Gerhard Frömel

Biography

1941
born in Grieskirchen / A
1955–59
Apprenticeship in sign painting
1965–69
Studied graphic design with Prof. Erich Buchegger at the Art School of the City of Linz / A
1975–2003
Teaches at the University of Art and Industrial Design and the University of Art and Design Linz / A
since 1975
Engagement with constructive/conceptual art
 
Lives and works in Wolfsegg/Hausruck and Hallein near Salzburg / A


Public and private collections (selection)
Collection of the City of Linz / A
Collection of the City of Gmunden / A
Collection Upper Austrian State Gallery, Linz / A
Collection of the Tyrolean Provincial Museum / A
Tiroler Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum, Innsbruck / A
StifterHaus, Zentrum für Literatur und Sprache, Linz / A
Collection Kupferstichkabinett of the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna / A
Collection Raiffeisenbank Schwanenstadt / A
Collection Museum LENTOS for contemporary art, Linz / A
Collection Museum LIAUNIG, Neuhaus i.K. / A
Collection Museum OTTEN, Hohenems / A
Collection Museum für Kunst - MUFUKU Weibern, OÖ / A
Collection Dr. Jiri Valoch, Brno / CZ
Collection Stadtmuseum Kunstsammlung JENA, formerly Forum Konkrete Kunst Erfurt, Jena / D
Collection Institute for Constructive Art and Concrete Poetry (IKKP) Gomringer Collection, Rehau / D
Rehau Sculpture Park Collection (IKKP) Rehau / D
Collection Prof. Dr. Bozena Kowalska/Zentrum der Polnischen Skulptur, Oronsko / PL
Collection of the City of Freiburg / D
Peter Staechelin-collection of the City of Freiburg / D
Collection Messmer Foundation, Riegl Breisgau / D
Collection Siegfried Grauwinkel / D
Collection of the Art Museum of the City of Bayreuth / D
Collection Museum Modern Art and Museum Zeichen der Zeit, Hühnfeld / D
Collection Museum Abtei Liesborn, Wadersloh / D
Collection Museum for Concrete Art, Ingolstadt / D
Collection Museum im Kulturspeicher Würzburg, RUPPERT Collection / D
Collection Museum BIEDERMANN, Donaueschingen / D
Collection Stadtmuseum Ettlingen (Emilia Suciu), Ettlingen / D
Collection Museum RITTER, Waldenbuch/Stuttgart / D
Collection ZKM/Centre for Art and Media, Karlsruhe / D
Collection eac. Espace de l Àrt Concret, Donation ALBERS-HONEGGER, Mouans-Sartoux / F
Collection Centre d Àrt Contemporain Frank Popper, Marcigny / F
Collection Kunsthalle PAKS, Paks / H
Collection Mondriaanhuis, Amersfoort / NL
Collection Prof. Dr. Bozena Kowalska/Zentrum der Polnischen Skulptur, Oronsko, PL
 
Exhibitions
Solo exhibitions (since 2017 - selection) 
2023
AUGENSCHEIN II ILLUSION II ESPEJISMO II, Galeria Roy, Mallorca / E
2023
Light and Shadow Play (with Hellmut Bruch), Galerie La Ligne, Zürich / CH
AUGENSCHEIN ILLUSION ESPEJISMO (with Hellmut Bruch, Galeria Roy, Mallorca / E
Gerhard Frömel (with Geraldine Wilcke), RIVOLI, Artgalery KLOTZ-SHOWS, Brüssel / B
2021
Gerhard Frömel - Au-dela des apparences, Galerie Wagner, Paris / Fr
2020
Gerhard Frömel - Schwarz auf Weiss, Galerie Lindner, Wien
Gerhard Frömel (with Perez Floresz), Galerie La Ligne Zürich / CH
After Eighty continues (with Gert Riel) Galerie Linde Hollinger, Ladenburg / D
2019
Gerhard Frömel (with Yeunhi Kim) Galerie Fetzer, Sontheim / D
Kabinettausstellung Galerie Lausberg, Düsseldorf / D
Kabinettausstellung Galerie Linde Hollinger, Ladenburg / D
2 x konkret (with Hellmut Bruch), Galerie Mariette Haas, Ingolstadt / D
2018
auf zwei ebenen, Galerie Edition Fanal, Basel / D
Gerhard Frömel (with Hellmut Bruch) Galerie Leonhard, Graz
2017
Bewegte Räume, Galerie La Ligne, Zürich / CH
Essentiell, Galerie Lindner, Vienna / A
Kulturspeicher Würzburg, Sammlung Ruppert, Künstlergespräch/Ausstellung, Würzburg / D
Gerhard Frömel (with Hellmut Bruch) Kunstraum Roy, Kunnersdorf / D


group exhibition incl. art fairs  (since 2020 - selection)
2024
Reduction + Emotion; zs art galerie, Vienna / A
Menschen mit Kunst glücklich machen. Galerie Linde Hollinger, Ladenburg / D
Neues aus der Sammlung. The collection of Upper Austria, Linz / A
MAERZ / OSAS; Vasarely Museum Budapest, Budapest / H
Carrément Noir et Blanc, Galerie Wagner, Paris / F
JO: Jeux Optiques; Galerie Wagner, Paris / F
Dialogues II - 15 years zs art; zs art galerie, Vienna / A
Collection Siegfried Grauwinkel: Die Gruppe Systhema & der Zauber des Lichts; Barockschloss Königshain / D
STAGE Bregenz (zs art galerie), Bregenz / A
Art Karlsruhe (Galerie Linde Hollinger, Galerie Fetzer), Karlsruhe / D
RAUM.FORM.PERSPEKTIVE, Barockschloss Königshain, Königshain / D
2023
GRAFIK IN EUROPA konstruktiv konkret konzeptuell; Kammerhof Museum Gmunden, Upper Austria / A
KUNSTSPEKTRALE; Schloss Königshain, Görlitz / D
Abstract thoughts. Concrete forms; zs art galerie, Vienna / A
Exposition Art Géo Construit, ANDO-Museu, Tokio / J
Art Karlsruhe (Galerie Linde Hollinger, Galerie Fetzer), Karlsruhe / D
"_ ,= ,+"; Galerie Wagner, Paris / F
Raumdeutung; zs art galerie, Vienna / A
minimalis - less is more, Galerie Wagner, Paris / F
2022
Liberalitas, Galerie Wagner, Paris / F
Connection Concrete, Syker Vorwerk, Syke / D
Art Karlsruhe, Galerie Linde Hollinger, Karlsruhe / D
Art Karlsruhe, Galerie Fetzer Sontheim, Karlsruhe / D
Konkrete Kunst Mitteleuropa, Sammlung Böhm, Schloss Königshain, Königshain / D
Farbenreich, Galerie Fetzer, Sontheim / D
Pure - phenomena of viewing II, Galerie Lausberg, Düsseldorf / D
Die Vergangenheit der Zukunft, StadtMuseum Ettlingen / D
Jahresausstellung, Die Forum, Wels / A
2021
Mesures/Demesures #2, Galerie Wagner, Paris / F
Jahreswechsel, Galerie Mariette Haas, Ingolstadt / D
Inge Dick und Freunde, Galerie Linde Hollinger, Ladenburg / D
Kein Tag ohne Linie, Museum Ritter, Waldenbuch / D
2020
Geometria, Elektrownia MCSW Radom / P
After Eighty, Galerie Linde Hollinger, Ladenburg / D
Es ist Maerz, Galerie Maerz, Linz / A
Nouvelles Donnes, eac Albers-Honegger, Mouans Sartoux / F
between, Galerie Fetzer, Sontheim / D
Jahresausstellung Die Forum, Wels / A
Art Karlsruhe, Galerie Linde Hollinger Ladenburg, Karlsruhe / D
Art Karlsruhe, Galerie Fetzer Sontheim, Karlsruhe / D
Art Paris, Galerie La Ligne Zürich, Paris / F
    
    


    
    
    
Texts
Bibliography

For Gerhard Frömel, the square is sufficient to formulate it in surprising diversity.

The square had a special significance in modernism, was a caesura in reductive representation, the maximum in the minimum. For Gerhard Frömel, the square is sufficient to formulate it in surprising diversity. Oscillating between surface and space, Frömel's works are clearly ambiguous, depending on the position from which they are viewed. And there is only ever one position that suggests a particular interpretation of space. If you change your point of view, levels and spaces become visible that open up entirely new realities. Views that reveal Gerhard Frömel's purist aesthetic of refined and pointed deception. In this way, Gerhard Frömel playfully scrutinises the serious question of truth in each of his works.

„My three-dimensional objects and installations consist of individual parts, always positioned on two and sometimes several levels. You as the viewer can, by changing your position to trigger optical shifts, separations and connections of two-dimensional or linear elements, creating a variety of forms and illusionary spaces, switch between two- and three-dimensional experiences.“ (Quote Gerhard Frömel)