Sylke von Gaza (* 1 July 1966 in Hamburg as Sylke von Gazen genannt Gaza) is a German artist. First and foremost an abstract painter, she also pursues numerous projects that investigate the effect and impact of painting in architectural spaces and the process of painting including site-specific settings. Von Gaza lives and works in Munich, Venice and Zurich.

Sylke von Gaza
Sylke von Gaza painting inside San Fantin church in Venice, 2014
Born (1966-07-01) 1 July 1966 (age 58)
Hamburg, Germany
NationalityGerman
EducationAcademy of Fine Arts Munich
Known forPainting
Notable workRed Veil Paintings, Grey Veil Paintings, Lucifero
AwardsMeisterschülerin[1] (2007)
Websitevongaza.com

Life

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The Hamburg-born artist Sylke von Gaza was first taken to Italy as a three-year-old by her great-grandmother, whom she accompanied on long journeys to Venice and the Emilia-Romagna. It was during those childhood visits to the churches of Ravenna, Assisi and Venice, to name but a few, that she first came to appreciate painting and architecture. The experience made a lasting impression and continues to inspire her work to this day.[2]

Sylke von Gaza's first university degree is in engineering. Later, as a student of painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich from 2002 to 2007 under the Irish painter Sean Scully, she found herself drawn to the Old Masters and Abstract expressionism.[3] She completed her studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich in 2007, graduating with a Meisterschüler diploma ("summa cum laude").[1]

Work

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Netherlandish and Italian Renaissance painting has always been a key source of inspiration for Sylke von Gaza. With her large-scale abstract oil paintings she positions herself within the tradition of the Old Masters without, however, referencing them directly in her formal language.[3] Oscillating between past and present, Venice provides an ideal creative environment for the artist,[4] whose works not only probe the questions of tradition and identity in painting, but also provoke a discussion of the intrinsic value of art and society.[5]

Her work thus far can be divided into different strands. Her principal body of work consists of Early Works, individual works, themed groups of works, site-specific works and the series of Veil Paintings, among them the Grey Veil Paintings and Red Veil Paintings.[3]

In Sylke von Gaza's creative practice, the veil, the metaphor for transcendence and permeability, plays a central role.[6][7] The ability to disclose by concealing, to render visible by shrouding – the artist has internalised this fundamental potential of painting and made it central to her work.[8]

Since 2012, the artist has been working on projects that focus on painting in sacred spaces,[7] primarily in Venetian churches. Since 2013, in collaboration with Curia Patriarchale di Venezia, von Gaza has been painting in the Chiesa San Fantin (2014), the Chiesa San Lio (2015), the Cappella Santissima Trinità (2016).[9]

A classification in the art historical narrative took place in 2016 on the occasion of the museum exhibition Behind the Curtain. Concealment and Revelation since the Renaissance at the Museum Kunstpalast Düsseldorf, curated by Beat Wismer and Prof. Claudia Blümle. The thematic show featured two large Veil Paintings by the artist.[8] Other works by Sylke von Gaza are part of museum collections at the Sprengel Museum Hannover, the Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus Munich and the Museum of the Diocese of Venice, among others.[10]

To mark the Venice Biennale of 2015, the Venetian Curia commissioned von Gaza with a site-specific work for the Renaissance chapel of the Gussoni family in the church of San Lio. Working on site inside the chapel during the Beyond the Veil project,[11] the artist created the Gussoni Red Veil Paintings Triptych, which is now permanently installed in the Renaissance chapel designed around 1479 by Tullio[12] and Pietro Lombardo.[13] The famous Venetian painter of Veduta Giovanni Antonio Canal (1697–1768), better known as Canaletto, is buried in the chapel.[9]

At the invitation of the Seminario Patriarcale di Venezia von Gaza was creating the project Il Nido. A Pilgrimage towards Equilibrium[14] for the Padiglioni Paralleli[15] in the Basilica Santa Maria della Salute to coincide with the 57th International Art Exhibition La Biennale di Venezia 2017.[16] In spring 2019, the installation Il Nido travelled on to Gedächtniskirche in Berlin.[17]

