MILAN.- The A arte Invernizzi gallery opens a solo exhibition by Günter Umberg on today at 6 p.m. The display will include both historical works, which reflect on various stages of his artistic career, and recent works. The exhibition, which is entirely created by the German artist, as on other occasions, promises direct interaction between the works and their setting.

In the 1970s, Umberg started focusing on the use of monochrome panels, generally made of wood, in which coloured pigments are spread horizontally and vertically, adhering to the surface. This is previously prepared using resins and sometimes poliment, resulting in an intense, densely saturated effect, giving rise to distinct, autonomous presences.

The upper floor of the gallery will host an installation consisting of monochromatic works placed at precise intervals on the wall, orchestrating and redefining its spatial coordinates. In the next room on the same floor, there will be select works from the 1970s, consisting of two wooden panels placed next to each other and entirely covered in black pigment.

On the lower floor there is an installation with monochrome works in various shades of blue, which interacts with the recent works FELD 1 and FELD 4. Here, the individual Ohne Titel are arranged on wooden panels covered with cement, accentuating their powerful rhythms.

“Since 1985, I’ve been putting on exhibitions in which installations, spatial structures, containers, stands, ramps, and passageways are all integral elements. I don’t see the exhibition space as a neutral location in which the works are governed by symmetrical or geometric principles. On the contrary, I arrange the works based on their relationship to the viewer’s physical presence within the space.” (Günter Umberg)

Once again, the exhibition lets visitors engage with the Günter Umberg’s vibrant surfaces, which are made to look like actual openings in the wall by the skilful use of coloured pigments. They create a sense of depth that captures the visitor’s eyes and leads them to explore an “other” dimension, beyond the painted surface.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a bilingual catalogue with an essay by Francesco Castellani, reproductions of the works on display, and an updated bio-bibliographic section.

A arte Invernizzi
Günter Umberg: ZEIT-BILD
November 30th, 2023 - February 8th, 2024