Valérie Favre

Valérie Favre (born 1959) is a Swiss artist who has been a professor of painting at the Universität der Künste in Berlin since 2006.

Biography Born in Evilard, Switzerland, Favre grew up in the canton of Bern. Having worked as a stage designer and actress at the theater in Paris in the early 1980s, she developed an interest in painting. After 18 years in France, she relocated to Berlin in 1998.

History of works 1989–2010 During her career, Favre's works have grown in a series of interconnected cycles, showing references to different fields of art history, geopolicy, philosophy, theater and film as well as her interest in narration in general.

1989-1990 "Périmètre" paintings 1991-1994 White Paintings 1992-1994 Creation of objects 1994-1996 "Robe Rouge", first sound work from the series Balls and Tunnels 1996-1997 Works after Pontormo, Velázquez, Watteau, Géricault 1998 "Filets a souvenirs" 1999 "Les soeurs malades", beginning of the series Lapine Univers 2000 Series of Intérieurs, Petite filles 2001 Series of Excercices de vols 2002-2004 "Autos dans la nuit", from the series Forêt; beginning of ongoing suicide series, beginning of series Idiotinnen 2005-2007 "Bruder Grimm" and "Columbia Variations", beginning of the Shortcuts series 2008 "Kakerlaken", "Autoscooter", "Redescription" 2008-2011 Volière and Stage Series

Exhibitions history

Favre's work has been exhibited internationally in museums such as K21, Düsseldorf, Germany (2010/2011); Kunstmuseum Lucerne, Switzerland (2009/2010); Carré d'Art Nîmes, France (2009); Centre Georges Pompidou Paris, France (2009); Haus am Waldsee, Berlin, Germany (2006); Westfälischer Kunstverein Münster, Germany (2004); Musée de Picardie Amiens, France (2003); FRAC Auvergne, France (1999). In 2024 she was the recipient of the Meret Oppenheim Prize in Basel.

Favre is represented by Galerie Barbara Thumm, Berlin; Galerie Jocelyn Wolff, Paris; Vielmetter, Los Angeles; and Galerie Peter Kilchmann, Zurich.

Publications "Valérie Favre - Visions", exh. cat. Carré d'Art Nîmes, Kunstmuseum Luzern, texts by Beatrice von Bismarck, Claire Brunet, Jürgen Harten, Jaqueline Lichtenstein, Hatje Cantz, Ostfildern, 2009 "Valérie Favre - Der dritte Bruder Grimm", exh. cat. Haus am Waldsee, texts by Katja Blomberg, Alexander Koch, Revolver, Frankfurt, 2006 "Valérie Favre - Mise en Scène", exh. cat. Westfälischer Kunstverein Münster, texts by Valérie Favre, Carina Plath, Gregor Jansen, Verlag für moderne Kunst Nürnberg, Nürnberg, 2004 "Valérie Favre - Forêts", exh. cat. Musée de Picardie, texts by Sylvie Couderc, Kerstin Grübmeyer, Amiens, 2003 "Valérie Favre - Sophie et Patrick", exh. cat. L'Espal, Centre Culturel, text by Marion Casanova, Le Mans, 2001 "Range ta Chambre", exh. cat. Centre d'Art Contemporain de Basse Normandie, Herouville Saint-Clair, 1994