Thomas Kratz

BIO | SELECTED WORKS

The works of Thomas Kratz are often playing with the idea of the painting as a mirror, than with the old and traditional idea of the painting as a window to the world. Much in the way Kratz emphasizes the physicality of his paintings, he also incorporates the physical environment and architecture of the places where his work is shown. The exhibition space becomes a pictorial space, either inspired or defined by the color of the space’s walls. Thomas Kratz creates a language of objects and gestures that is highly diverse, but which in its totality speaks of the contingencies and rituals of art.

CV

Thomas Kratz
Born in 1972 (Waiblingen, Germany)
Lives and works in Berlin, Germany.

Education

2005     MA Painting, Royal College of Art, London, UK
2001     Meisterschüler Prof. Günther Förg, Akademie der Bildenden Künste, Munich, Germany
1999     New Media Art, Hochschule für Gestaltung / ZKM, Karlsruhe, Germany

Awards, residences, scholarships

2008
Artist in Residence, Chongqing, China, invited by Gasworks, London, UK
2007     
Projektstipendium, Steiner Stiftung, Munich, Germany
2001     
Arbeitsstipendium, Kunstfonds Bonn eV, Germany

Solo shows

2017
Thomas Kratz at Alley – Giorgio Galotti, Torino Art Week, Italy
2016
GRGLT, Giorgio Galotti, Turin, Italy
2015
Ahoi, Deweer Gallery, Otegem, Belgium
Galerie Biedermann, München, Germany
2013
Lick Gin (Situations), Collicaligreggi, Catania, Italy
2012
Love, Bielefelder Kunstverein, Bielefeld, Germany
No tracks. No traces., Croy Nielsen, Berlin, Germany
2010
Thomas Kratz, Croy Nielsen, Berlin, Germany
2008
Thomas Kratz, Kate MacGarry, London, United Kingdom
Rouge, The Return, Goethe Institut Dublin, Ireland
2007
Licking its Eyeball, Center, Berlin, Germany
Thomas Kratz, Kunstraum / Verein für aktuelle Kunst und Kritik, Munich, Germany
2006
Heute Abend, Szofia, Vera Cortês, Lisbon, Portugal
2004
Fou Tchou Li, Parisa Kind, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
2002
Neue Arbeiten … N°3 (but its hopeless … N°3), zu Gast bei Parisa Kind, Offenbach, Germany

