Florian Froehlich

Florian Froehlich (born December 17, 1959, in Pfaeffikon in Switzerland), is a contemporary artist who creates paintings, sculptures, stained-glass, and installations.

The artist Golgotha – Stained glass and steel sculptures, 400 cm. Back-lighting with 2000 W. Part of the Saignelégier project.

Florian Froehlich was, when starting out in art, strongly influenced by the School of Paris, in particular by artists such as Maurice Estève, Charles Lapicque and Nicolas de Staël. He had had contacts with the world of art on a regular basis from childhood on, as he is related to the famous Zurich art dealer Peter Nathan. He trained in medicine at the Universities of Zurich and Lausanne until 1996 and thereafter developed a progressive and lasting activity as an artist in tandem with his professional life. with the Swiss artist Jacques Minala lead him to become familiar with the technique of stained glass. Since 2003, he is member of the Swiss Stained Glass Artists Society Verarte.ch which led to several group exhibitions in the Vitromusée Suisse de Romont, in particular in 2009.

From 2003 to 2009, Froehlich worked intensely on the "Saignelégier Steles" for the catholic church in Saignelégier, Jura Switzerland, project which received national funding from the Swiss Confederation, and which was executed in collaboration with the glass master-craftsman Roland Béguin ), and the metalwork artist J.-P. Scheuner using experimental techniques. The dalle glass was produced specifically for this project, in Waldsassen (Germany).

Occasionally, Froehlich creates in relation to world events, such as for the Jura leg of the Tour de France 2012: he showed an art installation exhibited to thousands of spectators over a 24-hour period on July 8, 2012. In 2012 and 2013, his work was presented at the Berliner Liste, a reputed and selective international art fair.

Since 2010, Froehlich has worked very regularly with the ACHTZIG Gallery for Contemporary Fine Art in Berlin. The ACHTZIG Gallery staged a solo exhibition of Froehlich's work in December 2013, entitled "World Theatre-Theatre World". At his occasion a book with his same title has been published by Editions Le Renard par la Queue, Lausanne, directed by the author Ferenc Rákóczy in a contemporary design by Chloé Donzé and contributions by the journalist José Ribeaud. Currently, Froehlich's work is focusing on the human being and the interaction between individual and crowds. Froehlich creates a kind of virtual human microcosmos notably by micro-sculptures integrated in painting-sculptures and sculpture-paintings. In fall 2013, Froehlich had the novel idea to suggest the scenic integration of microsculptures in watches. This idea was officially presented to Swiss watchmakers, with the support of Pascal Bourquard and BIWI.

From 2015 on, Froehlich has gradually begun to change his focus from crowds to the human being in all their various individualities, with the Renaissance as his gateway to the subject, having concentrated mainly on sketching over a period of two years. The artist has, for example, used a pre-existing drawing or art work which he has magnified, while often focussing on amplifying a specific detail. This has given his compositions an amplitude and a liberty which bring them into line with the spirit of our times,

The culmination of Froehlich's work can be seen in this autumn 2018's exhibition « Renaissance Magic » at the BLOCH Foundation (FARB) in Delémont. Two concerts will take place in tandem with the exhibition, featuring among others the works of the Romantic composer, Friedrich Théodor Froehlich (1803–1836), friend of Franz Schubert and an ancestor of the artist. that Florian Froehlich lives with his wife Isabelle and his family has been restored. The building inspired by French Baroque and its vast park regularly provide him with inspiration for his painting. Villa Dubail-Burrus becomes a member of Domus Antiqua Helvetica, the Swiss association of owners of historic residences

In 2022, Froehlich installed a stained glass work at the Porrentruy cemetery in memory of his late father-in-law, Claude Duthé, who died in 2019. Titled "fluxus vitae", the piece challenges the solemnity typically associated with cemeteries by celebrating life in the face of death. As with the Saignelégier steles, the work was created in close collaboration with the Béguin stained glass workshop in St Croix and locksmiths J. Pierre and Marianne Scheuner. The installation features a metallic spiral in ultramarine blue rising from Portuguese pink marble, twisting through space, wrapping around a face composed of coloured glass, before extending outward into infinity. The funerary plaque is made from semi-transparent Iranian pink onyx. The site will also serve as the family tomb.

