Bert Theis
1952 in Luxembourg, lives in Milan and Luxembourg
Long time projects
2001-2010 Isola Art Center, Milan, Italy – www.isolartcenter.org
2002-2010 out, Office for Urban Transformation, Milan, Italy / Mexico City
Curatorial projects:
2012 MART Rovereto: LA MAGNIFICA OSSESSIONE
2009 Territoria 4. Il grande balzo/The Great Leap, catalogue: Pacini Editore, Prato and
province, Italy
2009 Public Turbulence, with Alberto Pesavento, Isola/Milano, Italy
2007 SituazionIsola with Marco Biraghi and Maurizio Bortolotti, Isola/Milano, Italy
Solo exhibitions & installations (selection)
2011
Inventario #A, curated by Marco Scotini, Federico Bianchi Contemporary Art, Milano
Fornire realità, permanent installation, Luicciana di Cantagallo, Italy
2551914, permanent installation, Projet artistique Parc de la Butte du Chapeau Rouge, Prolongement du tram T3, Paris, curated by Christian Bernard with Nathalie Viot
2010
out&Theis, Galleria Contemporaneo, Mestre-Venezia, Italy
2009
Infernal Paradise, permanent installation, private collection, Luxembourg
Building Philosophy, Centro per l’arte contemporanea Luigi Pecci, Prato, Italy, curated by Marco Scotini and Stefano Pezzato
2008
Platforms and Aggregations, Galerie Erna Hecey, Bruxelles, Belgium
Building Philosophy, Federico Bianchi Contemporary Art, Lecco, Italy
Suprematist Platform, National Gallery Tirana, Albania
2007
Agglomérations, Mamco, Musée d’art moderne et contemporain, Genève, Switzerland
La ville agglomérée, Orangerie du Centre artistique et culturel, Domaine départemental de Chamarande, France
2006
Le troisième système, permanent installation, Centre artistique et culturel, Domaine
départemental de Chamarande, France
2005
European Pentagon (Safe & Sorry Pavilion), BOZAR, Palais des Beaux Arts Bruxelles, Belgium
2003
The true artist, Stained glass window, permanent installation, Musée National du Luxembourg
Urban Transformations, Galerie Erna Hécey, Luxembourg
2002
Warburg Spiral, permanent installation, Place de la République, Strasbourg, France
OUT, Office for Urban Transformation, Stecca degli artigiani, Milano, Italy
Palma clandestina, urban installation, Isola, Milano, Italy
2001
Untitled/Untilted, urban installation, Isola Art Project, Isola, Milano, Italy
AQ, Galerie Erna Hécey, ARCO Madrid, Spain
1999
Rien à déclarer/Nothing to declare, Galerie Erna Hécey, Luxembourg
1 2 3 (Public Action), video performance, Milan Central Station, Italy
1998
Le domaine de Marcel & Joseph, installation, Casino Luxembourg-Forum d'art contemporain, Luxembourg
New Art Workshop, Sub Curator Project, Manifesta 2 and Casino Luxembourg
1997
Broadway Fly, Galerie Erna Hécey / FIAC, Paris, France
Domestic Zen 1, performance, Link Project, Bologna, Italy
Coeur mâle/École de Paris, installation, European Male Choir Festival, Apeldoorn,
Netherlands
1996
Thanks, that's enough! Galerie Heinrich Schmidt, Grenzach-Wyhlen (Basel) / Art Basel-Liste96, Switzerland
Return to sender, Galleria Luciano Inga-Pin, Milano, Italy
Sandwiches. Algunos mitos, Galeria Espai Lucas, Valencia, Spain
Broadway Fly, Galerie Heinrich Schmidt / Art Frankfurt, Germany
1995
Potemkin Lock & Potemkin Lock Venice Rap, Venice Biennale, Italy
Shadow Fixing, Trois Glands, Luxembourg
Il terzo giorno, Villa delle Rose, Galleria di Arte Moderna, Bologna, Italy
Group exhibitions (selection)
2013
BUILDING UTOPIA AND ABSTRACTION at Federico Bianchi Gallery
Retour du Monde – MANCO GENEVE - Commandes publiques autour du tramway de Paris
DISOBEDIENCE ARCHIVE (THE REPUBLIC) curated by MARCO SCOTINI – Castello di Rivoli
2012
Frigoriferi Milanesi - Fight-Specific Isola, curated byIsola Art Center.
