Reinhard Mucha – Sprüth Magers

Reinhard Mucha. Photo: muchaArchive / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

Reinhard Mucha’s (*1950) complex practice uses the ground zero of sculpture after minimalism as a conceptual springboard for works that incorporate found objects, but also any kind of different industrial materials as well as photography and time-based media. The Düsseldorf-based artist strips found objects of their practical, ostensible purpose to expose sediments of time and lived history that have accumulated within them. His approach sheds critical light on the tacit norms and rules governing the institutional practices of contemporary art.

One early example of the artist’s singular practice is Der kluge Knecht (Ohne Titel – Staatliche Kunstakademie – Düsseldorf – 1981), 2002 (The Clever Servant), as part of Frankfurter Block, [2016], [2014] 2012, took form as a wall-mounted display case sculpture showing Mucha’s master class sculpture certificate from the Staatliche Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, notarized by the Düsseldorf Chamber of Craft and Trade, and excerpts from the Brothers Grimm fairy tale that gives the work its name. “The objectively cool geometry of this multilayered wall sculpture—it’s materiality calculated down to the smallest detail—elegantly embodies the institutional impact of both the academy and the Chamber of Craft and Trade and the omnipotence of a museum apparatus. Using the authority of the right angle, its physical presence latches onto and counteracts the subversive, downright anarchic subtext of the Grimms’ tale: rather than fulfill his master’s order to search for his ‘lost cow’ and bring it back to him, the clever servant chooses to find three blackbirds from the ‘vast field’ instead. Echoing the subversive outcome of this absurd parable, the work also refuses to search for the cow. But instead of finding blackbirds, I as an artist build a Trojan Horse and with this ruse (a work that not only oversteps art-specific aesthetic boundaries, but co-opts and presents them on its own terms) I reach the center of museum institutions’ authoritative sphere—with an uncertain outcome.” (Mucha)

Variations on this complex theme pervade all of Mucha’s sculptures, including his key works Das Deutschlandgerät,[2002] 1990 (The Germany Device) and Frankfurter Block. Both of these expansive installations divulge another essential and particularly influential facet of the artist’s practice: his productive self-quotation through the re-use and revisiting of older works and their exhibition contexts. All of the objects and materials Mucha uses inscribe themselves in a web of meaning that includes not only other objects but also presentations of other works by the artist.

The work Untitled (Head in Sand – Kunsthalle Bielefeld – Created for the exhibition: “Ars Viva – Sculpture and Installations by prizewinners selected by the Cultural Committee of German Business within the Federation of German Industries BDI e.V.“ – 1981), [2012] 1982, for instance—part of Frankfurter Block—documents Mucha’s attempt to undermine the creation of a consumer profile on his person and subtly reflects an early German debate on the protection of personal data. The work has changed considerably over time, not least because each new presentation incorporates architectural and other elements from previous exhibitions. It also takes on a completely new dimension at a time when the commodification of personal data has become an inexorable reality of life.

A central common thread in Reinhard Mucha’s work is his patient, intellectually and atmospherically mesmerizing study of collective social amnesia. His sculptures and installations seem to constantly absorb new aspects of time and history. The objects and materials he uses are quotidian and usually overlooked in everyday life, and yet Mucha coaxes from them a comprehensive, decades-long chronicle of the changing times. His singular, poetic condensation of the elusive “memory” of these objects give his work an ever-present, auratic residual energy—emanations of an “intimacy” that is almost impossible to pinpoint. His works are resistant, artistic entities with inherent presence. They can be understood as “batteries” charged to capacity with real life and artistic energies that they then discharge in small amounts.

Works

Reinhard Mucha
Wartesaal, [1997], [1986] 1979-1982
Waiting Room
Multi-part sculptural room installation

Reinhard Mucha
Wartesaal, [1997], [1986] 1979-1982
Waiting Room
Multi-part sculptural room installation
Installation view documenta X, Kassel 1997
242 panel paintings enamel paint on wood, various materials, worked and unworked devices and objects
420.0 x 1381.0 x 1121.0 cm
165 3/8 x 543 3/4 x 441 3/8 inches
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Reinhard Mucha
Untitled (MILCH) – 1:1 model of the rejected proposal for “Kunst am Bau – Eingeladener Wettbewerb” for the Volkswagen University Library of the Berlin Institute of Technology (TU) and the Berlin University of the Arts (UdK) 2004, [2014] 1979
Installation views Reinhard Mucha, Kunstmuseum Basel | Gegenwart, Basel 2016
2 racing bikes, 2 French delivery bicycles (found objects), 2 cable reels, 16 wedge mounts, aluminum construction, alkyd enamel painted on reverse of float glass, (multilayer plywood), 90 fluorescent lamps, light control with remote, control device, control unit, electrical equipment
273.0 x 800.5 x 174.0 cm
107 1/2 x 315 1/8 x 68 1/2 inches
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Reinhard Mucha
Frankfurter Block, [2016], [2014] 2012
13 parts

Reinhard Mucha
Frankfurter Block, [2016], [2014] 2012
13 parts
Installation view Reinhard Mucha, Kunstmuseum Basel | Gegenwart, Basel 2016
Edition Page 63, [1986] 1983
Easton & Amos, 2014
Gallery 4.1 – demountable museum space, [2016] 2014
The Clever Servant (Ohne Titel – Staatliche Kunstakademie – Düsseldorf – 1981), 2002
Ebnath, 2014
Untitled (Head in Sand – Kunsthalle Bielefeld – Created for the exhibition: “Ars Viva – Sculpture and Installations by prizewinners selected by the Cultural Committee of German Business within the Federation of German Industries BDI e.V.” – 1981), [2012], 1982
[Capriccio] – How a Dead Hare Operates with Pictures, 2012 Head in Sand, [2012] 1981
&
The Steel Baron – Excerpts from the Big Calendar, 1989
Kyritz, 2014
Knowing whereby, not knowing wherewith. Knowing whereto, not knowing whereat, [2007] 1983
Diptych
“Rahn should shoot from the back,” 2014
Diptych
Seelze, [2014] 2012
Overall dimensions
412.0 x 1414.0 x 832.0 cm
162 1/8 x 556 3/4 x 327 5/8 inches
without Edition Page 63 and Easton & Amos
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Reinhard Mucha
Blohm + Voss (Ohne Titel – Stuttgart, Schwabstraße 2 – 1980), [2019] 1980
Two parts