Exhibitions

Individual exhibitions Life score – Sculpture, mixed media, cardboard. Canvas 30 x 30 cm

2025 : Renaissance einmal anders : Galerie Erstererster, Berlin, Germany 2020: Entre Ciel et Terre (between heaven and earth). Centre Saint-François, Delémont (JU) 2018 : Magie de la Renaissance Fondation Anne et Robert Bloch (FARB), Delémont (Suisse) 2013 : World Theatre-Theatre World, Achtzig Gallery for Contemporary Art, Berlin, Allemagne (décembre 2013). 2012 : Tour de France, Jura stage on July 8, 2012: "Finishing line" : an installation with multiple sculptures and an old dusty bike. 2002 : Galerie Paul Bovée, Delémont, Suisse Galerie Paul Bovée, Delémont, Suisse 1997 : Galerie Pingeot-Gerbi, Paris, France; Galerie Catherine Clerc, Lausanne, Suisse 1994 : Galerie Catherine Clerc, Lausanne, Suisse 1993 : Galerie de l'Evole99, Neuchâtel, Suisse 1992 : Fondation du Grand-Cachot-de-Vent, Vallée de La Brévine, Suisse 1991 : Galerie Jasmin, Zurich, Suisse; Galerie Black, Lausanne, Suisse 1989 : Galerie Jasmin, Zurich, Suisse.

Group exhibitions

2024 : Exposition pour le 70ème anniversaire de la SPSJ (Exhibition for the 70th anniversary of the SPSJ), Galerie Cave de Soyhières ( Jura) 2024 : "Une longue complicité" (with Jacques Minala) Galerie du Pavé, St-Ursanne 2023: Galerie Café du Soleil, Saignelégier, 26.11.23-14.1.24 2023: Biennale de la Société des Peintres et Sculpteurs Jurassiens SPSJ 2021: Biennale de la Société des Peintres et Sculpteurs Jurassiens SPSJ 2019: Biennale de la Société des Peintres et Sculpteurs Jurassiens SPSJ 2015 et 2017 : Biennale de la Société des Peintres et Sculpteurs Jurassiens SPSJ 2015 : Galerie Dukan Contemporary Art, Leipzig 2014: Group exhibitions, Achtzig Gallery for Contemporary Art, Berlin, Germany 2013: MicroArt: Exhibition of recent work to suggest the use of microsculptures in Swiss watchmaking. Plejouse, October 29, 2013 2013 : Galerie FARB, Delémont, Switzerland 2011–2013 : Achtzig Gallery for Contemporary Art, Berlin (plusieurs expositions en groupe) 2010 : Exposition City Landscapes, Achtzig Gallery for Contemporary Art, Berlin, Germany 2009 : Swiss Museum of Stained Glass and Glass Art, Romont (Vitromusée), Romont. Verarte.ch exhibition; du 4 avril au 20 septembre 2009; Galerie Meisterschüler, Berlin, Germany 2007 : Galerie Art Service, Château d'Eguilly, Eguilly, France; Galerie Bleu de Chine, Fleurier, Switzerland 2006 : Permanent exhibition of artworks, Galerie Alain Aubry, Paris, France 2005 : Verarte.ch : Exhibition of Glass Art, Elisabethenkirche, Bâle, Switzerland 2004 : Exposition au Musée suisse du vitrail et des arts du verre, organisé par Verarte.ch, Romont, Switzerland 2002 : Invitation to take part in a nationwide exhibition Expo 02; Kunstmuseum, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland 1998 : Centre d'Art en Face, Porrentruy, Switzerland 1994 : 120 artistes jurassiens (120 Jura artists), Delémont, Switzerland 1992 : Galerie 67, Bern, Switzerland

Publications Florian FROEHLICH : Magie de la Renaissance. Un retour aux sources de la beauté. octobre 2018. Florian Froehlich : World Theatre – Theatre World. Éditions Le renard par la queue, CH-1005 Lausanne, Glasmalerei für das 21. Jahrhundert : Malen mit Glas und Licht, Biographisches Lexikon der Schweizer Kunst, Verlag Neue Zürcher Zeitung,