Alex Klein

Biography

1960
born in Vienna / A 
1976–1980  
Vienna Federal Training and Research Institute of Graphic Arts
1980–1988  
Academy of Fine Arts Vienna
 
Lives and works in Vienna.

Works held by various private and public collections  (Selection)
Austrian Federal Ministery of Education and Cultural Affairs
Ministry of Education, culture and art; Vienna / A
State Museum Lower Austria, St. Pölten/ A
Office of Cultural Affairs Vienna /A
Collection Museum Liaunig / A
Collection Max Kowatsch / A
Collection Alexander Liaunig / A
Collection Peter Liaunig / A
Collection Hans Schmid / A
Collection Eduard Urban / A
 
several private collections
Exhibitions
Solo and group exhibitions / artfairs (selection)
2024
ZEICHNUNG; group exhibition, MAG3, Vienna
2023
Raum(un)möglichkeiten; group exhibition, zs art galerie, Vienna
Mode; group exhibition, Gesellschaft der Freunde junger Kunst Baden-Baden / D 
Collection Urban; summer-exhibition, Waidhofen / A
»theRED ARCHIV [expanded] – DIE SAMMLUNG«; group exhibition, GalleryGnaegy / D 
art KARLSRUHE; zs art galerie, Karlsruhe / D
Interpretation of space; group exhibition, zs art galerie, Vienna
2022
Collage II; group exhibition, zs art galerie Vienna
Spektakulär unscheinbar; group exhibition, Kunsthaus Palais Thurn und Taxis / A
BILD:WIRKLICHKEIT / Eine Annäherung; group exhibition, kunsthaus muerz / A
2021
Retreats (toghether with Esther Hagenmaier); zs art galerie, Vienna / A
Correspondences; group exhibition, Stadtmuseum Hattingen, Hattingen / D
From Line to space; group exhibition, zs art galerie, Vienna
2020
Luxembourg Art Week | The Fair – Virtual Tour, zs art galerie, Luxembourg / LUX 
Kunst im Setzkasten; group exhibition, Kunst Forum Rottweil; Rottweil / D
zselection; group exhbition, zs art galerie, Vienna
Small Works; group exhibition, zs art galerie, Vienna
2019
Luxembourg Art Week | The Fair, zs art galerie, Luxembourg / LUX 
Seriellll; group exhibition, zs art galerie, Vienna  
 
Head-Variations; group exhibition, zs art galerie, Vienna  
 
paper positions berlin, (zs art galerie), Berlin / D
2018
Austria Contemporary; group exhibition, European Economic Social Committee, Brussels / B
 
paper positions basel, (zs art galerie), Basel / CH
 
Art Karlsruhe, (zs art galerie), Karlsruhe / D
 
Collection Urban; group exhibition, Waidhofen/Ybbs / A 
 
Collage; group exhibition, zs art galerie, Vienna 
2017
paper positions munich, (zs art galerie), Munich / D 
 
Positions in painting; group exhibition, zs art galerie, Vienna 
 
paper positions berlin, (zs art galerie), Berlin / D 
 
Poesie der Wenigen; group exhibition, artmark galerie, Vienna
 
Art Vienna, (zs art galerie), Leopold Museum, Vienna
 
Collection Urban; group exhibition, Waidhofen/Ybbs / A 
 
Art Karlsruhe, (zs art galerie), Karlsruhe / D
2016
works on paper; group exhibition, zs art galerie, Vienna / A 
 
Grundformen; group exhibition, Kunstverein Villa Streccius, Landau / D 
 
Art.Fair Köln, (zs art galerie), Cologne / D
 
Drawing Vienna IV; group exhibition, Galerie Ulrike Hrobsky, Vienna
 
30 x 30 x 30; group exhibition, zs art galerie, Vienna 
 
Alex Klein; solo exhibition, zs art galerie, Vienna 
 
Collection Urban; group exhibition, Waidhofen/Ybbs / A 
 
Transitions; group exhibition, Galerie Lattemann, Darmstadt / D
2015
ViennaPerspectives; group exhibition, zs art galerie, Vienna 
 
vom langsamen fließen der bilder; group exhibition, galerie artmark, Vienna 
 
Collection Urban; group exhibition, Waidhofen/Ybbs / A 
 
Atrium Art; 20 years of exhibitions and collecting of the ÖBV; group exhbition, ÖBV Wien
2014
Art & Antique, (zs art galerie), Vienna 
 
Linear Poetry; group exhibition; zs art galerie, Vienna 
 
Collection Urban; group exhibition, Waidhofen/Ybbs / A 
 
Abendland / Gemeindebau / Körper; group exhibition, art-p, Perchtoldsdorf
 
5 years zs art galerie; group exhibition, zs art galerie, Vienna 
2013  
Raum außerhalb der Zeit; solo exhibition (with Walter Angerer-Niketa), zs art galerie, Vienna
 