Reinhard Mucha
Blohm + Voss (Ohne Titel – Stuttgart, Schwabstraße 2 – 1980), [2019] 1980 (partial view)
Two parts
Part 1
Aluminum profiles, alkyd enamel painted on reverse of float glass, painting canvas, solid wood, oil paint print on bituminized feltbase (flooring, found material), mirror glass, 2-channel video with infinite loops of video-animated photographs and 1-channel audio with stereo soundtrack, 3 SD cards, 3 CF-players 4HD, 2 video monitors 10”, 2 audio monitors (active), electrical and electronic equipment, blockboard
112.2 x 293.6 x 32.4 cm
44 1/8 x 115 5/8 x 12 3/4 inches
Part 2
Alkyd enamel painted on steel profile frame, two screws with dowels, float glass, gelatin silver print (vintage print)
(Relic of a site-specific installation commissioned by Hans-Jürgen Müller)
16.2 x 30.8 x 4.0 cm + screws and dowels
6 3/8 x 12 1/8 x 1 5/8 inches + screws and dowels
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Reinhard Mucha
Kasse beim Fahrer, 1987
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Two-part sculptural room installation

Reinhard Mucha
Kasse beim Fahrer, 1987
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Two-part sculptural room installation
Installation view Nordausgang, Kunsthalle Basel 1987
Various materials, worked and unworked devices and objects
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Reinhard Mucha
„Der Aufstieg“, [2019] 2007
“The Rise”
Two parts

Reinhard Mucha
„Der Aufstieg“, [2019] 2007
“The Rise”
Two parts
Part 1
Profiled wood, float glass (display case), hardboard and oil paint print on bituminized feltbase (flooring, found material) on blockboard (pedestal), 2 wooden footstools with floor glides, 508 stacked copies of the magazine “Der Aufstieg” No.1, January 1949 – No.4, April 1983
182.6 x 52.0 x 77.0 cm
72 x 20 1/2 x 30 1/4 inches
Part 2
2 LCD monitors, video animated reproductions of the cover of the magazine “Der Aufstieg”, packing tape, tripod pole, foam material, corrugated board, chipboard (pedestal), 2 wooden footstools with floor glides, 1 wooden footstool (found object), 2 media player, 2 SD cards, electrical cords, cable reel
131.6 x 43.0 x 42.0 cm (plus cable reel and electrical plug)
51 7/8 x 17 x 16 1/2 inches (plus cable reel and electrical plug)
Overall dimensions approx. 182.6 x 98.0 x 104.0 cm / 72 x 38 5/8 x 41 inches
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Reinhard Mucha
Material for Dr. Schwarz, [2019] 1981

Reinhard Mucha
Material for Dr. Schwarz, [2019] 1981
8 metal shoulder clamps, 4 float glass panes, 4 copies of letters, solid wood, float glass (display case), hardboard and oil paint print on bituminized feltbase (flooring, found material) on blockboard (pedestal), solid wood, plywood, floor gliders (2 footstools), 24 packets of Brandt – Der Markenzwieback
183.0 x 77.0 x 49.9 cm
72 x 30 1/4 x 19 5/8 inches
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Reinhard Mucha
Schuld, [2019] 2015

Reinhard Mucha
Schuld, [2019] 2015
Aluminum profiles, alkyd enamel painted on reverse of float glass, model railway board with oval track in scale HO different paints and materials, hardboard, profiled wood (split found object), plywood, blockboard
97.7 x 252.6 x 20.9 cm
38 1/2 x 99 1/2 x 8 1/4 inches
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Reinhard Mucha
Ahlener Programm / Kleeth, [2019] 2007 / 2019
Two-part work ensemble

Reinhard Mucha
Ahlener Programm / Kleeth, [2019] 2007 / 2019
Two-part work ensemble
Installation view Full Take, Sprüth Magers London 2019
Free-standing sculpture
Ahlener Programm
Solid wood, float glass (display case), oil paint print on bituminized feltbase (flooring, found material) and leatherboard on blockboard (pedestal), wood, enamel, PVC- decorative adhesive sheet (3 footstools, found objects), 45 stacked „UNION' briquettes
182.6 x 52.0 x 77.0 cm
72 x 20 1/2 x 30 1/4 inches
Wall-mounted sculpture
Kleeth
Metal shoulder clamps, float glass, alkyd enamel painted on reverse of glass, steel profiles, 2 rectangular tubs zinc-coated steel sheet, solid wood (found objects), multilayer-plywood
94.6 x 323.4 x 40.4 cm
37 1/4 x 127 1/4 x 16 inches
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Reinhard Mucha
BBK-SL-KNY-Edition, 1990, 1999
Ed. 12 + 3 a. p.
Polyptych, six parts

Reinhard Mucha
BBK-SL-KNY-Edition, 1990, 1999
Ed. 12 + 3 a. p.
Polyptych, six parts
Profiled solid wood stained and varnished (frame), float glass, alkyd enamel painted on reverse of glass, blockboard veneered, stained and varnished (mat), offset print on fine art paper, Iris Giclée print on deckle edged paper
Four parts each 115.4 x 86.8 x 5.8 cm / 45 3/8 x 34 1/8 x 2 1/4 inches
Two parts each 115.4 x 86.8 x 6.2 cm / 45 3/8 x 34 1/8 x 2 3/8 inches
Overall dimensions 232.8 x 262.8 x 6.2 cm / 91 5/8 x 103 1/2 x 2 3/8 inches
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Reinhard Mucha
Bestreikte Dienststelle, [2019] 1992
Strikebound Agency

