Biography

Albert Oehlen
(Born 1954)

Albert Oehlen was born in Krefeld, Germany in 1954. He attended the Hochschule für Bildende Künste in Hamburg, where he studied art under Sigmar Polke until 1981. During the early stages of his career, Oehlen’s artistic interests and associations were diverse, and included music and painting. During the 1980s he began combining abstract and figurative elements of painting in his works, as part of a reaction to the prevailing Neo-Expressionist aesthetic of the time. He established a close friendship with German artist Martin Kippenberger, and towards the end of the decade he had dedicated himself completely to abstract painting. As early as a decade ago, Oehlen set up a studio in a tower of the city walls of Segovia, where he began to work on computer generated images. Oehlen’s spatially intriguing works, in which figuration and abstraction collide, are a strong reminder of the complex forces that were involved during the resurgence of painting at the latter part of the previous century.

Albert Oehlen has exhibited extensively throughout the United States and Europe. Recent solo exhibitions of his work have been held in institutions such as the Museo di Capodimonte in Naples, Italy and the Musee d' Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris in 2009. He has also participated in exhibitions in major institutions such as the Musee Cantonal Des Beaux Arts in Lausanne, the Renaissance Society in Chicago and at the Kunsthalle in Basel. Oehlen's show at MOCA Miami in 2005 marked his first major solo exhibition at a museum in the United States. In 2009 Taschen published an oversized artist's monograph as part of its XL series that covers the entire scope of Oehlen's oeuvre. Albert Oehlen lives and works in Switzerland.

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2005
Spiegelbilder 1982-1985, Max Hetzler, Berlin, Germany
Thomas Amman Fine Art AG, Zurich, Switzerland

2005-2004
Albert Oehlen Retrospective, Musee Cantonal des Beaux-Arts Lausanne, Switzerland

2003
Albert Oehlen, Alfonso Artiaco, Naples, Italy
2004
Albert Oehlen. Vier Germalde. Schallplattenexistenz Wege Gruentoene Material Auf Abruf 2001, Galerie Max Hetzler, Berlin, Germany
2002
Alfonso Artiaco, Naples, Italy
Painting and Collages, Patrick Painter, Inc., Santa Monica, CA

2002-2001 Luhring Augustine, New York
Self Portraits, Skarstedt Fine Art, New York

2001
Checkers, Galerie Baerbel Graesslin, Frankfurt

2000
Gisela Capitain, Cologne
Galerie Max Hetzler, Berlin
Patrick Painter, Inc, Santa Monica
Kestner Gesellschaft, Hannover

1999
Luhring Augustine, New York
Nolan/ Eckman Gallery, New York
Galerie Barbel Grasslin, Frankfurt
Galerie Bleich- Rossi, Graz
Lord, Pferdeflusterer, Antichrist, Galeria Juana de Aizpuru, Madrid

1998
Galerie Mikael Anderson, Copenhagen, Denmark
Galerie Barbel Grasslin, Frankfurt, Germany
Galerie Max Hetzler, Berlin (with Georg Herold)
Margo Leavin Gallery, Los Angeles
Galerie Nathalie Obadia, Paris

1997
Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam
Sala Rekalde, Bilbao
Galleri K, Oslo
Kunsthalle Basel
Lass spielen (Vergessene Kinder), Galerie Max Hetzler, Berlin
Baladas Heavy, Galerie Gisela Capitain, Koln, Germany
Auchenbach Kunstausstellungen, Dusseldorf

1996
IVAM, Centre de Carme , Valencia
Obras Recientes, Galeria Juana de Aizpuru, Madris, Spain
Luhring Augustine, New York

1995
Galerie Max Hetzler, Berlin
Gesellschaft fur Gegenwartskunst, Ausburg

1994
The Renaissance Society, Chicago
Galerie Borgmann-Capitain, Koln
Deitchtorhallen, Hamburg

1993
Kunstraum Daxer, Munich
Galerie Barbel Grasslin, Frankfurt
Galerie Samia Saouma, Paris
Galeria Juana de Aizpuru, Madrid

1992
Bruno Brunnet Fine Art, Berlin
Galerie Max Hetzler, Koln
Luhring Augustine, New York
Galeria Juana de Aizpuru, Sevilla, Madrid
Film Festival Koln, Koln (with Christopher Williams)

1991
Galerie Max Hetzler, Koln
Luhring Augustine, New York
Luhring Augustine Hetzler, Santa Monica
Galerie Giesela Capitain, Koln

