isa genzken: open sesame! exhibition at museum ludwig, cologne

isa genzken: open sesame!
museum ludwig, cologne
august 15th to november 15th, 2009


slot machine by isa genzken, 1999-2000
mixed media
private collection, berlin
image courtesy of museum ludwig
© isa genzken

open sesame! is the comprehensive solo exhibition of german sculptor isa genzken held at
the museum ludwig, cologne in collaboration with whitechapel gallery, london.
from her aerodynamic wood sculptures of the seventies, concrete works of the eighties through to
her more recent fragile installations made from various items of consumer culture:
souvenirs, furniture, building materials, toys which have been arranged in scenarios which are funny
and disturbing, drawing a fine line between beauty and destruction. with over seventy pieces
on show, the exhibition provides a survey of the artistic development of genzken in its thematic
and formal complexity of more than 30 years.


kinder filmen III (children who film III) by isa genzken, 2005
mixed media
image courtesy of lothar schnepf and museum ludwig
© isa genzken


fuck the bauhaus 4 by isa genzken, 2000
mixed media
private collection, turin
image courtesy of museum ludwig
© isa genzken


detail of kinder filmen III by isa genzken, 2005
mixed media
image courtesy of lothar schnepf and museum ludwig
© isa genzken


hall by isa genzken, 1987
concrete, steel
image courtesy of musée de grenoble
© isa genzken


dan by isa genzken, 1999
wood, mirror, glass, metal
grässlin collection, st. georgen
image courtesy of museum ludwig
© isa genzken


red-yellow-black- doppelellipsoid 'twin' by isa genzken, 1982
lacquer on wood, 2 parts
image courtesy of the artist and galerie daniel buchholze, cologne / berlin
© isa genzken


ohr by isa genzken, 1980
color photography
collection charles asprey
© isa genzken



in 2007, isa genzken represented germany at the 52nd international venice art biennale.
born in 1948, she lives and works in berlin.
genzken studied at the berline university of fine arts, düsseldorf art academy
and the hamburg college of fine arts.