Franz Immoos

Franz Immoos (born 9 November 1948) is a Swiss-Dutch object installation artist and photographer. He was born in Menziken.

Art education Franz Immoos studied from 1972 to 1975 at the Fachklasse für Gestaltung at Kunstgewerbeschule Basel with the Swiss painter Franz Fedier. Then he spent time in Paris from 1976 to 1977 in a studio at the Cité Internationale des Arts, an artist residence and from 1978 to 1979 he attended the Visual Communication course at the Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten in Amsterdam, where Immoos lives and works since 1977.

Work Immoos' artistic work offers object art, installations, photographic works, artists' books as well as theoretical treatises on colour and space.

Illusion objects, surfaces in space

The illusion objects are made of steel profiles or graphite plates. They are minimalist markings in space; illusions of geometric bodies such as cubes, elongated blocks, pyramids, etc. The figures are related to a 'fixed viewpoint' in space. This can be recognised by the fact that the figures transform into familiar bodies such as cubes, blocks, pyramids, etc. Upon releasing this 'fixed viewpoint', the plastic illusion is lifted. An interaction with the viewer occurs, challenging familiar habits of seeing.

Installations of these works were on show in:

1976 Gallery Stampa Basel, Switzerland 1979 Hester van Royen Gallery, London, United Kingdom 1979 / 1981 Gallery Lydia Megert, Bern, Switzerland 1980 Gallery Nouvelles Images, The Hague. Netherlands 1979 / 1980 Museum Fodor, Amsterdam. Netherlands 1987 Gallery Gruppe Grün, Bremen, Germany 1989 Gallery Schöller, Düsseldorf, Germany 1978- Collectie Nederland: Musea, Monumenten en Archeologie, Amersfoort, Netherlands

Colour objects, symbolic colours, installation (art)

Immoos developed his collection of artworks 'Symbolic Colours' in the tradition of a 'mathematical aesthetic' of the constructive and geometric tendencies of 20th-century art. As a Dutch and Swiss artist, he is indebted to the founders of the Dutch art movement De Stijl, such as Piet Mondrian and Theo van Doesburg, as well as to the virulent systematic investigations of colour by Swiss artists Max Bill and Richard Paul Lohse and the light kinetics of Hungarian-French painter and graphic artist Victor Vasarely – to name a few post-1945 movements. The fundamental difference with these predecessors is the symbolism Immoos envisaged in his colour fields. In almost all directions of concrete art of this century, which began with the black square of Russia's Kazimir Malevich, the referential function of colour is rejected. Colour is concrete; it has no pictorial or symbolic meaning. Immoos rejects this unquestioned credo. In a unique way, he connects the usual concrete use of colour in this century with its millennia-old task in religious cult.

These installations were exhibited in:

1983 "Materialisation" Triptychon, Kampnagel Fabrik, Hamburg, Germany 1991 "Farbtransformation" and "Die neun Bilder", Gallery Künstlerhaus am Deich, Bremen, Germany 1992 "Die gelbe Halle", Gallery Maria Chailloux, Amsterdam, Netherlands 1993 "Die fünf Wandlungen", Raum 1, Düsseldorf, Germany 1994 "Farbtransformation 69", I.C.C.D., Trivandrum Kerala, India 1995 "Cosmic 69", Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, Netherlands 1997 "Symbolfarben", Privatgrün-Stadtgrün, Projekt, Bremen, Germany 1997 "Om", Sanskriti Kendra, New Delhi, India

Photography (art)

In art photography, the medium of photography is used as a means of expression. In general, a photograph in art photography can also be called a work of art and should be understood as fine art. With such a definition, photographs are not faithful reproductions. In art photography, corrections can also be made to the image in the laboratory or on the computer, and there are no limits to the artist's creativity. The justification for photography as an art form was aptly given by Swedish art collector and museum director Pontus Hultén: "Photography is easy. But photography is a very difficult art."

What a person thinks and feels is captured in signs, symbols, images and photographs:

"Symbols come from our imagination; they transcend the boundary between rational and irrational thinking; they connect the unknown with the conscious. Images can be perceived and interpreted quite banally; but they can also be connected to transpersonal archetypal content."