1990
Galerie Peter Pakesch, Wien
Galerie Isy Brachot, Brussels
Galerie Grasslin-Erhardt, Frankfurt
Friedrichshof, Zurndorf
Galerie Max Hetzler, Koln

1989
Galeria Juana de Aizpuru, Madrid
Luhring Augustine Hetzler, Santa Monica
Galerie Grasslin-Erhardt, Frankfurt.
Galerie Bleich-Rossi, Graz
Forum Stadtpark, Graz

1988
Galerie Max Hetzler, Koln
Galerie Gisela Capitain, Koln

1987
Kunsthalle Zurich, Zurich
Grazer Kunstverein, Graz
Galerie Bleich-Rossi, Graz
Galerie Grasslin-Erhardt, Frankfurt
Galerie Max Hetzler, Koln
Scenery for Tannhauser, performed at Bremen Opera, Bremen
Galerie Ascan Crone, Hamburg

1986
Galerie Borgmann-Capitain, Koln
Galerie Max Hetzler, Koln
CCD Galerie, Dusseldorf
Sonnabend Gallery, New York
Galerie Six Friedrich, Munich
Maximilian Verlag-Sabine Knust, Munchen
Galerie Borgmann-Capitain, Koln
Galerie Klein, Bonn

1985
Galerie Ascan Crone, Hamburg
Galerie Six Friedrich; Maximilian Verlag-Sabine Knust,Munchen

1984
Galerie Paul Andriesse-Helen Van der Meij, Amsterdam
Galerie Max Hetzler, Koln
Galerie Peter Pakesch, Wien

1983
Galerie Rudolf Zwirner, Koln
Ewige Feile, Maximilian Verlag-Sabine Kunst, Munchen

1982
Forum Kunst, Rottweil
Galerie Arno Kohnen, Dusseldorf
Galerie Max Hetzler, Stuttgart
Galerie Ascan Crone, Hamburg

1981
Galerie Max Hetzler, Stuttgart
Galerie Magers, Bonn

GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2004
Hot Ice. Recent Painting from the Scharpff Collection, Hamburg Kunstalle, Germany

2003
Biennale d’Art Contemporain de Lyon 2003, Lyon, France
Painting Pictures: Painting and Media in the Digital Age," Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, Germany

2000
La Prima Idea: Aktuelle Malerei auf Papier, Graphische Sammlung der ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Glee: Painting Now, The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield, Conneticut , Glee: Painting Now, Palm Beach Institute of Contemporary Art, Lake Worth, Florida

1999
Decades in Dialogue: Perspectives on the MCA Collection, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
Visualizing Digiteracy: Considering Current Technologies, Memphis College of Art, TN
Digital Sites, Numark Gallery, Washington, DC
My Name: Sammlung Falckenberg, Museum of Fine Arts Leipzig, Germany
Sammlung Essl: The First View, Klosterneuburg, Vienna
Die Sammlung Paul Maenz, Neues Museum Weimar

1998
Heimo Zobernig, Bonner Kunstverein, Galerie fur Zeitgen, Kunst Leipzig, Kunstverein Munchen
Recollection, Kunstverein Graz
Fast Forward - Image, Kunstverein, Hamburg
Group painting show, Friedrich Petzel Gallery
Georg Herold / Albert Oehlen, Galerie Max Hetzler, Berlin
Visualizing Digiteracy: Considering Current Technologies, Memphis College of Art, TN
Selbstportraits, Galerie Barbel Grasslin, Frankfurt
Fast Forward Archives, Kunstverein in Hamburg
Luhring Augustine, New York

1997
Colleccio d'Art Contemporani Fundacio "la Caixa," Barcelona, September.
Display, Charlottenborg Exhibition Hall, Copenhagen, Denmark
Deutshlandbilder - Kunst aus einem geteilten Land, Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin

1996
On Paper II, Schmidt Contemporary Art, St. Louis, January
Change of Scene X, Museum fur Moderne Kunst, June.
Peinture-Peinture, Galerie Samia Saouma, Paris, May-July.
Provins - Legende, Museet for Samtidskunst, Roskilde

1995
Albert Oehlen and Christopher Williams, The Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus, OH, January
Redefining Convention: German Art Now, Haines Gallery, San Francisco, June-July
Dancing Girls, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, April-July
XL, Galerie Borgmann-Capitain, Koln, July-August
Luhring Augustine, New York, July-September
Smells Like Vinyl, Roger Merians Gallery, New York, July-August
Malerei, Galerie Max Hetzler, Berlin, August-September