Recognition

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Exhibitions (selection)

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Permanent Installations

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  • since 2015: Gussoni Red Veil Triptych,[11] Gussoni Renaissance Chapel, Chiesa San Lio, Venice

Public & private collections (selection)

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Bibliography

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  • Reinhard Spieler: BIG! Large-Format Works from the Sprengel Museum Hannover, exhibition catalogue Sprengel Museum Hannover, Hannover 2021.[10]
  • Tim Ackermann: Eier und Eiermann - das Kunstwerk "Il Nido" gastiert in der Berliner Gedächtniskirche, Weltkunst 8. Juni 2019, Berlin/Hamburg 2019.[37]
  • Julian Bruno Vogel: Himmel über Berlin. Die Installation Il Nido der deutschen Künstlerin Sylke von Gaza macht Halt im Alten Turm der Gedächtniskirche zu Berlin, Zeitkunst (5/2019), Neu-Isenburg, 2019.[38]
  • Ein Nest für die Gedächtniskirche, Berliner Morgenpost 29/4/2019, Berlin 2019.[39]
  • Tim Jäger: Das Nest in der Gedächtniskirche, RBB Abendschau, ARD 27/4/2019, Berlin 2019.[40]
  • Tim Ackermann: Il Nido - Venedigs geheimes Nest, Weltkunst 8. December 2017, Berlin/Hamburg 2017.[41]
  • Guido Brivio: Mysterium Coniunctionis. Gabriel & Lucifero by Sylke von Gaza, Venezia & Torino 2017.[42]
  • Alan Jones: „As High as the Eagle“ - Sylke von Gaza’s Installation „Il Nido“ in Venice, Venezia 2017.[43]
  • Petra Schaefer: Hoch über den Kirchendächern von Venedig. Die deutsche Künstlerin Sylke von Gaza präsentiert die Installation "Il Nido", Zeitkunst (11/2017), Neu-Isenburg 2017.[44]
  • Irmgard Bernrieder: Dem Blick entrückte Huldigung, Textcluster 29. November 2017, Brüggen 2017.[45]
  • Beat Wismer, Claudia Blümle (Ed.): Hinter dem Vorhang. Verhüllung und Enthüllung seit der Renaissance – von Tizian bis Christo, with contributions by Horst Bredekamp, Georges Didi-Huberman, Wolfgang Kemp, Roland Krischel, Oskar Bätschmann, Lia Bertram, Dortje Fink, Vincent von Frankenberg, Klaus Krüger, Saskia C. Quené, Patrik Reuterswärd, Julia Ryll, Barbara Schnellewald, Beate Söntgen, Victor I. Stoichita and Gerhard Wolf, exhibition catalogue Museum Kunstpalast Düsseldorf, Hirmer, Munich 2016, ISBN 978-3-7774-2646-4.[8]
  • Helga Meister: Im Ehrenhof wird der Vorhang gelüftet, Westdeutsche Zeitung WZ 30 September 2017, Wuppertal, Krefeld, Düsseldorf 2016.[4]
  • Thomas Köster: "Hinter dem Vorhang" im Museum Kunstpalast, Westdeutscher Rundfunk WDR 30 September 2016, Cologne 2016.[46]
  • Tim Ackermann: Venedig wird abstrakt, Weltkunst 106 (10/2015), Berlin/Hamburg 2015.[47]
  • Gianmatteo Caputo: Beyond the Veil: Red Veil Paintings nella Chiesa di San Lio, Uffici Beni Culturali & Turismo della Curia Patriarcale di Venezia UBC, Venice 2015.[11]
  • Gustav van Treeck (Ed.): Power of Glass, exhibition catalogue, Munich 2014.[29]
  • Maurits J. Sinninghe Damsté: Sylke von Gaza's paintings: Sacraments of a Deeper Reality, Groningen-Leeuwarden 2013.[48]
  • Laura Schwarz: Schichtarbeit, Architectural Digest AD (10/2013), Munich 2013.
  • Jolanda Drexler: Sylke von Gaza in Conversation with Jolanda Drexler, Artology 2 (2013), Munich 2013.[49]
  • Florian Seidl (Ed.): Jahresgaben 2010, Kunstverein München e.V., Munich 2010.
  • Steven Rich (Ed.): Sylke von Gaza: Red Veil Paintings. The Process of Creation, London 2009.[32]
  • Petra Giloy-Hirtz: From the Grey to the Colourful. Interview with Sylke von Gaza, Munich 2008.[50]
