Heimo Zobernig

Heimo Zobernig's body of work encompasses a diverse range of media, including architectural intervention, installation, performance, film, video, sculpture, and painting.

Biography of Heimo Zobernig

Heimo Zobernig was born in 1958 in Mauthen, Austria. From 1977 to 1980, he studied at the Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Vienna, where he earned a BFA degree. Later, he attended Hochschule für Angewandte Kunst in Vienna from 1980 to 1983, where he earned his MFA.

Zobernig has built his career not only as an artist but also as a teacher. Since 2000, he has held the position of Professor of Sculpture at the Akademie der Bildenden Künste. Before that, he served as a Professor of Sculpture at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste in Städelschule, Frankfurt, Germany, and as a Guest Professor at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste, Hamburg, Germany.

In 2010, he received the 7th Prize for Architecture and the Arts from the Austrian Frederick and Lilian Kiesler Private Foundation. Heimo Zobernig was also awarded the 16th Roswitha Haftmann Prize in 2016. 

His recent solo exhibitions have taken place at Simon Lee Gallery, De Brock Gallery, MUMOK Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig, Galerie Meyer Kainer, Galeria Juana de Aizpuru, Nicolas Krupp, Galerija Kula, and numerous other venues.

Currently, the artist lives and works in Vienna, Austria. 

Heimo Zobernig's Art Style

Heimo Zobernig's body of work encompasses a diverse range of media, including architectural intervention, installation, performance, film, video, sculpture, and painting. Across all these forms, his artistic practice is characterized by an exploration of modernism's formal language. This exploration is most recognizable in the conventions of the monochrome and the grid, but it also delves into Constructivism, color theory, and geometric abstraction.

One remarkable aspect of Zobernig's artistry is his ability to seamlessly traverse various artistic domains. His creative interpretations of modernist themes extend beyond his paintings to sculptures, videos, and room installations. In doing so, he challenges the core tenets of high modernism, disrupting its traditional purity with elements of decoration, functionality, or a touch of whimsy.

"A distinctive trademark of Zobernig's installations is his clever use of fabric curtains or strategic lighting to create monochromatic environments. Within these carefully curated spaces, his works come to life in unique and immersive ways. These subversive approaches to traditional gallery architecture and the unconventional utilization of space emphasize Zobernig's fascination with how his art is framed, both in its physical and conceptual dimensions.