DENNIS OPPENHEIM
DENNIS OPPENHEIM
Biography
Dennis Oppenheim was born in Electric City, Washington, in 1938 and died in New York City in 2011. He attended the California College of Art and Crafts in Oakland and the Stanford University. In 1966 he moved to New York where he discovered the avant-garde artistic circles. His work distinguishes for having dealt with various artistic movements, even the most different.
In 1967 he realized his first Land Art interventions, called Earthworks, documented with photography. Until the early 70s he continued to perform within the natural landscape, using organic materials marked by a transitory character. This work is permanently documented by the photographic and cinematographic medium. During the 70s, he turned his interest to Body Art, replacing the natural environment with the human body as the place of his temporary intervention: the work Reading Position for Second Degree Burn dates back 1970, for which he lied down for several hours with an open book on his chest and under the sun, whose radiations left trace on his body.
From the 80s Oppenheim experimented with Public Art: he created big installations in which he combined common but distorted forms and objects, including electrical mechanisms, movement, lights and pyrotechnic effects, often defying the limits of physics.
Dennis Oppenheim first solo exhibition was held in 1968 at John Gibson Gallery, New York, followed by many solos in public and private institutions all over the world: MAMCO, Genève (2022, 2015, 1996); Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo (2021, 1996); Musée des Beaux-Arts, Caen (2019); Guild Hall, East Hampton NY (2018); Art Institute of Chicago (2016); Yorkshire Sculpture Park, West Bretton (2013); MAMC, Saint-Etienne (2011); MARCA, Catanzaro (2009); Neuberger Museum, New York (2006); Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid (2005); Whitney Museum of American Art, New York (2003); IMMA, Dublin (2001); Kunsthalle Hamburg (1999); Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami (1998); Museo de Arte Carrillo Gil, Mexico City (1998); LACMA, Los Angeles (1997); Mannheimer Kunstverein, Mannheim (1996); Musée d’Art Moderne de Lille (1994); Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (1992); Institute for Contemporary Art, Long Island City (1991); Tel Aviv Museum of Art (1984); Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco (1984); Seattle Art Museum (1983); Vancouver Art Gallery (1982); Musée d’Art et d’Histoire, Genève (1982, 1980); Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris (1979); The Israel Museum, Jerusalem (1979); Musée d’art contemporain, Montréal (1978); Museum Boymans van Beuningen, Rotterdam (1976); Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels (1975); Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam (1974); Tate Gallery, London (1972).
Among the most recent group shows held in institutions: Centro Pecci, Prato (2022); John Michael Kohler Arts Center, New York (2022); Nevada Museum of Art, Reno NV (2021); Walker Art Center, Minneapolis (2020); Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington D.C. (2019); MAMAC, Nice (2018); Musée d’art contemporain, Marseille (2017); Tate Modern, London (2016); National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. (2016); Lille Métropole Musée d’art moderne, Villeneuve d’Ascq (2015); Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago (2014); Centre Pompidou, Metz (2013); The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (2012); MoMA, New York (2011, 2007); Museo Nacional de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid (2010).
Dennis Oppenheim also participated in prestigious international exhibitions: Valencia Biennal (2003); Venice Biennale (1997, 1972); Johannesburg Biennal (1997); documenta, Kassel (1977, 1972).
The collaboration with Galleria Fumagalli began in 2010 on the occasion of the first solo exhibition “Material Interchange. Works 1968-1974”, curated by Alberto Fiz. In 2013 the second solo exhibition, “Dennis Oppenheim. Sculture 1979-2006”, was held at the Pecci Museum in Milan, curated by Alberto Fiz with Amy Oppenheim, in collaboration with Spazioborgogno. In 2021, Oppenheim’s works were selected by critic Lóránd Hegyi to be included in the third and sixth shows of the exhibition program “MY30YEARS – Coherency in Diversity”.
Biography
Dennis Oppenheim was born in Electric City, Washington, in 1938 and died in New York City in 2011. He attended the California College of Art and Crafts in Oakland and the Stanford University. In 1966 he moved to New York where he discovered the avant-garde artistic circles. His work distinguishes for having dealt with various artistic movements, even the most different.
In 1967 he realized his first Land Art interventions, called Earthworks, documented with photography. Until the early 70s he continued to perform within the natural landscape, using organic materials marked by a transitory character. This work is permanently documented by the photographic and cinematographic medium. During the 70s, he turned his interest to Body Art, replacing the natural environment with the human body as the place of his temporary intervention: the work Reading Position for Second Degree Burn dates back 1970, for which he lied down for several hours with an open book on his chest and under the sun, whose radiations left trace on his body.
