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Life and Work

Stefan à Wengen © Michael Dannenmann

Since the 1990s, Stefan à Wengen has worked on larger groups of works that investigate questions of cultural codes and memory. Issues such as the foreign or the strange, death and memory, melancholy, existence, sexuality, anxiety, and the uncanny form the core of his artistic work. Empty landscapes, animal and human portraits, and reoccurring representational motifs make up part of his pictorial repertoire. His motifs are reminiscent of images from art history, film, or the subconscious.

Starting from the strange and uncanny, Stefan à Wengen uses his serial working method to explore questions about the culture and nature of human existence. With recourse to art history, ethnology, literature, philosophy, film, media as well as his own memories mysterious sceneries develop, which offer viewers a reflection of their own world of experience along with all its abysses. Symbolic pictorial elements are combined to form a new, individual pictorial reality, which emanates something threatening and oppressive. Skulls, animal skeletons, and moths painted with great attention to detail evoke an awareness of the transience of earthly existence. Mysterious interiors, lonely architectures, or abandoned boats in alien landscapes
address themes such as fear, strangeness, and the other. Influenced by the artist's individual travel experiences through the jungle, his motifs recall the beginnings of human history.

The ongoing series of works »Detected Dictionary« (since 2014) is dedicated to images of cultural memory. Worn-out teddybears, flower still lifes, toadstools and animals, all isolated on a 30 x 25 cm canvas mounted on wood, belong to this »wunderkammer of the subconscious«. The pictures in this series are strictly black-and-white with various shades of gray, accentuating à Wengen's technically sophisticated and detailed painting style.

The unusual name of the Basel-born painter comes from the direct lineage of the Basel painter family à Wengen, which dates back to the 16th century. Stefan à Wengen's works have been shown internationally in numerous exhibitions and can be found in important public and private collections in Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, the USA, and Switzerland, including the Kunstmuseum Basel and the Kunstmuseum Luzern.

Stefan à Wengen lives and works in Düsseldorf.

Biography

1964 born in Basel, CH
1981 – 1986 Visits the School of Design, Basel, CH
1988 – 1990 lives and works in New York, US
1991 – 1998 lives and works in Cologne, DE
1999 lives and works in Dusseldorf, De
2011/12 Teaching and workshops at the Haute École d'Art et Design, Geneva, CH
2013 Co-founder of the project space SPAM-CONTEMPORARY, Dusseldorf, DE
2016 – 2018 Lecturer for art history at the Kulturforum Neuß, DE

Prizes and Awards

2000 Eidgenössischer Preis für freie Kunst, Basel, CH
1989 Eidgenössisches Kunststipendium, Lucerne, CH
1987 Kiefer-Hablitzel-Stipendium, Montreux, CH

Works (Selection)

Stefan à Wengen, Intelligent Whale, 2024
Stefan à Wengen, Intelligent Whale, 2024
Stefan à Wengen, Zebra 2, 2023
Stefan à Wengen, Zebra 2, 2023
Stefan à Wengen, Animal Farm, 2022
Stefan à Wengen, Animal Farm, 2022
Stefan à Wengen, Amèricá X, 2021
Stefan à Wengen, Amèricá X, 2021
Stefan à Wengen, Amèricá IX, 2021
Stefan à Wengen, Le Singe Peintre XXXII, 2020
Stefan à Wengen, Obstacle 075, 2019/2022
Stefan à Wengen, Obstacle 067, 2019
Stefan à Wengen, o. T., 2009
Stefan à Wengen, The Mission, 2006
Stefan à Wengen, My Kingdom for a Horse #4, 2016
Stefan à Wengen, Detected Dictionary, 2019
Stefan à Wengen, Detected Dictionary, 2019
Stefan à Wengen, Version III, 2015
Stefan à Wengen, Detected Dictionary, 2020
Stefan à Wengen, Detected Dictionary, 2020
Stefan à Wengen, Detected Dictionary, 2021
Stefan à Wengen, Das Schweigen der Steppe, 2020
Stefan à Wengen, The Mission (In der Mitte der Nacht beginnt der neue Tag), 2015
Stefan à Wengen, Version V, 2017
Stefan à Wengen, Le Singe Peintre, 19/IX/19, 2019
Stefan à Wengen, Basic on Composition, 2014
Stefan à Wengen, Detected Dictionary, 2019
Stefan à Wengen, Detected Dictionary, 2014
Stefan à Wengen, Detected Dictionary, 2019
Stefan à Wengen, Detected Dictionary, 2018
Stefan à Wengen, Detected Dictionary, 2018
Stefan à Wengen, Detected Dictionary, 2017
Stefan à Wengen, Detected Dictionary, 2014, © Stefan à Wengen
Stefan à Wengen, Mission XV, 2010
Stefan à Wengen, The Occurrence II, 2011
Stefan à Wengen, o. T., 2008
Stefan à Wengen, o. T., 2003
Stefan à Wengen, o. T., 2012
Stefan à Wengen, Baumhaus V., 2002