Presentation of the book "Fight - Specific Isola, Arte, Architettura, Attivismo e il futuro della Città".
Artefiera Art First, Bologna with Federico Bianchi Contemporary Art
2010
(re)designing nature, curated by Susanne Witzgall, Florian Matzner, Iris Meder, Künstlerhaus k/haus, Wien, Austria
Politically Incorrect II, curated by Federico Bianchi, Federico Bianchi Contemporary Art,
Lecco, Italy
Club 21 – Remaking the scene, curated by Oxana Maleeva, One Marylebone, London, Great Britian
A History of Irritated Material, curated by Lars Bang Larsen with Petra Bauer, Dan Kidner,
Alex Sainsbury, Marco Scotini, Raven Row, London, Great Britain
Politically Incorrect I, curated by Federico Bianchi, Federico Bianchi Contemporary Art, Lecco, Italy
Le Meilleur des Mondes/Brave New World, curated by Enrico Lunghi, Mudam, Luxembourg
2009
We do it. curated by Marco Scotini, assistant curator Matteo Lucchetti, Kunstraum Lakeside, Klagenfurt, Austria
Public Art, curated by Maria Campitelli in collaboration with Elisa Vladilo, Galleria Neon-campobase, Bologna, Italy
2008
Taipei Biennial 08, curated by Manray Hsu and Vasif Kortun, Taiwan
Public Art, mostra internazionale documentativa, a cura di Maria Campitelli in collaborazione con Elisa Vladilo, Palazzo Costanzi, Trieste, Italy
Soft Manipulation, curated by Zoran Eric, Enrico Lunghi, Maria Lind, Casino Luxembourg and Stiftelsen, Bergen, Norway
2007
Transient City, Urban Landmarks, curated by Hou Hanru, Luxembourg
The 10th Istanbul Biennial, curated by Hou Hanru, Turkey
Cities from below, curated by Marco Scotini, Fondazione Teseco per l’Arte, Pisa,
Italy
2006
Eldorado, curated by Marie-Claude Beaud, Musée d’Art Moderne MUDAM, Luxembourg
Busan Biennial, curated by Manu Park, Busan, Korea
Ink Painting Biennale Shenzen, curated by Martina Köppel-Yang, He Xiangning Museum of Art, Shenzhen, China
Chauffe, Marcel!, curated by Emmanuel Latreille, Frac Languedoc-Roussillion, Montpellier, France
La scelta della gente/The People’s Choice, curated by Marco Scotini, Isola Art Center, Milano, Italy
2005
Chi/Ich, arte e vita/Kunst & Leben, Galleria Gruppo Credito Valtellinese, Refettorio
delle Stelline, Milano, Italy
Emergency Biennale in Chechnya, curated by Evelyne Jouano, Milan Stop, Italy /
Grozny, Chechnya
Multitudinario, curated by Marco Scotini, Sala de Arte Pubblica Siqueiros, Mexico
D.F., Mexico
Art-chitecture of change, curated by Marco Scotini, Isola Art Center, Milano, Italy
2004
The Shenzhen International Public Art Exhibition, The Fifth System: Public Art in the
Age of Post-Planning, curated by Hou Hanru, Shenzhen, China
Out. Oficina de Transformaciòn Urbana, Galeria Arquitectura, Mexico City, Mexico
2003
2. Tirana Biennale, curated by Edi Muka, Gezim Qendro, Albania
Fragments d'un discours italien, curated by Christian Bernard, MAMCO, Musée
d’Art Moderne et Contemporain, Geneva, Switzerland
No Art-No City! Urban Utopias in Contemporary Art, curated by Florian Matzner,
Städtische Galerie Bremen, Germany
Salon des Refusés, Public art projects never realized, curated by Roberto Pinto,
Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa, Venezia, Italy
Networking, curated by Marco Scotini, Villa Renatico Martini, Monsummano Terme,
Italy
2002
Gwangju Biennial, curated by Charles Esche and Hou Hanru, Korea
Spazi d’arte, curated by Angela Vettese, Gori Foundation, Celle, Italy
2001
Salto Mortale, curated by Florian matzner, Museum of Sepulchral Culture, Kassel,
Germany
2000