12 Positions; group exhibition collection Urban, Waidhofen/Ybbs / A 
 
Drawing Vienna 4th; group exhibition, zs art galerie, Vienna 
LICHTWECHSEL; solo exhibition (with Helmut Swoboda), Museum St. Peter an der Sperr, Wr. Neustadt / A
 
Emil Toman – Maler, Mentor, Wegbereiter; group exhibition, zs art galerie, Vienna 
2012
Kunstverein Steyr, group exhibition, Steyr, Upper Austria
Kunstverein Mistelbach, solo-Exhbition with Manu Froudarkis, Mistelbach, Lower Austria
2011  
Luger/Klein; solo exhibition (with Christoph Luger), Verein für Kunst und Kultur, Eichgraben / A 
2010  
ZU ZWEIT; solo exhibition (with Johann Feilacher) Verein für Kunst und Kultur, Eichgraben / A 
2009  
group exhibition Galerie Artmark, artmark Vienna 
 
Vis-à-vis. Natur: Kunst; group exhibition, Schloß Ulmerfeld, Lower Austria / A 
2006  
Favoriten in Salzburg. Installation - Conzept - Painting - Sculptur – Drawing; group exhibition; BV-Berchtoldvilla, Berufsvereinigung Bildender Künstler Salzburg, Salzburg / A 
2005  
Postalisch; group exhibition, Project with different artists from A/CH/D/F, Wasserturm am Wienerberg / A 
2004–2005
Postalisch; Cubus Kunsthalle Duisburg, group exhibition, Saarländisches Künstlerhaus, Saarbrücken / D  
2000  
Lebens-Läufe, group exhibition, Kulturverband Favoriten, Vienna / A 
1998
Austrian Spotlight; group exhibition, Museum Centre Albert Borschett, Brussels / B 
1995  
Vue x 6; group exhibition, Galleria Bastione Fiorito / I 
1994–1997
Kunstverein DE Markten, group exhibition, Brüssel / B 
1994
Transfer Colombia/Austria; group exhibition, Eisenhof, Museo Jose Maria Velasco, Biblioteca de la Universidad Autónoma, Museo de Arte Religioso. Bibliotheca Luis Angel Arango, Museo de Arte Moderno de la Universidad de Antioquia, Collage, Druckgrafik
 
"Transfer" Museo de Arte Moderno de la Universidad de Antiquia, Embassy of Austria Washington D.C./USA 
1993  
Austria Korean Institute of Industrial Design and Packaging, group exhibition, Seoul/Korea / ROK
1990  
AUS DEM ZUSAMMENHANG; group exhibition, Museums-Project Brünn/Bratislava/ Krakau/Budapest 
1989  
AUS DEM ZUSAMMENHANG; group exhibition, Museums-Project Belgrad/Skopje/ Laibach/Erfurth 
1988  
Galerie Eugen Lendl, group exhibition, Graz / A 
 
Balance.akte 88; group-exhibition, Neue Kunst aus Niederösterreich, Donaufestival Niederösterreich, Frauenbad Ausstellungszentrum / A 
1987  
Alex Klein: Malerei; solo exhibtion, Blau-Gelbe Galerie, NÖ Landesmuseum / A 
1986
Galerie Fuer München; solo exhbition (with Helmut Swoboda), Munich / D 
1985–1992  
Galerie Manfred Lang, different group exhibitions, Vienna 

Art fairs 
Art Basel / CH (zwischen 1985 und 1992) 
FIAG Paris / F 
Bologna Art Fair / I 
Art & Antique, Vienna 
Art Karlsruhe / D 
Art.Fair Köln / D
Art Vienna, Vienna
paper positions berlin / D
paper positions munich / D
paper positions basel / CH
 
Bibliography

Subtly nuanced paintings of colour and space

The apparent spaces of Alex Klein’s colour-field paintings emerge from the interaction of carefully crafted, layered shapes and shading. He mainly uses black, white, light and shadow, but countless greys enrich this reserved tonality. The muted colours are mysteriously intense: repeatedly layered (and sometimes removed) washes suggest both meditative calm and buzzing vitality. Although delicate brush strokes sometimes outline the implied geometry, the fields of colour merge elegantly. We seek the ideal spaces, which vary according to the ambient light. The ambiguous boundaries and dense emptiness of this two-dimensional “space” inspire a geometry going beyond the picture.
 
This space receives too little light and schematically suggests boundaries and depth or is flooded with light and transcends time and space. Delicate layers of pigment scraped down into the ground are joined by irregular grids to evoke an indecipherable three-dimensionality.