Reinhard Mucha
Bestreikte Dienststelle, [2019] 1992
Strikebound Agency
Installation views Mucha Unnötig – Das Ende vom Lied, Sprüth Magers, Berlin 2019
2 fluorescent lamps, metal shoulder clamps, alkyd enamel painted on reverse of float glass, solid wood frame, float glass, hardboard, packing tape, poster (found object, 1992), colored cardboard with tape tracks (found object), various paper sheets, step stool, electrical equipment
188.5 x 157.0 x 35.0 cm
74 1/8 x 61 7/8 x 13 7/8 inches
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Reinhard Mucha
Untitled (Wand – Kunst- und Museumsverein Wuppertal – 1978) / Untitled (Isolde Wawrin – Ohne Titel (Objekt) – 1978), [2019] 1985
Two parts

Reinhard Mucha
Untitled (Wand – Kunst- und Museumsverein Wuppertal – 1978) / Untitled (Isolde Wawrin – Ohne Titel (Objekt) – 1978), [2019] 1985
Two parts
Part 1
Aluminum, float glass, alkyd enamel painted on reverse of glass, Linoleum, felt, wood, gelatin silver prints, paper, pencil, catalogue page (detail), alkyd enamel paint, watercolour
130.5 x 280.3 x 21.0 cm
51 3/8 x 110 3/8 x 8 1/4 inches
Part 2
Dispersion paint, profiled solid wood, float glass (frame), packing paper glued, dispersion paint, synthetic resin paint
62.8 x 203.8 x 4.9 cm
24 3/4 x 80 1/4 x 2 inches
Overall dimensions 198.0 x 280.3 x 21.0 cm / 78 x 110 3/8 x 8 1/4 inches
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Reinhard Mucha
Oderin / Untitled (MÄNNER FRAUEN), [1987] 1987 / 1981
Two-part work ensemble

Reinhard Mucha
Oderin / Untitled (MÄNNER FRAUEN), [1987] 1987 / 1981
Two-part work ensemble
Installation views Full Take, Sprüth Magers, London 2019
Oderin
Felt, blockboard (2 pedestals), PVC, metal (5 footstools), solid wood (1 footstool, found object)
181.5 x 225.0 x 383.0 cm
71 1/2 x 88 5/8 x 150 7/8 inches
Untitled (MÄNNER FRAUEN)
Alkyd enamel paint, metal, alkyd enamel painted on reverse of float glass, felt, wood, fluorescent lamp, electrical cord, angle plug with rocker switch, 2 zip ties, adhesive tape, extension cord with female plug and male plug
140.0 x 385.0 x 12.5 cm (MÄNNER)
55 1/8 x 151 5/8 x 5 inches (MÄNNER)
215.0 x 465.0 x 18.0 cm with lamp + connecting cord (FRAUEN)
84 5/8 x 183 x 7 inches with lamp + connecting cord (FRAUEN)
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Reinhard Mucha
[’78] – Bernd & Hilla in Leipzig, [2019] 1978
Diptych

Reinhard Mucha
[’78] – Bernd & Hilla in Leipzig, [2019] 1978
Diptych
Metal shoulder clamps, etching on front of float glass, alkyd enamel on wood, 2 light boxes, 2 black and white large-format transparencies, electrical equipment
Each 82.0 x 99.6 x 12.8 cm / 32 1/4 x 39 1/8 x 5 inches
Overall dimensions 82.0 x 208.4 x 12.8 cm / 32 1/4 x 82 x 5 inches
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Reinhard Mucha
Wartesaal, [1997], [1986] 1979-1982
Waiting Room
Multi-part sculptural room installation

Reinhard Mucha
Wartesaal, [1997], [1986] 1979-1982
Waiting Room
Installation view documenta X, Kassel 1997
Photo © werner maschmann fotografie

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Reinhard Mucha
Wartesaal, [1997], [1986] 1979-1982
Waiting Room
Installation view documenta X, Kassel 1997

Reinhard Mucha
Wartesaal, [1997], [1986] 1979-1982
Waiting Room
Installation view documenta X, Kassel 1997
Photo © werner maschmann fotografie

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Reinhard Mucha
Wartesaal, [1997], [1986] 1979-1982
Waiting Room
Installation view documenta X, Kassel 1997

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Reinhard Mucha
Frankfurter Block, [2016], [2014] 2012
13 parts

Reinhard Mucha
Frankfurter Block
Edition Seite 63, [1986] 1983
Edition Page 63
Tondo
2 metal shoulder clamps, 2 float glass discs, reprint of a book page offset recto and verso (found object)
ø 37.8 cm
ø 14 7/8 inches

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Reinhard Mucha
Frankfurter Block
Edition Seite 63, [1986] 1983
Edition Page 63

Reinhard Mucha
Frankfurter Block
Easton & Amos, 2014
Jute, blockboard, sheetrock, 2 footstools wood, linoleum, Resopal^®, synthetic resin paint (found objects)
109.0 x 250.0 x 60.0 cm
43 x 98 3/8 x 23 5/8 inches

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Reinhard Mucha
Frankfurter Block
Easton & Amos, 2014

Reinhard Mucha
Frankfurter Block
Galerie 4.1 – zerlegbarer Museumsraum, [2016] 2014 (partial view)
Gallery 4.1 – demountable museum space
4 walls with skirting boards and jamb lining profiled solid wood, plasterboard, 64 fluorescent lamps, 2 ventilation grilles, jute, blockboard and OSB-boards on studding, fitted carpet on particle board
412.0 x 1414.0 x 832.0 cm
162 1/8 x 556 3/4 x 327 5/8 inches

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Reinhard Mucha
Frankfurter Block
Galerie 4.1 – zerlegbarer Museumsraum, [2016] 2014 (partial view)
Gallery 4.1 – demountable museum space