Solo exhibitions (selection)

2024 Stefan à Wengen. The Power of Love, Museum Ratingen, Ratingen, DE
Stefan à Wengen – Original Gurus und andere Werke, Kunstverein Coburg e.V., Coburg, DE
2023 Relics, Bernhard Knaus Fine Art, Frankfurt a. M., DE
2022 Animal Farm, Galerie Wilms, Venlo, NL
2021 Boo!-tiful. 100 Boo!-ties, Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art, Dusseldorf, DE
2020 Le Singe Peintre, Bernhard Knaus Fine Art, Frankfurt a. M., DE
2019 Stefan à Wengen. Versions. Die Toteninseln, Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art, Dusseldorf, DE
Instant Panoptikum, Zero Fold, Cologne, DE
Obstacles – Cabinet of Magic Objects, Tony Wuethrich Galerie, Basel, CH
2018 Stefan à Wengen – Le Singe Peintre, Tony Wuethrich Galerie, Basel, CH
2017 Original Gurus und andere Werke, Kunsthalle Viersen, Viersen, DE
2016 Ein Madrigal (mit Corsin Fontana), Tony Wuethrich Galerie, Basel, CH
No Man's Land, Bernhard Knaus Fine Art, Frankfurt/ Main, DE
2015 Detected Dictionary, Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art, Dusseldorf, DE
2013 My Captive Heart, Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art, Dusseldorf, DE
2012 The Occurrence, Jiri Svestka Gallery, Prague, CZ
Hieronymus Painting and some Trophies, Galerie Wilms, Venlo, NL
2011 Comfortably Numb, Jiri Svestka Gallery, Berlin, DE
2010 The Mission, Kunstmuseum Luzern, Lucerne, CH
2009 Nightology, Black & White Gallery, New York, US
2008 Nightology, Witzenhausen Gallery, Amsterdam, NL
2004 Night Playground, Adamski Frehrking Wiesehöfer, Cologne, DE
Secretos, Galería Fúcares, Madrid, ES
2002 Kava Kava, Adamski Frehrking Wiesehöfer, Cologne, DE
2001 Peter Piller, Adamski Frehrking Wiesehöfer, Cologne, DE
Zwölf Uhr mittags, Kunstraum Riehen, Riehen, CH

Group exhibitions (selection)

