Paloma Varga Weisz

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Biography

Paloma Varga Weisz (b. 1966, Mannheim, Germany) lives and works in Düsseldorf, Germany. Her practice employs sculpture, watercolor and drawing to explore subjects such as memory, mortality, metamorphosis, myths and folklore.


The artist creates her own iconography by combining references to psychoanalysis with elements of Italian and German Renaissance and Gothic art. Her works lead the viewer into a contemplative observation, poised between dream and reality, characterized both by playful surrealism and emotional naiveté. Woodcarving has formed a central aspect of Paloma Varga Weisz’s work since the beginning of her career.


She trained as a woodcarver in Bavaria from 1987-2000, and has continued to utilize and develop this technique, sourcing inspiration from its rich iconographic history. She also attended the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf in the 1990s. Varga Weisz’s hybrid archetypal creatures evoke fairy tales and grotesque scenery displaying her personal subconscious symbolism and collective motifs.


Major solo exhibitions include Skulpturenhalle, Thomas Schütte Foundation, Holzheim, Germany; Kabinettstück, Fürstenberg Zeitgen.ssisch, Donaueschingen, Germany; curated by Moritz Wesseler; Glory Hole, Salzburger Kunstverein, Salzburg, Austria; Root of a Dream, Castello di Rivoli, Turin, Italy; Krummer Hund, Kabinett für aktuelle Kunst, Bremerhaven, Germany, Museum Morsbroich, Leverkusen, Germany (with Rosemary Trockel) and Spirits of My Flesh, Chapter, Cardiff , United Kingdom among other. Selected group shows include Lucas Cranach the Elder, Museum Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf, Germany; The Human Factor, Hayward Gallery, London; Sculptures from the Art Academy Düsseldorf since 1945, Kunstsammlung Nordrhein- Westfalen, Düsseldorf, Germany, Exquisite Corpses: Drawing and Disfi guration, Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Solo exhibitions
Year
Country, Exhibition Name, Location
2024
F, Forthcoming, MASSIMODECARLO Pièce Unique
2023
D, Wilde Leute, Konrad Fischer Galerie, Berlin
UK, Glass, Sadie Coles HQ, London
2021
F, Glory Hole, Le Consortium, Dijon
2020
UK, Bumped Body, The Henry Moore Institute, Leeds
2019
US, Wundergestalt, Gladstone 64, New York
NL, Bumped Body, Bonnefantenmuseum, Maastricht
2018
UK, Wild Bunch, Sadie Coles HQ, London
2017
P, Paloma Varga Weisz, Galeria Pedro Cera, Lisbon
D, Skulpturenhalle, Thomas Schütte Foundation, Neuss/Holzheim
2016
D, Kabinettstück Curated by Moritz Wesseler, Fürstenberg Zeitgenössisch, Donaueschingen
N, Paloma Varga Weisz, Gerhardsen Gerner, Oslo
2015
I, Root of a Dream Curated by Marianna Vecellio, Castello di Rivoli, Turin
2014
UK, Paloma Varga Weisz, Sadie Coles HQ, London
2013
D, Unfired Curated by Moritz Wesseler, CAPRI, Düsseldorf
IRL, Krummer Hund, Douglas Hyde Gallery, Dublin
D, Krummer Hund, Kabinett für aktuelle Kunst, Bremerhaven
2012
UK, Paloma Varga Weisz, Sadie Coles HQ, London
D, Maison de Plaisance (with Rosemarie Trockel) Curated by Stefanie Kreuzer, Museum Morsbroich, Leverkusen
2011
UK, Spirits of My Flesh, Chapter, Cardiff
2009
IL, Paloma Varga Weisz, Sommer Contemporary Art, Tel Aviv
2008
A, Bumped Body Curated by Gerald Matt and Angela Stief, Kunsthalle Wien project space, Karlsplatz, Vienna
D, Paloma Varga Weisz, Konrad Fischer Galerie, Berlin
US, Paloma Varga Weisz, Gladstone Gallery, New York
2007
UK, Paloma Varga Weisz, Sadie Cole HQ, London
2006
IRL, Paloma Varga Weisz, Douglas Hyde Gallery, Dublin
2005
UK, Paloma Varga Weisz, Sadie Coles HQ, London
US, Chor, Gladstone Gallery, New York
2004
D, Paloma Varga Weisz Curated by Guide de Werd, Museum Kurhaus Kleve, Kleve
2003
D, Stubaifrau, Konrad Fischer Galerie, Düsseldorf
2002
D, Big Trip, Konrad Fischer Galerie, Düsseldorf
I, Waldfrau, Castello di Rivara, Turin
Group exhibitions
Year
Country, Exhibition Name, Location
2022
I, Winter Wunderkammer, MASSIMODECARLO, VSpace
I, Pupille. Ci fioriscono gli occhi se ci guardiamo Curated by Rita Selvaggio, Casa Masaccio Centro per l'Arte Contemporanea, San Giovanni Valdarno
I, Afterimage Curated by Bartolomeo Pietromarchi, Alessandro Rabottini, MAXXI, L'Aquila
D, 25 Jahre Kurhaus Kleve, Museum Kurhaus / Kleve, Kleve
I, Glassstress 2022 – STATE OF MIND, Fondazione Berengo Art Space, Venice
US, The searchers, HDTS 2022, Joshua Tree
UK, Repeater, Sadie Coles HQ, London
D, Konterfei, Orangerie Schloss Benrath, Düsseldorf-Benrath
I, Balancing Act, MASSIMODECARLO, Milano
2021
US, Les fleurs du mal, Parotta Contemporary Art, Cologne and Bonn
UK, Fourth plinth shortlist exhibition, The National Gallery, London
S, SKOGSPROMENAD, CFHILL, Stockholm
UK, Cracked, Tristan Hoare, London
UK, Trees die stand: Plants and humans Curated by Freda Uziyel, Pi Artworks, London
2020
A, The effects of crossings and self-aggrandization in the human kingdom, Mario Mauroner Gallery, Vienna
D, Group Show, MOUNT KAPLAN, Berlin
D, -a breath? a name? - the ways of worldmaking, Biennale Gherdëina 7, Dolomiten, Jubel Jubel, - Es rolle der Rubel, Tiefkeller, Bonn
2019
CZ, A cool Breeze, Galerie Rudolfinum, Prague
F, The American Scene, National Museum of Ceramics, Sevres
GR, The Palace at 4 a.am, NEON Foundation, Archeological Museum, Mykonos
UK, The Enigma of the Hour - 100 Years of Psychoanalytic Thought, Freud Museum, London
S, Animalesque / Art Across Species and Beings, Bildmuseet, Umea
CH, Mask: In Present Day Art, Aargauer Kunsthaus, Aarau
ROK, Homo Faber: Craft in Contemporary Sculpture, Asia Culture Center, Gwangju
D, Multiface, Georg Hornemann studio, Berlin
2018
D, Von fremden Ländern in eigenen Städten, Düsseldorf central station, MAP Markus Ambach Projekte, Düsseldorf
D, [IM]MATERIELL.Über das Geistige im Stofflichen, Galerie Altes Feuerhaus, Städtische Galerie Bad Reichenhall, Bad Reichenhall
UK, Nudes, Sadie Coles HQ, London
UK, ISelf Collection Bumped Bodies, Whitechapel Gallery, London
D, Black White, Städtische Galerie im Park Viersen, Viersen
CH, A MIND OF WINTER, Fundaziun de Planta Samedan, Samedan
S, The Beautiful Escape, CFHILL, Stockholm