Reinhard Mucha
Frankfurter Block
Der kluge Knecht (Ohne Titel – Staatliche Kunstakademie – Düsseldorf – 1981), 2002
The Clever Servant (Ohne Titel – Staatliche Kunstakademie – Düsseldorf – 1981)
Aluminum profiles, etching on front of float glass, black and white Laserchrome print framed, 5 photocopies framed, felt, blockboard, video animated photographs on DVDs, 2 video monitors, 2 audio monitors, 2 DVD players, audio track on CD, CD player, audio amplifier, electrical cord, male plugs and female plugs, cable reel, stepstool
205.7 x 400.2 x 48.6 cm
81 x 157 5/8 x 19 1/8 inches

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Reinhard Mucha
Frankfurter Block
Ebnath, 2014
2 wall cabinets alkyd enamel paint on wood, float glass, alkyd enamel painted on reverse of glass, plastic (found objects), 2 fluorescent lamps, industrial felt, electrical cord, angle plug with rocker switch, 2 zip ties, extension cord with male plug and female plug
285.0 x 83.1 x 14.8 / 34.1cm
112 1/8 x 32 3/4 x 5 7/8 / 13 3/8 inches

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Reinhard Mucha
Frankfurter Block
Ebnath, 2014

Reinhard Mucha
Frankfurter Block
Ohne Titel (Kopf im Sand – Kunsthalle Bielefeld – Entstanden anläßlich der Ausstellung: „Ars Viva – Skulpturen und Installationen von Preisträgern des Kulturkreises im Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie e. V.“ – 1981), [2012] 1982 (detail)
Untitled (Head in Sand – Kunsthalle Bielefeld – Created for the exhibition: „Ars Viva – Sculpture and Installations by prizewinners selected by the Cultural Committee of German Business within the Federation of German Industries BDI e.V. “ – 1981)
1 empty frame on wall, 4 table top display cases on 16 wooden footstools, 1 wooden frame with German and English title label, 3 aluminum frames with 3 black and white photographs (vintage prints), 99 aluminum frames with black and white photocopies of coupons for information, about 600 letter post items, 4 video monitors in suspended racks, 6 CF-cardplayers, video animated photographs, 2 active audio monitors, audio track, electrical and electronical supply- and extension cords, 2 cable reels
109.4 x 817.5 x 96.6 cm
43 x 321 7/8 x 38 inches

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Reinhard Mucha
Frankfurter Block
[Capriccio] – Wie der tote Hase mit den Bildern verkehrt, 2012
[Capriccio] – How a Dead Hare Operates with Pictures
Free-standing display case, 4 dollies, 2 pedestals, dolly wood, metal, plastic wire (found object), 2 hand-carts wood, metal (found objects), 2 footstools wood , metal tube, PVC (found objects), packaging cover from Hasenkamp Holding GmbH
179.4 x 261.5 x 110.0 cm
70 5/8 x 103 x 43 1/4 inches

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Reinhard Mucha
Frankfurter Block
[Capriccio] – Wie der tote Hase mit den Bildern verkehrt, 2012
[Capriccio] – How a Dead Hare Operates with Pictures

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Reinhard Mucha
Frankfurter Block
Kopf im Sand, [2012] 1981 (details)
Head in Sand

Reinhard Mucha
Frankfurter Block
Kopf im Sand, [2012] 1981 (details)
Head in Sand
99 model picture frames with 99 pencil drawings on black and white photocopies of promotional coupons silver patinated profiled wood, museum glass, DIN A4 – clear sheet protectors, museum board (titled, numbered, signed and dated)
&
Der Stahlbaron – Auszüge aus dem großen Kalender, 1989 (details)
The Steel Baron – Excerpts from the Big Calendar
29 picture frames with 50 gouaches in DIN A4 – clear sheet protectors profiled wood, museum glass, hardboard, anti rust paints, pencil, stamp ink on black and white photocopies (with dedication: “Vertreterkopie für Klaus Renzel”, signed and dated)
Overall dimensions left part 269.2 x 360.2 x 3.1 cm / 106 x 141 7/8 x 1 1/8 inches
Overall dimensions right part 269.2 x 1177.8 x 3.1 cm / 106 x 463 3/4 x 1 1/8 inches

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Reinhard Mucha
Frankfurter Block
Kopf im Sand, [2012] 1981
Head in Sand
&
Der Stahlbaron – Auszüge aus dem großen Kalender, 1989 (details)
The Steel Baron – Excerpts from the Big Calendar

Reinhard Mucha
Frankfurter Block
Kyritz, 2014
Aluminum profiles, float glass, alkyd enamel painted on reverse of glass, oil paint print on bituminized feltbase (flooring, found material), blockboard, hardboard, canvas, felt, plywood
133.5 x 32.6 x 38.8 cm
52 5/8 x 12 7/8 x 15 1/4 inches

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Reinhard Mucha
Frankfurter Block
Kyritz, 2014

Reinhard Mucha
Frankfurter Block
Gewußt wodurch, nicht wissen womit. Gewußt wohin, nicht wissen wobei, [2007] 1983
Knowing whereby, not knowing wherewith. Knowing whereto, not knowing whereat
Diptych
Aluminum profiles, float glass, alkyd enamel painted on reverse of glass, 4 black and white archival pigment prints on deckle edged paper, blockboard, corrugated cardboard
Each 132.0 x 192.8 x 28.8 cm
Each 52 x 76 x 11 3/8 inches

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Reinhard Mucha
Frankfurter Block
„aus dem Hintergrund müßte Rahn schießen,“ 2014
“Rahn should shoot from the back,” 2014
Diptych
2 / 2
left tondo
4 metal shoulder clamps, float glass disc, aluminum disc, fluorescent lamp, electrical cord, angle plug with rocker switch, 2 cable ties, extension cord with male plug and female plug
ø 40.0 cm x 10.0 cm
ø 15 3/4 x 4 inches
right tondo
4 metal shoulder clamps, 2 float glass discs, enamel painted on reverse of glass, book page offset recto and verso (found object), felt, aluminum disc
ø 36.5 x 4.6 cm
ø 14 3/8 x 1 7/8 inches
Overall dimensions
196.5 x 80.5 x 10.0 / 41.5 cm
77 3/8 x 31 3/4 x 4 / 16 3/8 inches

