Fairs

The late Otto Piene, a founding member of the influential postwar art collective ZERO, consistently explored evolving notions of the material and immaterial in his work. Piene, working at the junction of art, nature and technology, initially created his Light Ballet performances by directing light from hand-operated lamps through punctured stencils used for his Raster Paintings. This rudimentary apparatus soon evolved into more complex mechanized light sculptures in the 1960s, employing metal screens, discs, motors, timers and rotating electric lights, culminating in large-scale installations that offer a theatrical experience.

For the inaugural edition of Art Basel Qatar, Sprüth Magers presents the striking light installation Light Room with Mönchengladbach Wall (1963–2013). In Light Ballets like this one, Piene emerged as a choreographer of light, compelling it to “dance” across the space—initially by his own hand and later through sophisticated mechanical arrangements. His screens and stencils vary in size and intricacy; some can cover entire walls, while others are more modest spheres and cubes.