2024 Palagonisch. Stefan à Wengen, Guiseppe Agnello + Gabriele Massaro Casa dell’Arte, Haus der Kunst, Palermo, Palermo, IT
2022 Unendliche Geschichten. Aus der Sammlung Oehmen, Museum Ratingen, Ratingen, DE
In the blink of an eye, Beck & Eggeling Internataional Fine Art, Dusseldorf, DE
KlimaatExpo 2022, Museum De Fundatie, Zwolle, NL
2021 Wild/Schön – Tiere in der Kunst, Kunsthalle Emden, Emden, DE
2020 BE schenken, Beck & Eggeling, Dusseldorf, DE
Silver Lining, Bernhard Knaus Fine Art, Frankfurt a. M., DE
2019 Geheimnis der Dinge – Malstücke, Kunsthalle Recklinghausen, Recklinghausen, DE
Friends, etc. La Collection Pierre Keller, Musée Jenisch, Vevey, CH
2018 Geheimnis der Dinge. Malstücke, Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art, Dusseldorf, DE
4abstracts2not, QuadrART, Dornbirn, AT
Löwensafari, Kunsthalle Luzern, Lucerne, CH
Karneval der Tiere – aus der Sammlung des Kunstmuseums, Kunstmuseum Luzern, Lucerne, CH
Möglichkeiten von Malerei, Märkisches Museum Witten, Witten, DE
Gelb macht glücklich, Beck & Eggeling, Dusseldorf, DE
2017 2017 Guest @ Washington, Aeroplastics, Brussels, BE
100 jaar, Galerie Wilms, Venlo, NL
2016 Hinter dem Vorhang – Verhüllung und Enthüllung seit der Renaissance, Museum Kunstpalast, Dusseldorf, DE
Drei Positionen aus Düsseldorf, Galerie Bernhard Bischoff & Partner, Berne, CH
Zoo – An artists' curated exhibition, Lepsien Art Foundation, Dusseldorf, DE
2015 Ein Baum ist ein Baum ist ein Baum, Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art, Dusseldorf, DE
2014 Optima Mihi In Chartis, Galerie Römerapotheke, Zurich, CH
The Best, Zoya Museum, Modern, SK
A Group Show, Galerie Wilms, Venlo, NL
2013 Deckkraft Featuring..., Halle Reisholzer Hafen, Dusseldorf, DE
Nice Things/ Kleinformate – 20 Jahre Tony Wuethrich Galerie, Tony Wuethrich Galerie, Basel, CH
Renaissance Reloaded, Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art, Dusseldorf, DE
2012 Aaron van Erp, Stijn Peeters, Bas de Wit, Stefan à Wengen, Podium DAK, Geldrop, NL
Scapes – Part Two, Tony Wuethrich Galerie, Basel, CH
Im Moment der Bildbetrachtung wird der innere Monolog gestoppt, Kunstsaele, Berlin, DE
2010 Portrait de l‘artiste en motocycliste, Musée des beaux Arts, La Chaux-de-Fonds, CH
2008 Team 404 & John Armleder – Clinch/Cross/Cut, New Jerseyy, Basel, CH
2007 Die Kunst zu sammeln, Museum Kunstpalast, Dusseldorf, DE
Kava Kava – Facetten der Angst, Kunstmuseum Mülheim, Mülheim/ Ruhr, DE
2005 Aqua Reel, Galerie Römerapotheke, Zurich, CH
2004 Fúcares de papel, Galería Carmen de la Calle, Jerez de la Frontera, ES
2003 paint, Galerie Bob van Orsouw, Zurich, CH
Gäste, Galerie Fricke, Berlin, DE
Yellow Pages, Kunsthalle Palazzo, Liestal, CH
Harald Vlugt, Bergmann & van Laake, Amsterdam, NL
Fink forward, Kunsthaus Glarus, Glarus, CH
Der Mondopunkt, Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin, DE
Sling Shot Project, New York, US
2002 Point of View, Galerie Anita Beckers, Frankfurt/ Main, DE
2001 Ex(o)DUS, Haifa Museum of Art, Haifa, IL
2000 Eidgenössische Preise für freie Kunst 2000, Fri Art – Centre d’art contemporain, Freiburg, CH

EXHIBITIONS AT BECK & EGGELING (SELECTION)

Publications

Stefan à Wengen. Die Einäscherung eines Esels

Stefan à Wengen. Die Einäscherung eines Esels

  • Artist: Stefan à Wengen
    Editor: Beck & Eggeling Kunstverlag
    Text: Stefan à Wengen
  • German
    Hardcover, 22 x 14,5 cm
    393 pages
  • Beck & Eggeling Kunstverlag, 2023
    ISBN 978-3-94606329-2
  • sold out
Stefan à Wengen. Detected Dictionary

Stefan à Wengen. Detected Dictionary

  • Artist: Stefan à Wengen
    Editor: Ute Eggeling, Michael Beck
    Text: Stefan à Wengen, Raimund Weyers
    Design: Beck & Eggeling (Martina Löhle)
  • German, English
    Softcover, 21 x 25 cm
    80 pages, 53 illustrations
  • Beck & Eggeling Kunstverlag, 2015
    ISBN 978-3-93091998-7
  • 20 €
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Further publications

bibliography

Detected Dictionary
Beck & Eggeling Kunstverlag (Hg.), Düsseldorf 2015
Renaissance Reloaded
Beck & Eggeling Kunstverlag (Hg.), Düsseldorf 2013
The Mission
Kunstmuseum Luzern (Hg.), JRP Ringier, Zürich 2010
Nightology
Black & White Gallery (Hg.), New York 2009
Die Kunst zu sammeln
Katalog Museum Kunstpalast (Hg.), Düsseldorf, 2007
Kava Kava - Facetten der Angst
Kunstmuseum Mülheim an der Ruhr, Mühlheim a.d. Ruhr (Hg.)
Kerber Verlag, Bielefeld/Leipzig 2007
Fink forward- the collection/connection
Kunsthaus Glarus (Hg.), Edition Fink, Zürich 2003
Der Mondopunkt
Künstlerhaus Bethanien (Hg.), Edition Fink, Zürich 2003
Ex(o)DUS
Haifa Museum of Art (Hg.), Israel 2000
Eidgenössische Preise für freie Kunst
Katalog Fri-Art, Centre d`Art Contemporain,
Kunsthalle Fribourg, BAK, Bern 2000

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