Group Shows

2018
Severity of a salty surge, Barbé Urbain gallery, Gent, Belgium
Collector’s Room #18: Out of Time - In Search of Stillness, Deweer Gallery, Otegem, Belgium
2017
Collector’s Room # 15: A Show, Inside Out (Buitensculpturen / Outdoor Sculptures), Deweer Gallery, Otegem, Belgium
Collector’s Room # 14: Black / White, Deweer Gallery, Otegem, Belgium
2016
Modern Talk - Günther Förg / Melissa Gordon, Thomas Kratz & George Little, Deweer Gallery, Otegem, Belgium
Galerie Jahn, Landshut, Germany
2015
Intro, GRGLT Giorgio Galotti, Turin, Italy
(to be titled), Horse, Berlin, Germany
Club of Matinée Idolz, CO2, Turin, Italy
2014
Dizionario di Pittura, Francesca Minini, Milan, Italy
Ciao!, Collicaligreggi, Catania, Italy
The Party, Trafo / Center for Contemporary Art, Stettin, Poland
Bielefeld Contemporary_Zeitgenössische Kunst aus Bielefeld, Bielefelder Kunstverein, Germany
Syllabus #1_talking about art and life, Collicaligreggi, Catania, Italy
Die Antwort der Dinge, Lothringer 13 Halle, Munich, Germany
2013
Painting Forever! Keilrahmen, KW – Institut for Contemporary Art, Berlin
The only performance that makes it all the way, KM – Künstlerhaus, Halle für Kunst & Medien, Graz, Austria
AB, Nomas Foundation, Rom, Italy
Re-opening, Fondazione Brodbeck, Catania, Italy
Biennale Online, ART+
2012
Drawing Quote, Pigna Project Space, Rom, Italy
2011
Portrait of Space, Clonlea Studios, Dublin. Ireland
Bilder, Träger und ein Pfeiler aus Sanssouci, Brandenburgischer Kunstverein, Potsdam, Germany
Frame, Ve.sch, Vienna, Austria
2010
Casa Fantasma, Fluxia, Milan, Italy
Out Of Joint, Galerie Kamm, Berlin, Germany
Throwing Three Balls in the Air to Get a Straight Line, Malmö Konsthall, Sweden
Supernature / an Exercise in Loads, AMP Gallery, Athens, Greece
The Happy Interval, presented by Tulips & Roses, Vilnius, at Croy Nielsen, Berlin, Germany
2009
Zeichnungen, Skulpturen und Originalgrafiken, Margret Biedermann, Munich, Germany
Sniper, Margret Biedermann, Munich, Germany
2008
Experimenta FOLKLORE, Kunstverein, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Günther Förg & Thomas Kratz, behindthewindow, Munich, Germany
Breakfast in Bed (with Anthea Hamilton), Parkhaus im Malkastenpark, Düsseldorf, Germany
Nought to Sixty, ICA / Institute of Contermporary Arts, London, United Kingdom
After Dark, Louise T Blouin Foundation, London, United Kingdom
2007
Anthea Hamilton & Thomas Kratz, Mary Mary, Glasgow, Scotland
Na Vidraça Há O Ruído Do Diverso, Fundação Carmona e Costa, Lisbon, Portugal
True Romance, The Breeder, Athens, Greece
Ice Trade, Chelsea Space; London, United Kingdom
2006
The possibility of beeing real, autocenter, Berlin, Germany
2005
I.D.E.A., ICA / Institute of Contermporary Arts, London, United Kingdom
13 Festival International d’Art Video de Casablanca, Goethe Institut de Rabat, Morocco
2004
Und im Winde klirren die Fahnen, Ben Kaufmann, Munich, Germany
Transformers (with Eva Maria Wittmann), Transformers, Munich, Germany
2003
kaufmannheim, Ben Kaufmann, Berlin, Germany
Total motiviert, Kunstverein München, Munich, Germany
2002
Event Horizon, lothringer13/halle, Munich, Germany
Internationale Münchener Filmwochen, Munich, Germany
2000
to withdraw (with Peter Welz), Prima Kunst, Kiel, Germany
1999
Homo Ludens, der spielende Mensch, Coopera e.V., Dresden, Germany

Performances
2014
Esc, Trafo / Center for Contemporary Art, Stettin, Poland
Colour Blind, Kunstraum / Verein für aktuelle Kunst und Kritik, Munich, Germany
2013
Colour Blind, KM – Künstlerhaus, Halle für Kunst & Medien, Graz, Austria
2012
Strawberry Camouflage, Bielefelder Kunstverein, Bielefeld, Germany
2011
Butt, a picnic, Clonlea Studios, Dublin, Ireland
Butt, a picnic, BKV Potsdam e.V., Potsdam, Germany
Star, Ve.sch, Vienna, Austria
Star, Galerie Kamm, Berlin, Germany
2010
Wie ich dem toten Hasen die Bilder erkläre, Schmela Haus, Düsseldorf, Germany
Both, Malmö Konsthall, Sweden
2009
Both, Croy Nielsen, Berlin, Germany
2008
Strawberry Camouflage, Kunstverein, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Strawberry Camouflage, Kate MacGarry, London, United Kingdom
Strawberry Camouflage, Organhaus, Chongching, China
Strawberry Camouflage, Kunsthalle, Düsseldorf, Germany
Strawberry Camouflage, Louise T Blouin Foundation, London, United Kingdom
Strawberry Camouflage, Nought to Sixty, ICA / Institute of Contermporary Arts, London, United Kingdom
Strawberry Camouflage, Caravan, Berlin, Germany
2006
Wie ich dem toten Hasen die Bilder erkläre, Vera Cortês, Lisbon, Portugal