Photographic works were on display in the following exhibitions and collections:

1981 "Erweiterte Fotografie", 5. Foto-Biennale, Wiener Secession, Vienna, Austria 1983 "Diptychon – Triptychon", Museum Waterland, Purmerend, Netherlands 1984 "Umgang mit der Aura", Städtische Galerie, Regensburg, Germany 1985 "Schweizer-Fotografie". Die Sammlung der Gotthard Bank, Lugano, Zürich, Switzerland 1986 "Diptychon – Triptychon", Galerie Ton Peek, Amsterdam, Netherlands 1999 "Photo Paris“, Gallery Pennings, Eindhoven, Netherlands 2000 "Nature matters", Gallery Resy Muijsers, Tilburg, Netherlands 2005 "Anima-Natura", Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, Netherlands 2011 "Kunstfrühling", Gruppe Grün, Bremen, Germany 2015 "Treffpunkt Worpswede", Heinrich Vogeler Museum Barkenhoff, Worpswede, Germany

Artist books

Artist books are stand-alone works of art that have usually made the book the subject of an artistic concept; in contemporary art, these concepts also transcend the boundaries of the book as an object.

"In photobooks (photocompressions), architectural fragments are phototechnically combined in transparent layers. Through old and new architectural elements and different perspectives, a new architectural structure is created. This irrational reality created by superimposing different architectural fragments in style and time is illusionary. A new, imaginary space is created that contradicts reality. On the one hand, this newly created space irritates rational thinking and, on the other, it certainly stimulates our imagination. The fragmentary randomness of these architectural ensembles is utopian and imaginary. Both the change and mixing of old and new architectural fragments create an untruthful image. The composition of unsuspected forms and altered perspectives result in unusual spatial dynamics. The depiction of the idea offers more than the image and suggests a new atmosphere. The atmospheric play of light and shadow, the staircase ending in nothingness, suggests allegorical, metaphorical content. The resulting fantasy construction forms analogies with dream images.

The artist's books can be viewed online.

1982 "Imitations", Edition da Costa, Amsterdam, Netherlands 1984 "Water, Earth, Air", Edition da Costa, Amsterdam, Netherlands 1985 "Venus", Edition da Costa, Amsterdam, Netherlands 2018 "Pariser Foto-Skizzen". Fotokompressionen. 2020 "Architekturcollagen". Fotokompressionen. 2020 "Immanenz Transzendenz". Fotokompressionen. 2021 "Light Images and Idols". Fotokompressionen. 2021 "Sakraler Raum". Fotokompressionen. 2022 "Raum-Farbe-Licht". Fotokompressionen. 2022 "Graffiti Idole". Fotokompressionen.

Residences and cultural centres

1991 Gallery Künstlerhaus Bremen, Bremen, Germany 1994 I.C.C.D. Trivandrum, Kerala, India 1995 Cultural centre Binz 39, Scuol-Nairs, Switzerland 1997 Sanskriti Kendra, Artist in Residence, New-Delhi, India 1999 Nairs – Centre for Contemporary Art, Scuol, Switzerland 2000 Kartause Ittingen, Warth-Weiningen, Switzerland 2000 Guest atelier Kaskadenkondensator, Basel, Switzerland 2001 Artists houses Worpswede, Worpswede, Germany 2002 Artists' Village Schöppingen, Schöppingen, Germany 2018 Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, France 2018 Nairs – Centre for Contemporary Art, Scuol, Switzerland 2022 Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, France

Works in collections

Öffentliche Kunstsammlung, Kunstmuseum Basel, Switzerland Nederlandsche Rijkscollectie: "kleine plastieken", "ijzer", "foto's in combinatie", "stempelkunst" Museum Fodor, Amsterdam, Netherlands Van Reekum Museum, Apeldoorn, Netherlands Gotthard Bank, Lugano, Switzerland Centrum Beeldende Kunst, Utrecht, Netherlands Landesbibliothek des Kantons Glarus, Glarus, Switzerland Ospidal – Center da sandà Engiadina Bassa, Scuol, Switzerland Collectie Nederland: Musea, Monumenten en Archeologie, Amersfoort, Netherlands "Helveticat": Online-Katalog der Schweizerischen Nationalbibliothek, Bern, Switzerland