Strange Paradises, curated dby Enrico Lunghi, Casino Luxembourg - Forum d'art
contemporain, Luxembourg
A casa di, curated by Giacinto di Pietrantonio, Cittadellarte, Fondazione Pistoletto,
Biella, Italy
1999
Melbourne International Biennial, Domestic Zen, curated by Roberto Pinto,
Melbourne, Australia
Skulptur Biennale 1999 im Münsterland, curated by Florian Matzner, Nordkirchen,
Germany
1998
Arte all’Arte, Arte, Le dita della mano/Ten fingers, Galleria Continua, Parco
archeologico Fiumi, Volterra, Italy
Manifesta 2, curated by Robert Fleck, Maria Lind, Barbara Vanderlinden, Casino
Luxembourg - Forum d'art contemporain, Luxembourg
Subway, the metropolitan underground, curated by Roberto Pinto, Milano, Italy
P.O. Box, MAMCO Musée d'Art Moderne et Contemporain, Geneva, Switzerland
1997
Skulptur.Projekte in Münster, Philosophical Platform, curated by Kaspar König,
Münster, Germany
Visual Rave, curated by Antonio d'Avossa & Centro Arte a Parte, Società
Umanitaria, Milano, Italy
Arte per tutti, curated by Loredana Parmesani, Palazzo Soave, Cotogno, Italy
1995
Mito, Operat '95, Ex-Fornace Adriatica, Russi, Ravenna, Italy
Linea Infinita, Villa Domenica per l'Arte Contemporanea, Lancenigo, Treviso, Italy
Anni '90. Arte a Milano, Galleria del Credito Valtellinese, Milano, Italy
1994
Dva tisìce, Luggage for the Next Millenium, Plasy Monastery, Czech Republic
Rendez-vous provoqué, curated by Wim Beeren and Enrico Lunghi, Musée
National d'Art et d'Histoire, Luxembourg & CBK, Leiden, Netherlands
Bibliography and Press review (selection)
Monographs
Bert Theis. Building Philosophy (french/english/italian), 2010, authors: Christian
Bernard, Hou Hanru, Vasif Kortun, Judith Quentel, Marco Scotini, editor: Domaine
départmental de Chamarande, Centre d’art contemporain,
France
Bert Theis, some works (german/english), 2003, authors: Christian Bernard,
Barbara Engelbach, Walter Grasskamp, Florian Matzner, Marco Senaldi, Martì
Peran, Roberto Pinto, Lorenzo Rocha Cito, Pierluigi Tazzi, Angela Vettese, edited
by Florian Matzner with Erna Hécey, ISBN: 3-7757-9104-3, Hatje Cantz Verlag,
Germany
2010
- Ein Urlaubstag im Kunstbetrieb. Bilder und Nachbilder (german), Walter
Grasskamp, author: Bert Theis, Philosophische Plattform, Fundus-Bücher 188,
Hamburg Germany
- out&Theis. Office for urban transformation & Bert Theis, (Italian/english) authors:
Riccardo Caldura, Bert Theis, Antiga Edizioni, Galleria contemporaneo, Mestre/
Venezia, Italy
- Visible, Judith Wielander, Angelika Burtscher (eds), Biella, contribution by
Emiliano Gandolfi, Sternberg Press
2009
-Territoria 4. Il grande balzo/The great leap, (italian/english) curated by Bert Theis,
catalogue: Il grande balzo/The Great Leap., ISBN 978-88-6315-166-4, Pacini
Editore, Italy
-Bert Theis, High-Low, Artco nr. 200, May 2009, www.artouch.com, Contemporary
Art Centre Taipei, Taiwan
-Marco Bazzini, Specchio del mondo. L’arte contemporanea secondo Bert Theis / A
Mirror of the World. Contemporary Art according to Bert Theis, Pratoreview, nr. 2,
spring 2009, Italy
2008
-Caroline Corbetta, Taipei Biennial, Domus 919, novembre 2008, Italy
-Anna Daneri, Le Biennali di Gwangju e Taipei, Flashart ottobre-novembre 2008,
Italy
-Jean T. C. Kao, Art Talk, Artco Monthly, N. 189, June 2008, Taipei, Taiwan
-Millepiani 33, Per un’ecologia politica, cover and all images and Christian
Bernard, La città come modelage, p. millepiani.org, Milano, Italy
-Bert Theis, Résistance et alternatives, Revue Urbanisme n. 358, Janvier-février
2008, Paris, France
