
Please see the works of Bernhard C.Striebel in our exhibition “Constructivism, Mostly“
Light, Space, Colours
Bernhard C. Striebel’s colorful concept art welcomes us with open arms: it is sensual and intellectual at the same time, it wants to enchant and surprise us and show what art is and can be. Light, space, colors and movement, as well as a game of words, concepts: these are the simple, yet highly effective foundations of this work.
three early works
Three early works, the first in our presentation, exemplify the questions and topics that have occupied the artist for three decades. Add to this the illusion that art often generates. We think that we are looking at a smooth surface in which the light is reflected, but this reflection is also photographed, so it is a pictorial reflection. Our association of the theater points to a principle that occurs again and again in Striebel’s art: the movement, the action.
The second work, “Bildbegriff” (Image Concept), plays in an ironic way with the words, with which the art is to be “grasped”. This is especially true for Germany with its great philosophical tradition. But often enough, in this way art is not explained, but almost slain. As with the thick, black bars of this work. In the multi-part works “Decoration – Declaration” and “Aber wohin!” (But Where To!) words are inserted, but remain incomprehensible in their meaning. These works also stand for the principle of change in Striebel’s work: the individual panels can be put together in many different ways.

The counterpart to this is the cheerful and colorful “Commission”, a series of square panels with alternating stripes of color running along the wall like a frieze. This colorful concept art plays with the changeability of art and the intervention of the beholder: the panels can be exchanged with each other or even be mounted in several rooms. Or some panels are put aside and wait there for a new form of hanging.
The two works “Gertrud” and “Frank” take up the idea of the color stripes, but the panels are fixed. In “Frank”, the gray and black stripes are horizontal: the painting is the memorial for a deceased friend.
installations
In the installations, Striebel explores space as a possibility of unfolding art. Color and light accompany the viewers – who become the users here, as they walk through the rooms – constantly offering new impressions. “Silver-gray” seems to consist entirely of light and reflection with its shimmering walls and mirror. These works, developed for specific circumstances, can also be transferred to other situations.
Our last work examines in four variations the shades a particular color can assume. The red square as a basis always remains the same, the overlying different colored foils give it very different characters. This is a truly colorful concept art about the essence of art, made in Berlin.
•
Please see the works of Bernhard C. Striebel in our exhibitions Constructivism, Mostly and Just Photographs.
And please visit also the homepage of the artist. The Haus am Lützowplatz in Berlin exhibited in 2009 Striebel’s “Minimalist Space Concepts“. And we recommend the book “Im Licht – Im Bild” of the Edition Monhardt. It won the “Beauty and the Book Award” for the most beautiful art book of the Frankfurt Book Fair 2017.
Works
Biography
Biography
born 1953 in Laichingen, Baden-Wuerttemberg
studied at the Art Academy Stuttgart and the Hochschule für bildende Künste Hamburg
Master of Fine Arts at the Institute for Art in Context, Universität der Künste Berlin
lives and works in Berlin
grants and support
1984 | grant of the Art Foundation Baden-Württemberg |
1985-86 | DAAD graduates grant for Italy |
1988 | Karl Schmidt-Rottluff grant |
1990 | working grant, Senat of Cultural Affairs, Berlin |
1991 | studio grant, Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin |
1994 | German Study Center, Venice |
2004 | project grant, Senat for Cultural Affairs, Berlin |
2009 | catalogue support, Kunstfonds, Bonn |
Solo shows
1983 | Pankehallen, Berlin |
1986 | Marginalia delle Forme d’Arte, Turin |
1987, 1989 | Galerie Vayhinger, Radolfzell (c) |
1989 | Galerie Anselm Dreher, Berlin (c) |
1990 | Galerie Conrads, Neuß |
1991 | Fleetinsel 71/72, Hamburg |
1992 | Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin (c) Galerie Theuretzbacher, Vienna Galerie Vayhinger, Radolfzell (c) |
1993 | Galerie Theuretzbacher, Vienna (c) |
1994 | Galerie Anselm Dreher, Berlin |
1996 | Galerie Theuretzbacher, Vienna Galerie Vayhinger, Radolfzell |
1997 | Galerie von Tempelhoff, Karlsruhe Element, Berlin |
2000, 2001, 2004 | Galerie Quinque-Wessels, Berlin (c) |
2004 | Mies van der Rohe Haus, Berlin |
2006 | Mannheimer Kunstverein |
2008, 2009, 2010 | März Galerie, Mannheim, Cube 4 x 4 x 4 |
2009 | Haus am Lützowplatz, Berlin |
2010 | Galerie 149, Bremerhaven |
2012 | Künstlerhaus Sootbörn |
2013 | Kunstverein Erlangen |
2014 | KunstRaum K25, Ulm; Verein für aktuelle Kunst / Ruhrgebiet e.V., Oberhausen |
group shows
1986 | Haus der Kunststiftung, Stuttgart (c) |
1988 | “W-ORTE”, Galerie der Künstler, München (c) “vom alten Westen zum Kulturforum”, NGBK, Berlin (c) |
1989 | weltbekannt e.V., Hamburg (c) |
1991 | “Mit Fotografie”, Galerie Conrads, Neuß “The Artist´s Beautiful Language”, Galerie Anselm Dreher, Berlin Karl Schmidt-Rottluff Grant, Kunsthalle Düsseldorf (c) “Interferenzen”, Riga und St. Petersburg (c) |
1993 | Galerie Theuretzbacher, Vienna (c) |
1995 | Karl Schmidt-Rottluff Grant, Kunsthalle Düsseldorf (c) |
1998 | “Le Futur du Passé”, Hameau du Lac, Sigean |
1998-99 | “Fleeting Portraits”, NGBK, Berlin (c) |
2002 | “Bildbetrachtung”, Galerie Quinque-Wessels, Berlin (c) |
2006 | Galerie für Konkrete Kunst, Potsdam; “Layout”, Art Forum Berlin, |
2008 | März Galerie, Mannheim, Projektraum 4 |
2010 | Three positions of contemporary color painting, Berlin |
2012 | Art Karlsruhe, März Galerie, Mannheim |
2013, 2014, 2015 | März Galerie, Mannheim |
2015 | „Quersumme“, Mannheimer Kunstverein |
projects
1997 | New Center Potsdam: Project for the site of the Palace in Potsdam. In collaboration with Joppien-Dietz Architekten, Rainald Angelis and Barbara Willecke. First prize (not realized). |
2008 | Guestbook”, Manifesta 7, Bolzano. Collaboration with Valentina Sartori, Sylvia Marzall and Luis Fernandez Pons |
2010 | The Sauener Forest – An Audioguide produced by artists. Collaboration with Mattia Bier, Valentina Sartori and Sabrina Schleicher |
2012 | artists page, Mies Haus Magazine, Periodical for the Culture of Modernity |
2015 | permanent window work for Vermittlungsstelle_b, Berlin |