André Thomkins (born 1930 in Lucerne, died 1985 in Berlin) was one of the most innovative and versatile artists of the latter half of the twentieth century. He made a name for himself with creative artistic experiments particularly in the 1960s.
Everyday materials such as rubber, magazine photos and paper, foodstuffs, and found items are characteristic of his work along with traditional artistic devices and techniques. Experiments with these different materials gave rise to his humorous, fantastic works of intellectual depth and play-ful, associative quality – intricate in terms of subject matter and surprising.
Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein has been systematically reviewing the artist's extensive estate since 2002. This extraordinarily voluminous collection of some 6700 works includes pieces from all stages of his work and life and gives a profound insight into Thomkins' method of working. This comprehensive retrospective showcases his work in a new context.
André Thomkins. Eternal Network demonstrates the great importance of Thomkins the experi-mentalist, putting his new technical and formal developments on an equal footing with his far more well-known drawings. These include not only the groups of pictorial works, but also the works of language art and his musical experiments. Two major works created in and for actions are also brought together for the first time. In addition, the exhibition presents numerous works from the estate which have rarely if ever been on show before. For the first time, then, the exhibi-tion allows visitors to experience the full breadth and diversity of André Thomkins' oeuvre. The richly illustrated publication also gives new impetus with regard to the future reception of the artist.
The exhibition is a production of Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein, curated by Dagmar Streckel and Friedemann Malsch. The exhibition subsequently goes on show at Kunsthalle Düsseldorf and Bruseum – Neue Galerie Graz.