2007
-Trans(ient) City, exhibition catalogue, European Pentagon (Safe & Sorry Pavilion)
Bert Theis, Bom Publishers, European Capital of Culture 2007, Luxembourg and
Greater Region,
-Vasif Kortun, A Walking discussion with Bert Theis, http://resmigorus.blogspot.com/
2007/06/walking-discussion-with-bert-theis.html, Platform Garanti, Istanbul, Turkey
-Illaria Bombelli, Interview with Bert Theis, Flash Art n. 60, Giugno-Luglio,Italy
-Marco Senaldi, L’isola che non c’è (più), Exibart.onpaper, June-July, Italy
-Nicola Bertasi, Interview with Bert Theis, Il Manifesto, February 20, Italy
-Judith Quintel, Hospitalités, catalogue, La Ville agglomérée, et Le troisième
système, Accords excentriques/L’esprit des lieux, tram, réseau art contemporain
Paris/Ile-de-France, Chamarande, France
-Massimiliano Scuderi, Bert Theis. Spazi nomadi e partecipazione collettiva/
Nomadic Spaces and Collective Participation (it/eng), Arte e Critica, June-August,
Italy
-Mariona Vivar Mompel, Architecture: the second Europe’s Rennaissance. Isola Art. Kunst gegen
urbane Ungeheuer, Cafebabel.com, Die Europa-Zeitung Beta, http://www.cafebabel.com
2006
-Barbara Fässler, Paradossi dell’amicizia, Bert Theis. Untitled/Untilted & out,
catalogue, (it/eng), Electa Editore, Italy
-Francesca di Nardo, Janus 20, 20100, Milano, Italy
-Marco Scotini, Bert, Theis, Dopopaesaggio, Social space and natural
environnment in contemporary art, TRA ART strumenti, (it/eng), Regione Toscana,
Italy
-A Tale of Two Cities: Busan-Seoul/Seoul-Busan, Bert Theis, Running Water (W)
right House, Busan Biennale 2006, catalogue, Corea
-Marco Scotini, Geografie insurgent, Pratiche artistiche e costruzione urbana, Flash
Art n. 113, Italy
-René Kockelkorn, Drifters, Mudam Opening, Eldorado, exhibition catalogue
Luxembourg
-Uli Botzler, Die andere Sicht, Telecran n. 42, Luxembourg, p. 178-180
-Chauffe Marcel, FRAC Languedoc-Roussillon, exhibition catalogue, Isthme
éditions, France
2005
-Bert Theis, safe & sorry, (french/dutch/engl), authors: Koen Van Synghel, A Throne
Canopy for Brussels. Bert Theis’ Luxemburg Pavilion, Hou Hanru, That is certainly
more than a philosophic Karaoke, ed. Bozar Bruxelles & Galerie Erna Hécey,
Bruxelles, Belgium
-out/out, (english, italian, spanish), Office for Urban transformation newsletter,
Milan/Mexico D.F, Mexico
-Alessandra Poggianti, Milano: L’arte si appropria del quartiere Isola, Liberazione,
January 25, Italy
-Ina Helweg-Nottrot, Bert Theis: Stationen einer Künstlerlaufbahn, Forum n. 251,
Luxembourg
-Lorenzo Rocha Cito, out, Oficina de Transformación Urbana, Espacio. Arte
Contemporáneo, n. 1, May, Mexico D.F., Mexico
-Marco Scotini, Exodo, Espacio. Arte Contemporáneo, n. 1, May, Mexico
- Citying, pratiche creative del fare città, Bert Theis, Relazione e contesto. Aspetti
problematici delle pratiche di public art, Seminario Urbanlab, Venezia, Supernova,
Italy
-Safe&Sorry, A+193, Revue belge d’architecture, Avril-Mai, Bruxelles, Belgium
2004
-Bert Theis, The true artist never tells the truth, (german), MNHA, Musée info n.17,
Musée national d’histoire et d’art Luxembourg
-David Ho Yeung Chan, The Fifth System as New Psychological Spaces, Yishu,
Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art, Volume 3, n. 1, March, China
2003
- -Martì Peran, Bert Theis a Isola. L'espai públic: model es construeix amb els peus
& Bert Theis. Office for Urban Transformation. Oficina por la transformaciòn urbana,
Transversal n. 20, rivista de cultura contemporània, Lleida, