, Plexiglas, Spanplatte, Motor, ZERO foundation, Düsseldorf, Invent.-Nr. mkp.ZERO.2009.03, Foto: Weiss-Henseler
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Heinz Mack, Rotor für Lichtgitter, 1967, rotor: 141,5 x 141,5 x 25 cm, base: 60 x 125 x 35 cm, aluminum, acrylic glass, wood (chipboard), motor, ZERO foundation, Düsseldorf, Invent.-No. mkp.ZERO.2009.03, photo: Weiss-Henseler
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Günther Uecker, Sandmühle, 1970/2009, 50 x 60 x 400 (dia) cm, cords, wood, electric motor, sand, ZERO foundation, Düsseldorf, Invent.-No. mkp.ZERO.2008.66, photo: ZERO foundation, Düsseldorf and Pohang Museum of Steel Art, Pohang
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Günther Uecker, Sandmühle , 1970/200950 x 60 x 400 (dia) cm, Bindfäden, Holz, Elektrikmotor, Sand, ZERO foundation, Düsseldorf, Invent.-Nr. mkp.ZERO.2008.66, Foto: ZERO foundation, Düsseldorf and Pohang Museum of Steel Art, Pohang                                                                                                                                                           
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Heinz Mack, Siehst du den Wind? (Gruß an Tinguely), 1962, 204 x 64 x 40 cm, Aluminium, Eisen, Elektrik, Motor, Kunststoffbänder, Klebeband, ZERO foundation, Düsseldorf, Invent.-Nr. mkp.ZERO.2008.16, Foto: N.N.
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Heinz Mack, Siehst du den Wind? (Gruß an Tinguely), 1962, 204 x 64 x 40 cm, aluminum, iron, electrical system, motor (220 V), plastic ribbons, tape, ZERO foundation, Düsseldorf, Invent.-No. mkp.ZERO.2008.16, photo: N.N.
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Günther Uecker, Sintflut (Die Engel Fliegen), 1963, 89 x 62.5 cm (framed: 102 x 72.5 cm), b/w photographic prints, newspaper clippings, handmade paper, ZERO foundation, Düsseldorf, inventory no.: FK.ZERO.2023.03, photo: Matias Möller
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Günther Uecker, Sintflut (Die Engel Fliegen), 1963, 89 x 62,5 cm (gerahmt: 102 x 72,5 cm), SW-Fotoabzüge, Zeitungsausschnitte, Büttenpapier, ZERO foundation, Düsseldorf, Invent.-Nr.: FK.ZERO.2023.03, Foto: Matias Möller
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Short ZERO-Biography of  Uli Pohl   Born in Munich on October 28, 1935, Uli Pohl studied painting under Ernst Geitlinger at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich from 1954 to 1961. In 1961, Udo Kultermann invites the graduate to participate in the exhibition 30 junge Deutsche (30 Young Germans) at Morsbroich Castle in Leverkusen. Heinz Mack, Otto Piene and Günther Uecker are also involved in this. It is not long before he is included in the magazine ZERO vol. 3 as DYNAMO POHL and from then on his works are part of the ZERO exhibitions. Pohl’s artistic material of choice has for a lon
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  ZERO-Kurzbiografie Walter Leblanc   Walter Leblanc, geboren am 26. Dezember 1932 in Antwerpen, gestorben am 14. Januar 1986 in Brüssel, studierte von 1949 bis 1954 an der Königlichen Akademie für Schöne Künste in Antwerpen. 1958 wird er zu einem der Gründungsmitglieder der Künstlergruppe G58 Hessenhuis. Ein Jahr später taucht das erste Mal die Torsion als Gestaltungsmittel in seinen Werken auf, die zu dem bestimmenden Merkmal seiner Kunst wird. Mithilfe von Windungen und Verdrehungen von Papier, Karton oder Fäden werden dreidimensionale Strukturen geschaffen, die auch in skulptur
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  Short ZERO-Biography of Walter Leblanc   Walter Leblanc, born December 26, 1932 in Antwerp, died January 14, 1986 in Brussels, studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts (Königliche Akademie für Schöne Künste) in Antwerp from 1949 to 1954. In 1958 he became one of the founding members of the artist group G58 Hessenhuis. A year later, torsion appeared for the first time as a design element in his works, and it became the defining characteristic of his art. With the help of twists and turns of paper, cardboard or threads, three-dimensional structures are created, which are also tran
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Otto Piene, Weißer Lichtgeist , 1966220 x Ø 60 cm, crystal glass, metal, bulb, timer, ZERO foundation, Düsseldorf, Invent.-No. mkp.ZERO.2012.06, photo: Marcus Schwier
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Otto Piene, Weißer Lichtgeist, 1966, 220 x Ø 60 cm, Kristallglas, Metall, Glühbirnen, Zeitschaltung, ZERO foundation, Düsseldorf, Invent.-Nr. mkp.ZERO.2012.06, Foto: Marcus Schwier
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Heinz Mack, ZERO-Rakete für „ZERO“, Nr. 3, 1961, Inv.-Nr.: mkp.ZERO.2.VI.30, Nachlass Otto Piene, ZERO foundation, Düsseldorf
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Heinz Mack, ZERO rocket for “ZERO”, no. 3, 1961, Inv.-Nr.: mkp.ZERO.2.VI.30, Nachlass Otto Piene, ZERO foundation, Düsseldorf
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Heinz Mack, ZERO-Wecker, 1964, 15 x 13 x 6 cm, Wecker mit Collage, ZERO foundation, Düsseldorf, Invent.-Nr. mkp.ZERO.2008.12, Foto: Horst Kolberg
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