Celebrating a Symbolic Gift: Isa Genzken at 75
For her 75th birthday, German contemporary artist Isa Genzken receives a rose... or rather, an eight-meter-high rose sculpture made of painted steel, a unique tribute placed in her honor outside Berlin's Neue Nationalgalerie, a testament to her enduring impact on the art world. This isn't the first time Isa's signature rose has graced a city; the famous piece also adorns the area near the World Trade Center in New York, remembering the victims of 9/11.
New York City holds great significance for Isa's artistic journey as well, with a previous iteration of her rose sculpture residing there since 2018. In 2013, the Museum of Modern Art paid homage to her groundbreaking work by organizing a comprehensive retrospective that also toured across the United States.
Born in Bad Oldesloe, Hamburg, Isa Genzken has always displayed an uncanny ability to escape classification, drawing inspiration from minimal art and conceptual art while continuously expanding her conceptual boundaries. This fearlessness in confronting new ideas never fails to captivate and leaves viewers in awe.
Invitations to showcase her work extend far beyond the confines of Europe, with prestigious events including the documenta in Kassel, the Venice Biennale, and the inauguration of the German Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2007. "Monopol" magazine deemed her the "most important living artist" in 2007, acknowledging the transformative impact of her artistic practice on sculpture as a medium.
In celebration of her milestone birthday, 75 works spanning her creative history since the 1970s are showcased at the Neue Nationalgalerie. The exhibit, entitled "Isa Genzken. 75/75," pays homage to her versatility by displaying her diverse techniques, including wood, concrete, steel, sculpture, mirrors, fabric, and her distinctive appropriation of the famous Nefertiti statue and the use of designer fashion in her installations.
As part of the Skulpturprojekte Münster 1997, Isa's eight-meter-high sculpture, "Full Moon" (1997/2023), is installed in the museum's outdoor space for one year. Moreover, a glass sphere, 2.5 meters in diameter, illuminates a 14-meter-high stainless steel rod, creating a captivating sight that remains in the museum's exterior works.
Isa Genzken's oeuvre is a testament to her explorative spirit, embracing everyday materials to create art that pushes boundaries and sparks conversation.
- Isa Genzken has inspiring exhibitions in her name, such as "Mach Dich hübsch!" (a comprehensive 40-year retrospective of her works at the Stedelijk Museum) and the collaboration project with her former partner, Gerhard Richter, on the König-Heinrich-Platz underground station in Duisburg.
Her art continues to challenge, amaze, and captivate audiences, with recent exhibitions, like "Isa Genzken Meets Liebieghaus" and her collages that include personal snapshots and art historical references, providing additional insight into her unique artistic process and influences.