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Reinhard Mucha
„aus dem Hintergrund müßte Rahn schießen,“ 2014
“Rahn should shoot from the back,” 2014
Diptych

Reinhard Mucha
Frankfurter Block
„aus dem Hintergrund müßte Rahn schießen,“ 2014 (detail)
“Rahn should shoot from the back,”
Diptych

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Reinhard Mucha
Frankfurter Block
„aus dem Hintergrund müßte Rahn schießen,“ 2014 (detail)
“Rahn should shoot from the back,”
Diptych

Reinhard Mucha
Frankfurter Block
Seelze, [ 2014] 2012
Aluminum profiles, float glass, alkyd enamel painted on reverse of glass, steel profiles, rectangular tub zinc-coated steel sheet (found object), felt, multilayer-plywood
133.6 x 232.2 x 50.4 cm
52 5/8 x 91 3/8 x 19 7/8 inches

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Reinhard Mucha
Frankfurter Block
Seelze, [ 2014] 2012

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Reinhard Mucha
Blohm + Voss (Ohne Titel – Stuttgart, Schwabstraße 2 – 1980), [2019] 1980
Two parts

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Reinhard Mucha
Blohm + Voss (Ohne Titel – Stuttgart, Schwabstraße 2 – 1980), [2019] 1980
Two parts

Reinhard Mucha
Blohm + Voss (Ohne Titel – Stuttgart, Schwabstraße 2 – 1980), [2019] 1980 (detail and partial view)
Two parts

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Reinhard Mucha
Blohm + Voss (Ohne Titel – Stuttgart, Schwabstraße 2 – 1980), [2019] 1980 (detail and partial view)
Two parts

Reinhard Mucha
Blohm + Voss (Ohne Titel – Stuttgart, Schwabstraße 2 – 1980), [2019] 1980 (details)
Two parts

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Reinhard Mucha
Blohm + Voss (Ohne Titel – Stuttgart, Schwabstraße 2 – 1980), [2019] 1980 (details)
Two parts

Reinhard Mucha
Blohm + Voss (Ohne Titel – Stuttgart, Schwabstraße 2 – 1980), [2019] 1980 (detail)
Two parts

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Reinhard Mucha
Blohm + Voss (Ohne Titel – Stuttgart, Schwabstraße 2 – 1980), [2019] 1980 (detail)
Two parts

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Reinhard Mucha
Kasse beim Fahrer, 1987
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Two-part sculptural room installation

Reinhard Mucha
Kasse beim Fahrer, 1987 (detail)
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Installation view Nordausgang, Kunsthalle Basel 1987

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Reinhard Mucha
Kasse beim Fahrer 0.1, 1987 (detail)
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Installation view Reinhard Mucha. Nordausgang, Kunsthalle Basel 1987

Reinhard Mucha
Kasse beim Fahrer, 1987 (detail)
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Installation view Nordausgang, Kunsthalle Basel 1987

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Reinhard Mucha
Kasse beim Fahrer 0.1, 1987 (detail)
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Installation view Reinhard Mucha. Nordausgang, Kunsthalle Basel 1987

Reinhard Mucha
Kasse beim Fahrer, 1987 (detail)
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Installation view Nordausgang, Kunsthalle Basel 1987

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Reinhard Mucha
Kasse beim Fahrer 0.1, 1987 (detail)
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Installation view Reinhard Mucha. Nordausgang, Kunsthalle Basel 1987

Reinhard Mucha
Kasse beim Fahrer, 1987 (detail)
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Installation view Nordausgang, Kunsthalle Basel 1987

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Reinhard Mucha
Kasse beim Fahrer 0.1, 1987 (detail)
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Installation view Reinhard Mucha. Nordausgang, Kunsthalle Basel 1987

Reinhard Mucha
Kasse beim Fahrer, 1987
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Installation view Nordausgang, Kunsthalle Basel 1987

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Reinhard Mucha
Kasse beim Fahrer 0.1, 1987
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Installation view Reinhard Mucha. Nordausgang, Kunsthalle Basel 1987

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Reinhard Mucha
„Der Aufstieg“, [2019] 2007
“The Rise”
Two parts

Reinhard Mucha
„Der Aufstieg“, [2019] 2007 (detail)
“The Rise”
Two parts

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Reinhard Mucha
„Der Aufstieg“, [2019] 2007 (detail)
“The Rise”
Two parts

Reinhard Mucha
„Der Aufstieg“, [2019] 2007 (details)
“The Rise”
Two parts

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Reinhard Mucha
„Der Aufstieg“, [2019] 2007 (details)
“The Rise”
Two parts

Reinhard Mucha
„Der Aufstieg“, [2019] 2007 (detail)
“The Rise”
Two parts

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Reinhard Mucha
„Der Aufstieg“, [2019] 2007 (detail)
“The Rise”
Two parts

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Reinhard Mucha
„Der Aufstieg“, [2019] 2007 (detail)
“The Rise”
Two parts

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Reinhard Mucha
Material for Dr. Schwarz, [2019] 1981

Reinhard Mucha
Material for Dr. Schwarz, [2019] 1981 (detail)

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Reinhard Mucha
Material for Dr. Schwarz, [2019] 1981

Reinhard Mucha
Material for Dr. Schwarz, [2019] 1981 (details)

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Reinhard Mucha
Material for Dr. Schwarz, [2019] 1981 (details)

Reinhard Mucha
Material for Dr. Schwarz, [2019] 1981 (detail)

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Reinhard Mucha
Material for Dr. Schwarz, [2019] 1981

Reinhard Mucha
Material for Dr. Schwarz, [2019] 1981 (detail)

Inquire

Reinhard Mucha
Material for Dr. Schwarz, [2019] 1981

Reinhard Mucha
Material for Dr. Schwarz, [2019] 1981 (detail)

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Reinhard Mucha
Material for Dr. Schwarz, [2019] 1981