Grants

1974 Kiefer Hablitzelstipendium, Kunstmuseum Luzern, Switzerland 1976 Art grant of the city of Basel, Switzerland 1976 Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, France 1978 Stipend of the city of Amsterdam, Netherlands 1979/81 Nederlandse Kunst Stipendia (CRM), The Hague, Netherlands 1997 Travel grant, Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds, Amsterdam, Netherlands 2001 Artists houses Worpswede, Residence and scholarship, Worpswede, Germany 2002 Artists' Village Schöppingen, Residence and scholarship, Schöppingen, Germany 2003 /04/05 Fonds voor Beeldende Kunst, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Prijzen

1976 Sponsorship award of the city of Basel, Basel, Switzerland 1978 Incentive Award of the Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst (AFK), Amsterdam, Netherlands 1979 Tender: Percentageregeling voor beeldende kunstopdrachten, MEAO Aula, Helmond, Netherlands 1979 Amsterdam koopt Kunst, Museum Fodor, Amsterdam, Netherlands 1980 Amsterdam koopt Kunst, Museum Fodor, Amsterdam, Netherlands 1999 Tender: Ospidal – Center da sandà Engiadina Bassa, Scuol, Switzerland

Exhibitions Immoos' works have been shown in more than 25 solo exhibitions and more than 50 group exhibitions.

Solo exhibitions

1976 Gallery Stampa, Basel, Switzerland 1978 /81/82/88 Gallery Lydia Megert Bern, Bern, Switzerland 1978 Other books and so, Amsterdam, Netherlands 1979 Hester van Royen Gallery, London, United Kingdom 1980 Gallery Nouvelles Images, The Hague, Netherlands 1982 /85/88/94 Gallery Resy Muijsers, Tilburg, Netherlands 1983 85/89 Multi Art Points, Amsterdam, Netherlands 1986 Gallery Ton Peek Photography, Amsterdam, Netherlands 1987 /94/01 Galerie Gruppe Grün, Bremen, West Germany/Germany 1989 Gallery Schöller, Düsseldorf, West Germany 1990 Stichting Beeldende Kunst, Amsterdam, Netherlands 1991 Centrum Beeldende Kunst, Utrecht, Netherlands 1991 Gallery Künstlerhaus Bremen, Bremen, Germany 1992 96 Gallery Maria Chailloux, Amsterdam, Netherlands 1993 Raum 1, Düsseldorf, Germany 1994 I.C.C.D. Trivandrum (Kerala), India 1994 Gallery Hubertus Wunschik, Düsseldorf, Germany 1995 Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, Netherlands 1996 Museum Waterland, Purmerend, Netherlands 1997 Sanskriti Kendra, Anandagram, Delhi, India 1998 Stichting Beeldende Kunst, Amsterdam, Netherlands 1999 Pennings Foundation, Eindhoven, Netherlands 2003 Gallery Frontstore, Basel, Switzerland 2005 Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Group exhibitions