1994
Galleri K, Oslo, January-March
Return of the Hero, Luhring Augustine, New York, October- November

1993
Zeitsprunge: Collection of Rudolf und Ute Scharpff, Wilhelm-Hack Museum, Ludwigshafen, January-February
Drawing the Line Against AIDS, The Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice, June, The Guggenheim Museum Soho, New York, October

1992
Works on Paper: Forg, Gonzalez-Torres, Kilimnik, Kippenberger, Nares, Oehlen, Pensato, Prina, Wool, Luhring Augustine, New York, February-March
Works on Paper: Herold, Oehlen, Wool, Jack Hanley Gallery, San Francisco, March.
Museum fur Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt
Allegories for Modernism: Contemporary Drawings, Museum of Modern Art, New York, February-May
Works on Paper, Jim Schmidt Contemporary Art, April- May.
Museum fur Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt
Ars Pro Domo, Museum Ludwig, Koln, May
Dirty Data: The Collection of Wilhelm Schurmann, Ludwig Forum fur internationale Kunst, June-August
Galerie Senda, Barcelona, June-October.
Greatest Hits, Daniel Buchholz, Koln, July-August.
Felix Gonzales-Torres, Albert Oehlen, ChristopherWilliams, Margo Leavin Gallery, Los Angeles, October-November.

1991
Metropolis, Berlin
Gulliver's Travels, Galerie Sophia Ungers, Koln, April.
Herbert Brandl, Albert Oehlen, Christopher Wool, Galerie Peter Pakesch, Vienna, June-Sept.

1990
Galerie Giesela Capitain, Koln.
Prints and Muliples, Luhring Augustine Hetzler, Santa Monica.
Signatures, Grazer Kunstverein, Graz.
Realidad Abstracta, Universidad Internacional Menendez Pelayo, Santander.
Art of the Eighties, Neue Galerie am Landesmuseum Joanneum, Graz.
Galerie Max Hetzler, Ausstellungsraum Alsdorfer, Koln

1989
Refigured Painting: The German Image 1960-1980, The Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; Williams College Museum, Williamstown
The Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago, Chicago
Museum Ludwig in den Rheinhallen der Messe, Koln.
New Figuration: German Painters 1960-80, Kunstmuseum Dusseldorf, Dusseldorf; Kusthalle Schirn, Frankfurt.
Galerie Peter Pakesch, Wien.
Galerie Christine et Isy Brachot, Brussel.
German Photography from the 70's and 80's, Galerie Ursula Schurr, Stuttgart.
Galerie Grasslin-Erhardt, Frankfurt.

1988
Exchange, Guinness Hop Store, Dublin.
Work in History-History in Work, Kunsthaus und Kunsterverein Hamburg, Hamburg."The Light of the Other Side, Galerie Monika Spruth, Koln.
The Binational: German and American Art of the Eighties, Kusthalle Dusseldorf, Dusseldorf; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; The Minneapolis Institute of Fine Arts, Minneapolis; Contemporary Arts Museum, Sarah Campbell Blaffer Gallery, Houston.
Architecture in Today's Painting, Deutshes Architekturmuseum, Frankfurt.Galerie Kammer, Hamburg.
B.R.D.: Abstract Tendencies in New German Art, Karl Bornstein Gallery, Santa Monica.
Martin Kippenberger and Albert Oehlen, Galeria Juana de Aizpuru, Sevilla; Galeria d'Arte, Schweiz.
Photographic Work from Koln, Kolnischer Kunstverein, Koln.
New Prints from Germany, The Saint Louis Art Museum, Saint Louis.
Albert Oehlen, Marcus Oehlen, Matin Kippenberger, Werner Buttner, Galerie Susan Wyss, Zurich.

1987
"We do what we want: Young German Art", Galerie Schipka, Sofia; Museo de Arte Contemporaneo, Sevilla.
"Q.U.I." Centre National des Arts Plastique, Villa Arson, Nice."Room Enough", Suermondt-Ludwig Museum, Aachen.
"25 Years of Business: The Collection of Ileana Sonnabend", CAPC Musee d Ôart Contemporain de Bordeaux, Bordeaux; Centro de Atre Reina Sofia, Madrid."Broken Neon", Steirischer Herbst 87, Forum Stadtpark,Graz; Galerie Christoph Durr, Munchen; Galerie Sylvana Lorenz, Paris.
"Multiples", Galerie Daniel Buchholz, Koln.