Bibliography

Year
Author, Publication Title, Date
2020
THE PALACE AT 4 A.M., Exhibition Catalogue.
– A BREATH? A NAME? – THE WAYS OF WORLDMAKING, BIENNALE GHERD.INA 7, ORTISEI, Exhibition Catalogue.
HOMO FABER: CRAFT IN CONTEMPORARY SCULPTURE, Exhibition Catalogue.
2019
BUMPED BODY, Exhibition Catalogue.
MASK, IN PRESENT-DAY ART, Exhibition Catalogue.
THE ENIGMA OF THE HOUR, 100 YEARS OF PSYCHOANALYTIC THOUGHT, Exhibition Catalogue.
A COOL BREEZE, Exhibition Catalogue.
2018
KUNSTMUSEUM BREMERHAVEN, SAMMELN, PR.SENTIEREN, DOKUMENTIEREN, Exhibition Catalogue.
THE BEAUTIFUL ESCAPE, Exhibition Catalogue.
2017
NEUE D.SSELDORFER KUNST SZENE IN 70 PORTR.TS, Exhibition Catalogue.
ROOT OF A DREAM, Exhibition Catalogue.
REVOLT OF THE SAGE, Exhibition Catalogue.
MINDESTENS_EIN_GEDANKE_ZU. 25 TEXTE ZU 25 ARBEITEN VON 25 K.NSTLERBUNDES BREMERHAVEN-STIPENDIUMS, Exhibition Catalogue.
DREAMERS AWAKE, Exhibition Catalogue.
PLAY WITH ME. DOLLS. WOMEN. ART, Exhibition Catalogue.
PALOMA VARGA WEISZ, Exhibition Catalogue.
CREATING OURSELVES: THE SELF IN ART, Exhibition Catalogue.
LUTHER UND DIE AVANTGARDE, Exhibition Catalogue.
2016
WOLKE UND KRISTALL. DIE SAMMLUNG DOROTHEE UND KONRAD FISCHER,, Exhibition Catalogue.
CERAMIX: DE RODIN À SCHÜTTE, Exhibition Catalogue.
HINTER DEM VORHANG. VERH.LLUNG UND ENTH.LLUNG SEIT DER RENAISSANCE. VON TIZIAN BIS CHRISTO, Exhibition Catalogue.
2015
DU SOLLST DIR (K)EIN BILD MACHEN, Exhibition Catalogue.
THE PROBLEM OF GOD, Exhibition Catalogue.
RABENMUTTER. ZWISCHEN KRAFT UND KREISE: M.TTERBILDER VON 1900 BIS HEUTE, Exhibition Catalogue.
QUEENSIZE – FEMALE ARTISTS FROM OLBRICHT COLLECTION, Exhibition Catalogue.
NO MAN’S LAND: WOMAN ARTISTS FROM THE RUBELL FAMILY COLLECTION, Exhibition Catalogue.
2014
BASIC RESEARCH – NOTES ON THE COLLECTION, Exhibition Catalogue.
THE HUMAN FACTOR: THE FIGURE IN CONTEMPORARY SCULPTURE, Exhibition Catalogue.
THE DISTAFF SIDE, Exhibition Catalogue.
RUBELL FAMILY COLLECTION, HIGHLIGHTS AND ARTISTS’ WRITINGS, Exhibition Catalogue.
GENIUS LOCI, Exhibition Catalogue.
2013
LES AVENTURES DE LA VÈRITÈ. PEINTURE ET PHILOSOPHIE: UN RÉCIT, Exhibition Catalogue.

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