Reinhard Mucha
Material for Dr. Schwarz, [2019] 1981 (detail)

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Reinhard Mucha
Material for Dr. Schwarz, [2019] 1981

Reinhard Mucha
Material for Dr. Schwarz, [2019] 1981 (detail)

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Reinhard Mucha
Material for Dr. Schwarz, [2019] 1981

Reinhard Mucha
Material for Dr. Schwarz, [2019] 1981
Installation view Mucha Unnötig – Das Ende vom Lied, Sprüth Magers, Berlin 2019

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Reinhard Mucha
Material for Dr. Schwarz, [2019] 1981
Installation view Mucha Unnötig – Das Ende vom Lied, Sprüth Magers, Berlin 2019

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Reinhard Mucha
Schuld, [2019] 2015

Reinhard Mucha
Schuld, [2019] 2015 (detail)

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Reinhard Mucha
Schuld, [2019] 2015

Reinhard Mucha
Schuld, [2019] 2015 (detail)

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Reinhard Mucha
Schuld, [2019] 2015

Reinhard Mucha
Schuld, [2019] 2015 (details)

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Reinhard Mucha
Schuld, [2019] 2015

Reinhard Mucha
Schuld, [2019] 2015 (details)

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Reinhard Mucha
Schuld, [2019] 2015

Reinhard Mucha
Schuld, [2019] 2015 (details)

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Reinhard Mucha
Schuld, [2019] 2015

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Reinhard Mucha
Ahlener Programm / Kleeth, [2019] 2007 / 2019
Two-part work ensemble

Reinhard Mucha
Ahlener Programm / Kleeth, [2019] 2007 / 2019 (partial view)
Two-part work ensemble

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Reinhard Mucha
Ahlener Programm / Kleeth, [2019] 2007 / 2019 (partial view)
Two-part work ensemble

Reinhard Mucha
Ahlener Programm / Kleeth, [2019] 2007 / 2019 (detail)
Two-part work ensemble

Inquire

Reinhard Mucha
Ahlener Programm / Kleeth, [2019] 2007 / 2019 (detail)
Two-part work ensemble

Reinhard Mucha
Ahlener Programm / Kleeth, [2019] 2007 / 2019
Two-part work ensemble
(newspaper clip Rheinische Post, 03. February 2007 and detail)

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Reinhard Mucha
Ahlener Programm / Kleeth, [2019] 2007 / 2019
Two-part work ensemble
(newspaper clip Rheinische Post, 03. February 2007 and detail)

Reinhard Mucha
Ahlener Programm / Kleeth, [2019] 2007 / 2019 (details)
Two-part work ensemble

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Reinhard Mucha
Ahlener Programm / Kleeth, [2019] 2007 / 2019 (details)
Two-part work ensemble

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Reinhard Mucha
BBK-SL-KNY-Edition, 1990, 1999
Ed. 12 + 3 a. p.
Polyptych, six parts

Reinhard Mucha
BBK-SL-KNY-Edition, 1990, 1999 (detail)
Ed. 12 + 3 a. p.
Polyptych, six parts

Inquire

Reinhard Mucha
BBK-SL-KNY-Edition, 1990, 1999 (detail)
Ed. 12 + 3 a. p.
Polyptych, six parts

Reinhard Mucha
BBK-SL-KNY-Edition, 1990, 1999 (detail)
Ed. 12 + 3 a. p.
Polyptych, six parts

Inquire

Reinhard Mucha
BBK-SL-KNY-Edition, 1990, 1999 (detail)
Ed. 12 + 3 a. p.
Polyptych, six parts

Reinhard Mucha
BBK-SL-KNY-Edition, 1990, 1999 (detail)
Ed. 12 + 3 a. p.
Polyptych, six parts

Inquire

Reinhard Mucha
BBK-SL-KNY-Edition, 1990, 1999 (detail)
Ed. 12 + 3 a. p.
Polyptych, six parts

Reinhard Mucha
BBK-SL-KNY-Edition, 1990, 1999 (detail)
Ed. 12 + 3 a. p.
Polyptych, six parts

Inquire

Reinhard Mucha
BBK-SL-KNY-Edition, 1990, 1999 (detail)
Ed. 12 + 3 a. p.
Polyptych, six parts

Reinhard Mucha
BBK-SL-KNY-Edition, 1990, 1999 (detail)
Ed. 12 + 3 a. p.
Polyptych, six parts (detail)

Inquire

Reinhard Mucha
BBK-SL-KNY-Edition, 1990, 1999 (detail)
Ed. 12 + 3 a. p.
Polyptych, six parts

Reinhard Mucha
BBK-SL-KNY-Edition, 1990, 1999 (detail)
Ed. 12 + 3 a. p.
Polyptych, six parts

Inquire

Reinhard Mucha
BBK-SL-KNY-Edition, 1990, 1999 (detail)
Ed. 12 + 3 a. p.
Polyptych, six parts

Inquire

Reinhard Mucha
Bestreikte Dienststelle, [2019] 1992
Strikebound Agency

Reinhard Mucha
Bestreikte Dienststelle, [2019] 1992 (partial view)
Strikebound Agency

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Reinhard Mucha
Bestreikte Dienststelle, [2019] 1992 (partial view)
Strikebound Agency

Inquire

Reinhard Mucha
Bestreikte Dienststelle, [2019] 1992 (partial view)
Strikebound Agency

Reinhard Mucha
Bestreikte Dienststelle, [2019] 1992
Strikebound Agency

Inquire

Reinhard Mucha
Bestreikte Dienststelle, [2019] 1992
Strikebound Agency

Reinhard Mucha
Bestreikte Dienststelle, [2019] 1992 (details)
Strikebound Agency

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Reinhard Mucha
Bestreikte Dienststelle, [2019] 1992 (details)
Strikebound Agency

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Reinhard Mucha
Untitled (Wand – Kunst- und Museumsverein Wuppertal – 1978) / Untitled (Isolde Wawrin – Ohne Titel (Objekt) – 1978), [2019] 1985
Two parts