1986
"German Contemporary Artists", Galerie Comicos, Lisbon.
"Strength and Weakness in Relationships", Museum am Ostwall, Dortmund."New German Art from the Ludwig Collection, Aachen", Haus Metternich, Koblenz.
"Initiative 86", Galerie Richard Foncke, Gent.
"Maybe we can have our mothers back!", Kunstverein Hamburg, Hamburg; Institute of Contemporary Art, London. "Prints 1970-85", Grazer Kunstverein, Graz; Galerie Im Stadthaus, Klagenfurt; Kunsthalle Wilhelmshaven, Wilhelmshaven.
"What it is", Tony Shafrazi Gallery, New York

1985
Galerie Bleich-Rossi, Graz (with Martin Kippenberger)
Kunsthalle Bielefeld, Bielefeld; Kunsthalle Tubingen, Tubingen."O.M. Ungers: Seven Rooms under the Seven Points of the Architecture of John Ruskin", Kolnischer Kunstverein,Koln.
"To Genezareth by Harley", Evangelishe Akademie, Hamburg (with Werner Buttner)."Two Houses", Galerie Wanda Reiff, Maastricht (with Werner Buttner). Studio D, Tubingen (with Werner Buttner, Martin Kippenberger, Markus Oehlen.

1984
"Truth Is Work", Museum Folkwang, Essen.
"Balance", Neue Galerie of Joanneum, Graz; Museum Villa Stuck, Munchen; Forum for Real Art, Galerie Krinzinger, Innsbruck; Rheinisches Landesmuseum,Bonn.
Galerie Six Friedrich, Munchen.
"Origen y Vision: Nueva Pintura Alemana", Centre Culturalde la Caixa de Pensiones, Barcelona; Palacio Velazquez, Madrid.
Metro Pictures, New York.
"The Kindness of Custom", CCD Galerie, Dusseldorf.
Galerie Thomas Borgmann, Koln (with Martin Kippenberger).

1983
Galerie Max Hetzler, Stuttgart
Galerie Rudigier Schuttle, Munchen
Galerie Peter Pakesch, Wien
"Absprunge", Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg.
"James Dean/Louis de Funes" (with Martin Kippenberger), Buchandlung Weil, Hamburg."Photocollage", Realismus Studio 24 der Neuen Gesellschaftfur Bildende Kunst, Berlin.
"Wood and Linoleum Today", Oldenburger Kunstverein, Oldenburg."Women in My Father's Life" (with Martin Kippenberger), Galerie Klein, Bonn. 1982Galerie Rudiger Schottle, Munich.
"Twelve Artists in Germany", Kunsthalle Basel; Museum Boymans-van Beuningen, Rotterdam.
"You Must Go Over Seven Bridges", Kutscherhaus, Berlin.
"Geile Feige-Feige Geile", (with Georg Herold), Galerie Arno Kohnen, Dusseldorf.
Galleria Silvio Baviera, Cavigliano (with Martin Kippenberger).
"Capri by Night" (with Martin Kippenberger), Galerie Tanja Grunert, Stuttgart.
"Signal Right-Turn Left", (with Werner Buttner), Realismus Studio 21 der Neuen Gesellschaft fur Bildende Kunst, Berlin.
"Cream for Hamburg", Ausstellungsraum Fettstrasse, 7a, Hamburg. "Young Painters in Germany", Galleria d'Arte Moderno, Bolonga.
"Tendenzen 82", Ulmer Museum, Ulm
"Turin by Night" (with Martin Kippenberger), Dr. Z Dacic, Tubingen.
"Orgon-Kiste by Night" (with Martin Kippenberger), Galerie Max Hetzler, Stuttgart.

1981
"Germany Review I", Lothringer Strasse, Munchen
"Germany Review II", Im Klapperhof, Koln
"Young Art in West Germany," Galerie Max Hetzler, Stuttgart.
"Gegen-Bilder", Badischer Kunstverein, Karlsruhe.

1980
"Nuovo Imagine", 16th Triennale, Milan
"Finger fur Deutschland", Atelier Jorg Immendorf, Dusseldorf
Kunstausstellungen Gutenbregstrasse, Stuttgart.
Galerie Paul Maenz, Koln.

1979
Kunstlerhaus, Hamburg (with Georg Herold)
"Mode Nervo", Kunstlerhaus, Hamburg; Galerie Arno Kohnen, Dusseldorf.

1978
Galerie Arno Kohnen, Dusseldorf (with Markus Oehlen)
"Who's Afraid of the Hamburg Disease?", Galerie Grotlisch, Munchen.