  • Martin H. Schmidt: Die Schleier der Sylke von Gaza – Who is afraid of grey, white and red?, Kronberg 2007.[6]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Matrikeldatenbank" (in German). Akademie der Bildenden Künste München. Retrieved 2017-07-24. In the German academy tradition, "Meisterschüler" is the title awarded only to exceptionally talented students who successfully complete a postgraduate masterclass, equal to "summa cum laude".
  2. ^ Giloy-Hirtz (2008): From the Grey to the Colourful.
  3. ^ a b c Giloy-Hirtz (2008): From the Grey to the Colourful & Drexler (2013): Sylke von Gaza in Conversation.
  4. ^ a b Helga Meister (29 September 2016). "Im Ehrenhof wird der Vorhang gelüftet" (in German). Westdeutsche Zeitung WZ. Retrieved 5 August 2017.
  5. ^ Schmidt (2007): Die Schleier der Sylke von Gaza & Giloy-Hirtz (2008): From the Grey to the Colourful & Drexler (2013): Sylke von Gaza in Conversation & Sinninghe Damsté (2013): Sacraments of a Deeper Reality.
  6. ^ a b Schmidt, Martin H. (1 March 2007). "Die Schleier der Sylke von Gaza – Who is afraid of grey, white and red?" (PDF) (in German). Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  7. ^ a b Sinninghe Damsté (2013): Sacraments of a Deeper Reality.
  8. ^ a b c Beat Wismer, Claudia Blümle, ed. (2016), Hinter dem Vorhang (in German), München: Hirmer, pp. 256–259, ISBN 978-3-7774-2646-4
  9. ^ a b Ackermann (2015), Venedig wird abstrakt, S. 111.
  10. ^ a b c d Spieler, Reinhard (2021). BIG! Large-Format Works from the Sprengel Museum Hannover (PDF) (in German). Hannover: Sprengel Museum Hannover. p. 11.
  11. ^ a b c d e Gianmatteo Caputo (2015). "Beyond the Veil: Red Veil Paintings nella Chiesa di San Lio" (in Italian). Uffici Beni Culturali & Turismo della Curia Patriarcale di Venezia UBC. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  12. ^ "Tullio Lombardo: Pietà with Saints". Save Venice Inc. 2002. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  13. ^ "Pietro Lombardo: Gussoni Chapel". Save Venice Inc. 2002. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  14. ^ a b c Gianmatteo Caputo (2017). "Sylke von Gaza: "Il Nido. A Pilgrimage towards Equilibrium" presso la Basilica della Salute, Padiglioni Paralleli 2017" (in Italian). Curia Patriarcale di Venezia. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  15. ^ a b "Padiglioni Paralleli alla Biennale 2017" (in Italian). Curia Patriarcale di Venezia. 2017. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  16. ^ Ackermann (2017): Il Nido - Venedigs geheimes Nest & Bernrieder (2017): Dem Blick entrückte Huldigung & Jones (2017): „As High as the Eagle“ & Schaefer (2017): Hoch über den Kirchendächern von Venedig.
  17. ^ a b Ackermann (2019): Eier und Eiermann & Vogel (2019): Himmel über Berlin & Berliner Morgenpost (2019): Was nistet denn da in der Gedächtniskirche?, Ein Nest für die Gedächtniskirche & Jäger (2019): Das Nest in der Gedächtniskirche.
  18. ^ "Colour turns me on | #BEduesseldorf | Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art". www.beck-eggeling.de (in German). Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  19. ^ "Sotheby's - Public Exhibitions". Sotheby's Hamburg. 20 April 2023.
  20. ^ "Sylke von Gaza | Exhibition "Early Works" at Palazzo Martinengo Fortuny for Venice Art Biennale, Venezia 2019". Sylke von Gaza. 1 May 2019. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  21. ^ "Sylke von Gaza - Velvet & Paper". Artnet. 20 February 2019. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  22. ^ "Project "Il Nido", Basilica Santa Maria della Salute, Venezia 2017/18". Sylke von Gaza. 1 October 2017. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  23. ^ "Gabriel & Lucifero" (PDF). Palazzo Contarini Polignac. 11 April 2017.
