Gerhard Merz

Gerhard Merz (born in 1947) is a artist who polarizes opinion. He bridles at every interpretation of his works, something that has led to him accruing both enemies and passionate defenders among his fellow artists as well as audiences. Even more than with practitioners of Concrete Art, Merz’ works don’t just have an effect on the space—they are a key component of it or are even the space itself. For example, the artist had a building erected entirely out of concrete and consisting solely of well-proportioned rooms. To call it simply architecture or art in architecture would miss the mark. Instead the artist allows architecture and fine art to flow together into a single art form that can be experienced by walking through it. Gerhard Merz’ works, even when they appear to be nothing more than a painted canvas and a wall, are always installations or architecture too, adding to the space and the experience of it. Textual connections can be drawn with Günther Förg’s wall paintings and Per Kirkeby’s installations. In 1991 the artist was appointed at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, where he was able to pass on his conception of art to the next generations of artists. Gerhard Merz’ incredibly rare editions can be seen as fragments of his works. In part they are reproductions of his installations, though they are also sometimes outlines of larger pieces, and include ideas about experiencing and walking through the space, as well as his museum installations.