1981 5. Foto-Bienniale, "Erweiterte Fotografie", Vienna Secession, Vienna, Austria 1983 Kampnagel Fabrik, Hamburg, Germany 1983 Museum Waterland, Purmerend, Netherlands 1984 Städtische Galerie, Regensburg, Germany 1989 Arts Consultancy, Antwerpen, Belgium 1991 Gallery Künstlerhaus am Deich, Bremen, Germany 1993 Künstlerhaus Berlin, Haus am Lützowplatz (HAL), Berlin, Germany 1994 Gallery Schöller, Düsseldorf, Germany 1994 Große Kunstausstellung NRW, Kunstpalast Düsseldorf, Germany 1994 Westdeutscher Künstlerbund, Recklinghausen, Germany 1995 Gallery Cornelius Hertz, Bremen, Germany 1995 Fondazione Galleria Gottardo, Lugano, Switzerland 1995 Gallery Hubertus Wunschik, Düsseldorf, Germany 1995 Art Multiple, Kunstverlag Schuhmacher, Düsseldorf, Germany 1995 Art Kitchen Gallery with Steiger 8, Amsterdam, Netherlands 1996 De Annex, Amsterdam, Netherlands 1997 Privatgrün-Stadtgrün, Project, Bremen, Germany 1998 Stichting Beeldende Kunst, Amsterdam, Netherlands 1998 De Vishal, association for visual artists, Haarlem, Netherlands 1999 Het nieuwe Podium, Artoteek Zuidoost, Amsterdam, Netherlands 2000 Gallery Resy Muijsers Contemporary Art, "Nature matters", Tilburg, Netherlands 2000 Exhibition project "View assistance", Basel / Boswil, Switzerland 2001 Gallery Gruppe Grün, "Parallele-Universien", Bremen, Germany 2003 Gallery Resy Muijsers Contemporary Art, "25 Years Contemporary Art", Tilburg, Netherlands 2003 Edition Multipleart, Zürich and Galerie Zimmermannhaus, Brugg, Switzerland 2004 Edition Multipleart, Zürich and Galleria Ammann, Locarno, Switzerland 2004 Weserburg. Museum of Modern Art, "À la carte", Bremen, Germany 2005 Gallery Resy Muijsers Contemporary Art, Tilburg, Netherlands 2005 Artbox, Frankfurt am Main and Octagon Gallery, Amsterdam, Netherlands 2006 Edition Multipleart, Zürich and Kunsthaus Zofingen, Zofingen, Switzerland 2006 Gallery Maria Chailloux, "Convoi Exceptionne", Amsterdam, Netherlands 2007 Weserburg. Museum of Modern Art, "Leck mich!", artist stamps, Bremen, Germany 2008 Gallery Resy Muijsers Contemporary Art, Jubilee exhibition, Tilburg, Netherlands 2009 Gallery Maria Chailloux, "Minimentaal", Amsterdam, Netherlands 2010 Edition Multipleart, Zürich and Kunsthaus Zofingen, Zofingen, Switzerland 2010 Gallery Resy Muijsers Contemporary Art, "Staalkaart 33",Tilburg, Netherlands 2011 Kunstfrühling 2011, Gruppe Grün, Bremen, Germany 2012 Privatbesitz, Städtische Galerie Bremen, Bremen, Germany 2015 Treffpunkt Worpswede and Heinrich Vogeler Museum Barkenhoff, Worpswede, Germany

Art fairs

1982 /83/84 Art Basel: Gallery Lydia Megert Bern, Basel, Switzerland 1986 KunstRAI: Gallery Ton Peek Photography, Amsterdam, Netherlands 1993 Art Bologna: Gallery Lydia Megert Bern, Bologna, Italy 1997 KunstRAI: Steiger 8, Amsterdam, Netherlands 1997 KunstRAI: Gallery Resy Muijsers, Tilburg, Amsterdam, Netherlands 1998 Paris Photo: Gallery Pennings Eindhoven, Parijs, France 2000 /02/03/04/05 Art Frankfurt: Octagon Galerie, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Germany 2004 /05 Art Cologne: Octagon Galerie, Amsterdam, Köln, Germany 2004 /05/06/07/08/09/10 Kunst Zürich: Edition Multipleart, Zürich, Switzerland