From the 80s Oppenheim experimented with Public Art: he created big installations in which he combined common but distorted forms and objects, including electrical mechanisms, movement, lights and pyrotechnic effects, often defying the limits of physics.
Dennis Oppenheim first solo exhibition was held in 1968 at John Gibson Gallery, New York, followed by many solos in public and private institutions all over the world: MAMCO, Genève (2022, 2015, 1996); Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo (2021, 1996); Musée des Beaux-Arts, Caen (2019); Guild Hall, East Hampton NY (2018); Art Institute of Chicago (2016); Yorkshire Sculpture Park, West Bretton (2013); MAMC, Saint-Etienne (2011); MARCA, Catanzaro (2009); Neuberger Museum, New York (2006); Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid (2005); Whitney Museum of American Art, New York (2003); IMMA, Dublin (2001); Kunsthalle Hamburg (1999); Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami (1998); Museo de Arte Carrillo Gil, Mexico City (1998); LACMA, Los Angeles (1997); Mannheimer Kunstverein, Mannheim (1996); Musée d’Art Moderne de Lille (1994); Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (1992); Institute for Contemporary Art, Long Island City (1991); Tel Aviv Museum of Art (1984); Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco (1984); Seattle Art Museum (1983); Vancouver Art Gallery (1982); Musée d’Art et d’Histoire, Genève (1982, 1980); Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris (1979); The Israel Museum, Jerusalem (1979); Musée d’art contemporain, Montréal (1978); Museum Boymans van Beuningen, Rotterdam (1976); Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels (1975); Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam (1974); Tate Gallery, London (1972).
Among the most recent group shows held in institutions: Centro Pecci, Prato (2022); John Michael Kohler Arts Center, New York (2022); Nevada Museum of Art, Reno NV (2021); Walker Art Center, Minneapolis (2020); Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington D.C. (2019); MAMAC, Nice (2018); Musée d’art contemporain, Marseille (2017); Tate Modern, London (2016); National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. (2016); Lille Métropole Musée d’art moderne, Villeneuve d’Ascq (2015); Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago (2014); Centre Pompidou, Metz (2013); The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (2012); MoMA, New York (2011, 2007); Museo Nacional de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid (2010).
Dennis Oppenheim also participated in prestigious international exhibitions: Valencia Biennal (2003); Venice Biennale (1997, 1972); Johannesburg Biennal (1997); documenta, Kassel (1977, 1972).
The collaboration with Galleria Fumagalli began in 2010 on the occasion of the first solo exhibition “Material Interchange. Works 1968-1974”, curated by Alberto Fiz. In 2013 the second solo exhibition, “Dennis Oppenheim. Sculture 1979-2006”, was held at the Pecci Museum in Milan, curated by Alberto Fiz with Amy Oppenheim, in collaboration with Spazioborgogno. In 2021, Oppenheim’s works were selected by critic Lóránd Hegyi to be included in the third and sixth shows of the exhibition program “MY30YEARS – Coherency in Diversity”.
Works
Works
Press
Domus
April 2010
“Dennis Oppenheim. Da Electric City a Electric Kisses. Una vicenda artistica e architettonica”
Press
Domus
April 2010
“Dennis Oppenheim. Da Electric City a Electric Kisses. Una vicenda artistica e architettonica”
Exhibitions
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
DENNIS OPPENHEIM
Sculture 1979-2006
Opening 3 October, 2013
4 October to 23 November, 2013
DENNIS OPPENHEIM
Material Interchange. Opere 1968/1974
Opening 5 June, 2010
8 June to 20 November, 2010
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
Ironia – Temporalità – Déplacement
Opening 17 November, 2021
18 November, 2021 to 4 February, 2022
Corpi in azione / Corpi in visione
Esperienze e indagini artistiche 1965/1980
Opening 18 April, 2013
19 April to 15 June, 2013
Exhibitions
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
DENNIS OPPENHEIM
Sculture 1979-2006
Opening 3 October, 2013
4 October to 23 November, 2013
DENNIS OPPENHEIM
Material Interchange. Opere 1968/1974
Opening 5 June, 2010
8 June to 20 November, 2010
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
Ironia – Temporalità – Déplacement
Opening 17 November, 2021
18 November, 2021 to 4 February, 2022
Corpi in azione / Corpi in visione
Esperienze e indagini artistiche 1965/1980
Opening 18 April, 2013
19 April to 15 June, 2013