Reinhard Mucha
Untitled (Wand – Kunst- und Museumsverein Wuppertal – 1978) / Untitled (Isolde Wawrin – Ohne Titel (Objekt) – 1978), [2019] 1985 (detail)
Two parts

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Reinhard Mucha
Untitled (Wand – Kunst- und Museumsverein Wuppertal – 1978) / Untitled (Isolde Wawrin – Ohne Titel (Objekt) – 1978), [2019] 1985 (detail)
Two parts

Reinhard Mucha
Untitled (Wand – Kunst- und Museumsverein Wuppertal – 1978) / Untitled (Isolde Wawrin – Ohne Titel (Objekt) – 1978), [2019] 1985
Two parts

Inquire

Reinhard Mucha
Untitled (Wand – Kunst- und Museumsverein Wuppertal – 1978) / Untitled (Isolde Wawrin – Ohne Titel (Objekt) – 1978), [2019] 1985
Two parts

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Reinhard Mucha
Untitled (Wand – Kunst- und Museumsverein Wuppertal – 1978) / Untitled (Isolde Wawrin – Ohne Titel (Objekt) – 1978), [2019] 1985
Two parts

Inquire

Reinhard Mucha
Oderin / Untitled (MÄNNER FRAUEN), [1987] 1987 / 1981
Two-part work ensemble

Reinhard Mucha
Oderin / Untitled (MÄNNER FRAUEN), [1987] 1987 / 1981 (detail)
Two-part work ensemble

Inquire

Reinhard Mucha
Oderin / Untitled (MÄNNER FRAUEN), [1987] 1987 / 1981 (detail)
Two-part work ensemble

Inquire

Reinhard Mucha
Oderin / Untitled (MÄNNER FRAUEN), [1987] 1987 / 1981 (detail)
Two-part work ensemble

Inquire

Reinhard Mucha
Oderin / Untitled (MÄNNER FRAUEN), [1987] 1987 / 1981 (detail)
Two-part work ensemble

Reinhard Mucha
Oderin / Untitled (MÄNNER FRAUEN), [1987] 1987 / 1981 (partial view)
Two-part work ensemble

Inquire

Reinhard Mucha
Oderin / Untitled (MÄNNER FRAUEN), [1987] 1987 / 1981
Two-part work ensemble

Reinhard Mucha
Oderin / Untitled (MÄNNER FRAUEN), [1987] 1987 / 1981 (partial view)
Two-part work ensemble

Inquire

Reinhard Mucha
Oderin / Untitled (MÄNNER FRAUEN), [1987] 1987 / 1981
Two-part work ensemble

Inquire

Reinhard Mucha
[’78] – Bernd & Hilla in Leipzig, [2019] 1978
Diptych

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Reinhard Mucha
[’78] – Bernd & Hilla in Leipzig, [2019] 1978
Diptych

Reinhard Mucha
[’78] – Bernd & Hilla in Leipzig, [2019] 1978 (detail)
Diptych

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Reinhard Mucha
[’78] – Bernd & Hilla in Leipzig, [2019] 1978 (detail)
Diptych

Reinhard Mucha
[’78] – Bernd & Hilla in Leipzig, [2019] 1978
Diptych

Inquire

Reinhard Mucha
[’78] – Bernd & Hilla in Leipzig, [2019] 1978
Diptych

Reinhard Mucha
[’78] – Bernd & Hilla in Leipzig, [2019] 1978
Diptych
Installation view Mucha Unnötig – Das Ende vom Lied, Sprüth Magers, Berlin 2019

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Reinhard Mucha
[’78] – Bernd & Hilla in Leipzig, [2019] 1978
Diptych

Details

1 of 14

Current and Upcoming

Reinhard Mucha, Werden / Edition 1991 – »Kreuzstück«, [2016] 2016 / 2004, © muchaArchive / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2024, Photo: Mucha

Reinhard Mucha
Mucha – WICHTIG LEBEN !
Michael & Eleonore Stoffel Foundation – nw9, Cologne
Through October 18, 2024

The Michael & Eleonore Stoffel Foundation presents the exhibition Mucha – WICHTIG LEBEN ! which features a selection of works by Reinhard Mucha, mainly from their collection.

Link

Reinhard Mucha
Urlaub im All / Holiday in Space
Edited by Sprüth Magers in cooperation with Galerie Bärbel Grässlin, Luhring Augustine, Lia Rumma Gallery
Published by Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther und Franz König, Cologne, March 23, 2023

Urlaub im All / Holiday in Space is an artist book which can be considered as Reinhard Mucha’s personal oeuvre catalogue. It comprises two volumes in a slipcase and is based on Reinhard Mucha's so-called portfolio books that he created for himself over the years, relating his photographically documented works to one another both formally and aesthetically. Nearly 800 reproductions as well as detailed image and work information provide unprecedented, comprehensive insight into both his work and understanding of sculpture. Also published for the first time are 19 letters and texts by Mucha further elucidating his artistic thinking.

Link

Photo: Timo Ohler

Reinhard Mucha
Schnee von gestern / Snows of Yesteryear
Mucha im Livestream 1964–1975
Edited by Sprüth Magers, Galerie Bärbel Grässlin, Luhring Augustine, and Lia Rumma
Published by Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther und Franz König, Cologne, March 23, 2023

The artist book comprises in two volumes the 433 individual pages of the work Snows of Yesteryear – Excerpts from the Big Calendar III, [2020] 1964–1975. It is a strongly autobiographical work that – installed as an image frieze – traces in documents, drawings, and photographs Mucha's path from 1964 to 1975 divided into four episodes that preceded his artistic career. Schnee von gestern / Snows of Yesteryear oscillates between image history, frieze of time, archival material, and space-spanning sculpture.

The book contains early texts by Mucha, published for the first time, which impressively document the artist's approach to the world. Included in parallel are three quotations by Philipp Otto Runge about art.

The artist book is published in a limited edition.

