Walther Schwiete

Two recurring aspects characterize Walther Schwiete’s art production: one is his activity as a collector, through which he pursues a subjective interest in particular, frequently curious motifs and visual objects. The other is a special understanding of material that goes hand in hand with elaborated methods of construction and procedures, which are often developed in cooperation with companies specializing in pertinent fields.

These two aspects come together exemplarily in the so called »PE Drawings«. They are intarsia works made of Polyethylene, which the artist has been using for years as backing for thematically related groups of works. Among these are, for example, the »Sprechblasen« (speech bubbles), and the »Kalenderblätter« (calendar pages), in which each of the figurative drawings is inlaid into a backing made of tiny plastic building blocks and then thermally treated, so that they melt together. Physical processes also affect his works with styrofoam as well as his recent »Brandings«, based on self-made iron stamps, which were burned into wood panels of different sizes to create figurative patterns and ornaments.

Regardless of their specific material characteristics, all different works have something in common: the fact that comparable transformational strategies underlie both the work process and the process of perception. Keeping this in mind, Barbara Hess pointed out that Walther Schwiete’s artistic position is between that of a hobbyist and an engineer. »That means he uses found post-industrial materials and technology – not to subject himself to their standards, but to pursue his own intractable purposes.«

VITA
 

1956
born in Paderborn

1982-88
Academy of Fine Arts, Münster, master student of Prof. Ulrich Erben

1989-90
Artist in Residence, Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris

2000
Art Award, City of Paderborn

2001, 2003, 2004
Lectureship for sculpture, University of Paderborn

lives and works in Berlin and Paderborn

SOLO EXHIBITIONS (SELECTION)

2024
Brandzeichen, Kunstverein Drensteinfurt

2019
Brandding, Stadtmuseum Beckum

2017
Brandwand, Kunstverein Oerlinghausen

2016
Brandings, Rasche Ripken, Berlin

2015
Im Keller #1735, Theologische Fakultät, Paderborn

2011
Ressource zur Unterhaltung, Kunstverein Unna

2010
Logotogo oder die Hoffnung bey nochschwebender Handlung, Rasche Ripken, Berlin

2008
Mr. Brico in Nordostwestfalen, Kunstverein Lübbecke
Mr. Bricolages Sonderangebote, Kunstverein Siegburg

2004
Massenträgheit, Galerie Stefan Rasche, Münster

2002
WeltHölzer, Kauno Galerija, Kaunas
Die Kunst, Schnee zu machen, Technologiepark Paderborn

1999
Autoput, Jesuitenkirche Paderborn

1998
Galerie Januar, Bochum
Galerie Stefan Rasche, Münster

1995
Skulptur & Zeichen, Welt & Häuschen, Galerie Dröscher-Meyer, Düsseldorf

1994
Skulptur & Zeichen, Galerie Stefan Rasche, Münster

1993
Arts et Métiers, Museum am Ostwall, Dortmund

1992
Galerie Januar, Bochum

GROUP EXHIBITIONS (SELECTION)

2022
INTERMEZZO #4, Köpfe, Kunstmuseum Paderborn
IN SO FERN, Rasche Ripken, Berlin
Hommage à Reinhard Buxel, Kunstmuseum Paderborn

2018
Full House –  10 Jahre, Rasche Ripken, Berlin

2015  
Muster*prozess, Rasche Ripken, Berlin

2014
Jahresausstellung, Kunstverein Unna

2011  
30 Jahre Galerie da entlang, Dortmund

2010
Sample #3, Projektraum Deutscher Künstlerbund, Berlin

2008
Etwas bleibt immer hängen, Rasche Ripken, Berlin

2007
maniera, Galerie Stefan Rasche, Münster

2006
Einmal acht, Kunstverein Gelsenkirchen

2005
Lohn der Arbeit, Städtisches Museum Mülheim/Ruhr
Salon, Galerie da entlang, Dortmund
Neue Heimat 1, Galerie Stefan Rasche, Münster

2003
Zünd ab, Kunstverein Schloss Ahaus
Der erste Blick, Museum am Ostwall, Dortmund

2001
bergauf!, Galerie Stefan Rasche, Münster
evident - ambivalent, Kauno Galerija, Kaunas

1999
Testbild, Galerie Stefan Rasche, Münster

1997
in durch aus, Galerie der Künstler, Völkerkundemuseum Munich
Galerie da entlang, Dortmund

1995
Übersicht, Kultursekretariat Nordrhein-Westfalen,
Städtische Galerie Siegen and other places
Kunstdinge, Taschenberg-Palais, Dresden

1992
Transparenz, Märzgalerien Mannheim and Ladenburg