From the large oeuvre of Michael Schoenholtz twelve smaller sculptures have been assembled for the exhibition; amongst others “Spine”, “Breathing – Exhaling” ” Two-handed “, “Seven Lives” , “Twelve Plus One”. The titles are a reference to the interdependence of the individual works – a deliberate arrangement, which always circle around life, the organic, and the human figure.
None of the work has a static character or does it convey visually its severity. The works have been joined by assembling the parts into a whole piece. In the same manner, similarly casted and edited elements are put together to form a single sculpture by moving and rotating them. Michael Schoenholtz works with stone or cast stone . His stone of choice is limestone – a sedimentary rock , in which fossilized organisms are trapped. A fossilized nature – work with and about life. Anyone who walks next to his work and decides to open himself to it in an observing manner, soon notices that there is not one but many approaches and that a dominant main view doesn’t exist. The work requires movement.
Since the beginning Schoenholtz takes as his starting point the human figure – many lying , squatting figures , bodies , torsos , fragments of bodies , hands, fingers , arms arose. A work facing the entire life. Since 1999 and 2005/2006 he turned increasingly to certain numbers. Not only has the Fibonacci sequenced shaped his work, The figures 5/7/12 have had a fundamental importance in later pieces.
The numbers are not only mathematically interesting like primes , etc. , they have been fundamentally presented in all cultures; they are essential for the exploration of the world and to the human body. The hand has five fingers, we have five lumbar vertebra , seven cervical vertebrae and twelve thoracic vertebrae . The spine , the center of every living thing can be seen twice in the exhibition, in 2007 and in 2011. The exploration of the depths of the “Inhaling and Exhaling” people came into the center of his artistic interest . It this exhibition it unites the past and the future.
Biography
1937: born in Duisburg/ DE 1957-1963: Study at Hochschule für Bildende Künste, Berlin seit 1963: Masterstudent by L.G. Schrieber 1965: married to the artist Barbara Keidel 1968: Burda-Preis for sculptur, München/ DE seit 1986: Member of the Deutschen Künstlerbundes 1969: Prize of Böttcherstraße, Bremen/ DE 1970: Villa-Romana-Prize, Florence/ DE; Professor at Hochschule für Bildende Künste, Berlin 1975: Art prize from the city Darmstadt/ DE 1983: Karl-Ernst-Osthaus-Prize, Hagen/ DE 1995: 2. Prize III Trobata d´Escultors, Calaf/Barcelona/ ES 1996: 1. Prize Mainzer art prizes „Eisenturm“ for sculpture drawings 1974: Member to the Akademie der Künste, Berlin-Brandenburg 1998: 2. Art prize of Diözese Rotenburg/Stuttgart/ DE
Solo exhibitions (selection)
1966: Große Berliner Kunstausstellung – Sonderschau M. Schoenholtz 1968: Museum Bochum 1969: Galerie mladych, Prag / CSSR; Galerie Brusberg, Hannover/ DE 1970: Kunstverein Wolfsburg/ DE 1972: Kunsthalle Mannheim; Neuer Berliner Kunstverein; Orangerie Schloß Charlottenburg/ DE 1973: Galerie Schmücking, Dortmund/ DE 1974: Museum Ulm/ DE; Galerie Stangl, München/ DE; Städtische Galerie Villingen-Schwenningen; Galerie Rothe, Heidelberg/ DE 1975: Galerie Lietzow, Berlin 1977: Mathildenhöhe, Darmstadt/ DE; Wilh.-Lehmbruck-Museum, Duisburg/ DE; Märkisches Museum, Witten/ DE (zus. mit Barbara Keidel) 1979: Galerie Rothe, Heidelberg/ DE 1981: Galerie Brusberg, Hannover/ DE; Galerie Lange, Berlin 1982: Museum Göttingen/ DE; Städtische Museum Schwäbisch Hall 1984: Kunstverein Augsburg/ DE 1985: Galerie von Laar, München/ DE 1986: Galerie Rothe, Heidelberg/ DE 1987: Galerie Gierig, Frankfurt/ DE 1988: Galerie Rehberg, Mainz/ DE; Städt. Galerie Nordhorn 1989: Galerie pro arte, Freiburg/ DE; Sprengel-Museum, Hannover/ DE; Städt. Museen Heilbronn/ DE 1990: Galerie Nowald, Berlin 1991: Galerie Biedermann, München/ DE; Galerie Gierig, Frankfurt/ DE 1992: Museum Schloß Morsbroich, Leverkusen/ DE 1993: Einzelausstellung innerh. d. Neuen Gruppe, Haus der Kunst, München/ DE; Galerie Lange, Berlin (zus. mit Barbara Keidel) 1995: Galerie pro arte, Freiburg (zus. mit Barbara Keidel); Galerie Rehberg, Mainz/ DE 1996: Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden/ DE, Skulpturensammlung; Galerie Heitsch, München/ DE 1997: Kunsthalle Dominikanerkirche Osnabrück/ DE 1999: Galerie Leo.Copp, Berlin 2000: Städtische Galerie Viersen; Richard-Haizmann-Museum Niebüll/ DE; Kunstverein Reutlingen; 12. Biennale f. Bildhauerei Poznan/ PL; „Sehen und Denken“ Akademie der Künste Berlin-Brandenburg/ DE 2002: Dasa-Museum Dortmund/ DE
Wilhelm-Lehmbruck-Museum Duisburg/ DE 2003: Galerie Rehberg, Mainz/ DE; Galerie Wenk, Dortmund/ DE 2004: Kunstverein Emsdetten/ DE; Galerie Gerken, Berlin 2013: Galerie Gerken, Berlin (zus. mit Barbara Keidel)