Link

Exhibitions at Sprüth Magers

Reinhard Mucha
Kasse beim Fahrer
November 26, 2022–March 25, 2023
Berlin

Sprüth Magers is pleased to announce a solo exhibition by Reinhard Mucha opening in the fall at the Berlin gallery. Mucha is one of the most influential sculptors and conceptual artist of his generation. For decades he has succeeded in combining formal rigor, conceptual clarity and witty irony with the richness and delicacy of painterly and sculptural details. His work contains moments of contemporary history, personal history, and his previous pieces cross and intersect with discourses in art as well as other social systems.

Mies in Mind
John Bock, Thomas Demand, Thea Djordjadze, Jenny Holzer, Kraftwerk, Reinhard Mucha, Otto Piene, Thomas Ruff, Thomas Scheibitz
August 20–September 4, 2021
Berlin

As part of the exhibition parcours Mies In Mind, initiated by INDEX Berlin and taking place on the occasion of the reopening of the Neue Nationalgalerie, Sprüth Magers is showcasing works by John Bock, Thomas Demand, Thea Djordjadze, Jenny Holzer, Reinhard Mucha, Otto Piene, Thomas Ruff and Thomas Scheibitz in a group exhibition that pays tribute to the architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and his famous building.

Reinhard Mucha
Mucha Unnötig – Das Ende vom Lied
April 27–August 10, 2019
Berlin

If there is a common theme in Düsseldorf-based sculptor and conceptual artist Reinhard Mucha’s work, it is his patient and visually striking exploration of our collective amnesia. Employing a subtle sense of humor, he creates sculptures and installations that seem to retain both time and history, and that the viewer will not forget quickly.

Reinhard Mucha
Full Take
February 20–May 11, 2019
London

Reinhard Mucha
Frankfurter Block – Arbeiten am Hohlkasten 1981-2014
May 2–August 30, 2014
Berlin

Reinhard Mucha repeatedly subjects his works to critical revision, transformation and expansion. In the course of restaging an installation from exhibition to exhibition, a gradual accumulation of space and time occurs.

Alan Smithee
Thomas Grünfeld, Neil Jenny, Gerhard Merz, Reinhard Mucha, Simon Patterson, Vincent Shine
September 18–October 20, 1993
Cologne

Mondi Possibili
John Armleder, Barbara Bloom, Tony Cragg, Peter Fischli David Weiss, Katharina Fritsch, Louise Lawler, Allan Mccollum, Reinhard Mucha, Andreas Schulze, Haim Steinbach, Rosemarie Trockel, Mayer Vaisman, Jean-Luc Vilmouth, Bill Woodrow
September 8–September 30, 1989
Cologne

Press

Reflexive Infrastrukturen
Texte zur Kunst, Romina Dümmer, 2023

Reinhard Mucha’s “Der Mucha—An Initial Suspicion”
e-flux, Kirsty Bell, 2023

How Can You Make Art About the Unspeakable
Art Review, Artikel von Martin Herbert, 2023

In Düsseldorf baut Reinhard Mucha sein System immer weiter aus
Monopol, article by Jens Bülskämper, October 2022

Im Wartesall der alten Republik
FAZ, Georg Imdahl, 2022

Trick Mirror
Frieze, article by Stanton Taylor, September 2022

Reinhard Mucha’s Unsettling Precision
Hyperallergic, article by Mika Ross-Southhall, April 20, 2019

Trains of Thought
Artforum International, article by Graham Bader, January 5, 2018

Reinhard Mucha. The Silence of Presentation
Parachute, article by Philip Monk, June-August 1988

Stations on a Journey
Artforum, article by Germano Celant, December 1985

Biography

Reinhard Mucha (*1950, Düsseldorf) lives in Düsseldorf. The comprehensive survey exhibition Der Mucha – An Initial Suspicion was on view at Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen’s two locations K20 and K21 in Düsseldorf (2022–23). Other solo exhibitions include Kunstmuseum Basel (2016), ifa – Galerie Friedrichstraße, Berlin (1996), Museum Haus Esters, Krefeld (1990), Kunsthalle Basel (1987), Kunsthalle Bern (1987), Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris (1986), Württembergischer Kunstverein, Stuttgart (1985), and Kabinett für aktuelle Kunst, Bremerhaven (1983). He participated in documenta X (1997), documenta IX (1992) and represented Germany at the 44th Venice Biennale (1990).

Education

1972/1975–82

Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf (with Klaus Rinke)

Public Collections

Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto

Art Institute of Chicago

Castello di Rivoli Museo d’Arte Contemporanea, Turin

CIFO (Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation), Miami

Collection CACI, Centro de Arte Contemporânea Inhotim, Brumadinho, Belo Horizonte

Dallas Museum of ART (DMA), Margerite Hoffman Fund

Fundación La Caixa, Barcelona

Gemeentemuseum Den Haag

Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nuremberg

Glenstone Collection, Potomac, MD

Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg

Hessisches Landesmuseum, Darmstadt

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington D.C.

Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (ifa), Stuttgart

Kaiser Wilhelm Museum, Krefeld

Kunstmuseum Basel

Kunstmuseum Bonn

Kunstsammlung der Allianz Deutschland AG, Munich

Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf

MKM Museum Küppersmühle für Moderne Kunst, Duisburg

Musée d’Art Moderne de Saint-Etienne, Saint-Etienne

Musée d’Art Moderne et Contemporain, Strasbourg

Musée National d’Art Moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris

Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid

Museum MARTa Herford

Museum of Modern Art, New York

Nationalgalerie – Staatliche Museen zu Berlin

Neue Galerie Graz am Landesmuseum Joanneum, Graz

Nykytaiteen Museo / Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki

Pinakothek der Moderne / Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen (Collection Stoffel), Munich

Rubell Family Collection, Miami

SFMOMA San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

S.M.A.K. Stedelijk Museum van Hedendaagse Kunst, Ghent

Staatsgalerie Stuttgart, Stuttgart

Städelmuseum, Frankfurt a. M.

Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven

Tate, London

Walker Art Center, Minneapolis

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