Publications, catalogues and books

1976 Stampa 17, Gallery Stampa, brochure, Basel, Switzerland 1979 Metronom, "Mail-Art", Barcelona, Spain 1979 Universitätsbibliothek, "Buchobjekte", Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany 1979 Museum Fodor, "Amsterdam koopt kunst", Amsterdam, Netherlands 1979 Gallery Lydia Megert, "Artist-Books", Bern, Switzerland 1980 Metronom, "Artist-books", Barcelona, Spain 1980 Vienna Secession 5. Foto-Bienniale, "Erweiterte Fotografie", catalogue, Vienna, Austria 1980 Vleeshal, "Installaties", Middelburg in cooperation with gallery Lydia Megert Bern, Netherlands 1981 Galerie Gruppe Grün, "Zwischenbereiche". International Summer programme, Bremen, Germany 1982 Kulturverwaltung, "Kunst zum Überleben", Bergkamen, Germany 1982 Galerie im Ganserhaus, "Mail-Art 83", Wasserburg, Germany 1982 Nederlandse Kunststichting, "Foto's in combinatie", Amsterdam, Netherlands 1982 Edition da Costa, "Imitations", Kunstenaarsboek, Amsterdam, Netherlands 1983 Edition Hohweg, "Umgang mit der Aura", catalogue, Zürich, Switzerland 1983 Kulturbehörde Hamburg, Kampnagelfabrik "Triptychons", Hamburg, Germany 1983 Galerie Vor-Ort, "Chronik", Hamburg, Germany 1984 Edition da Costa, "Water, Earth, Air", 3 art books, Amsterdam, Netherlands 1985 Edition da Costa, "Venus", Amsterdam, Netherlands 1983 Galerie Resy Muijsers, "100 Kunstenaars",Tilburg, Netherlands 1986 Galerie Gruppe Grün, "Franz Immoos-Objekte", Bremen, Germany 1987 Der Alltag nr.1/87. "Aktuelle Fotografie in der Schweiz", Switzerland 1989 Stichting Fonds Beeldende Kunsten, Vormgeving en Bouwkunst (Fonds BKVB), Amsterdam, Netherlands 1989 Helmhaus, "Künstlerbücher in der Schweiz", Zürich, Switzerland 1990 Stadt Amsterdam, "Afdeling Kunstzaken. Jaarverslag", Amsterdam, Netherlands 1991 Centrum Beeldende Kunst, "Pigmentfrottages" 3/91, Utrecht, Netherlands 1992 Galerie Gruppe Grün, "20 Jahre Galerie Gruppe Grün", Bremen, Germany 1992 Künstlerhaus Bremen, "Mai 1991-Oktober 1992", Bremen, Germany 1993 Catalogue Stipendiaten Binz 39 Scuol-Nairs 1991–1992, Stiftung Binz 39, Zürich, Switzerland 1993 Stadt Amsterdam, "Kleinschalige Kunstopdrachten 1991/1992", Amsterdam, Netherlands 1993 Künstlerhaus Berlin, "Kunst auf Zeit", Edition 3. , Berlin, Germany 1994 Verein Kunstausstellungen Düsseldorf, "Grosse Kunstausstellung Düsseldorf", ISSN 0931-0908, Düsseldorf, Germany 1994 Westdeutscher Künstlerbund, Kunsthalle "Wir hier", Recklinghausen. , Germany 1994 Galerie Schöller, "Jubiläumsausstellung", Düsseldorf, Germany 1995 Collection "Schweizer-Fotografie". Die Sammlung der Gotthard Bank, Lugano, Zürich, , Switzerland 1996 Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, "Beeldende Kunstopdrachten", Amsterdam, Netherlands 1997 Senator für Bildung, Kunst und Wissenschaft, "Privat-Stadtgrün", Bremen, Germany 1999 Pennings Foundation, "Dream". Photo portfolio, Eindhoven, Netherlands 1998 Vishal, "Zien is geloven. Hedendaagse kunst in Nederland", Haarlem, Netherlands 1996 Nairs – Centre for Contemporary Art, "Energetik der Farbe", Scuol, Switzerland 2000 "Das magische Quadrat Arbeits Brochüre", 21x21cm, Amsterdam, Netherlands 2000 "Die Psychoenergetische Farbwahrnehmung", A 4 / 70S, Amsterdam, Netherlands 2001 "Schweizer Stimmen Kunstschaffen in den Niederlanden", Botschaft, Den Haag. , Netherlands 2002 30 Jahre Gruppe Grün, Galerie Gruppe Grün, Bremen. , Germany 2003 Book "Farbe, Eigenschaft und Wirkung", 101 p., Schöppingen, Germany 2004 "Art à la carte", Weserburg. Museum of Modern Art, Bremen. , Germany 2004 Blue Print: Das Magazin Int. University, Bremen Nr.6, Bremen. ISSN 1619-1536, Germany 2007 Edition Multiple Art, Benteli Verlag, Bern. , Switzerland 2009 "Energetik der Farbe", Franz Immoos (Website) 2011 Catalogue "Kunstfrühling 2011", Bremen. , Germany 2012 Book "Farbe", Franz Immoos 2012 Book "Pin up shoot", Franz Immoos (Limited Edition) 2014 Book "Portraits of Animals, Natura Artis Magistra", Franz Immoos 2015 Treffpunkt Worpswede and Heinrich Vogeler Museum Barkenhoff, Worpswede. 2017 Book "Compilation – Art Photography", Franz Immoos 2018 Book "Pariser Foto-Skizzen". Fotokompressionen, Franz Immoos. 2020 Book "Architekturcollagen". Fotokompressionen, Franz Immoos. 2020 Book "Immanenz Transzendenz". Fotokompressionen, Franz Immoos. 2021 Book "Light Images and Idols". Fotokompressionen, Franz Immoos. 2021 Book "Sakraler Raum". Fotokompressionen, Franz Immoos. 2022 Book "Raum-Farbe-Licht". Fotokompressionen, Franz Immoos. 2023 Book "Graffiti Idole". Fotokompressionen.