  24. ^ "Artisti BIAS 2018". BIAS Institute (in Italian). 25 April 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  25. ^ Adriano Berengo. "Berengo Studio". Berengo Studio 1988. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  26. ^ Hans Strelow (2017). "Summertime: Brüning, Erben, von Gaza, Huidobro, Merschmann, Münch" (in German). Artnet. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  27. ^ "Exhibition 'Behind the Curtain. Concealment and Revelation since the Renaissance. From Titian to Christo'". Museum Kunstpalast. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  28. ^ "Fabrica Ecclesiae" (in Italian). Curia Patriarcale di Venezia. 2016. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  29. ^ a b Power of Glass. Hofglasmalerei Gustav van Treeck, 2013, retrieved 2017-07-22 (in German). (PDF 1.2 MB Catalogue)
  30. ^ "Handwerk und Kirche" (in German). Galerie Handwerk in der Karmeliterkirche München. 2013. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  31. ^ Marcello Brusegan (2007), I palazzi di Venezia (in German), Roma: Newton & Compton, ISBN 978-88-541-0820-2
  32. ^ a b "The Process of Creation". Steven Rich. 2009. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  33. ^ "Collezione" (in Italian). Museo Diocesano d'Arte Sacra Sant' Apollonia. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  34. ^ Meixner, Christiane. "Monika Schnetkamp, Sammlerin". Kunstforum International. 235: 118–119.
  35. ^ "Pinacoteca" (in Italian). Seminario Patriarcale di Venezia. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  36. ^ Schwarz, Dieter (2023). Linie und Farbe – Licht und Raum: Sammlung Hackenberg. Munich.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  37. ^ Ackermann, Tim (8 June 2019). "Eier und Eiermann". Weltkunst. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  38. ^ Vogel, Julian Bruno (1 May 2019). "Himmel über Berlin" (PDF). Zeitkunst. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  39. ^ "Ein Nest für die Gedächtniskirche". Berliner Morgenpost. 19 April 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  40. ^ Jäger, Tim (27 April 2019). "Das Nest in der Gedächtniskirche". RBB Abendschau/ARD. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  41. ^ Tim Ackermann (8 December 2017). "Il Nido - Venedigs geheimes Nest". Weltkunst (in German).
  42. ^ Brivio, Guido (1 July 2017). "Mysterium Coniunctionis. Gabriel & Lucifero by Sylke von Gaza" (PDF). Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  43. ^ Jones, Alan (1 March 2018). ""As High as the Eagle" - Sylke von Gaza's Installation "Il Nido" in Venice" (PDF). Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  44. ^ Schaefer, Petra (1 November 2017). "Hoch über den Kirchendächern von Venedig" (PDF). Zeitkunst. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  45. ^ Irmgard Bernrieder (29 November 2017). "Dem Blick entrückte Huldigung". Textcluster (in German).
  46. ^ Thomas Köster (30 September 2016). ""Hinter dem Vorhang" im Museum Kunstpalast" (in German). Westdeutscher Rundfunk WDR. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  47. ^ Ackermann, Tim (1 October 2015). "Venedig wird abstrakt" (PDF). Weltkunst. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  48. ^ Sinninghe Damsté, Maurits J. (1 March 2013). "Sylke von Gaza's paintings: Sacraments of a Deeper Reality" (PDF). Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  49. ^ Drexler, Jolanda (1 February 2008). "Sylke von Gaza in Conversation with Jolanda Drexler" (PDF). Artology. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  50. ^ Giloy-Hirtz, Petra (1 April 2008). "From the Grey to the Colourful. Interview with Sylke von Gaza" (PDF). Retrieved 20 May 2020.
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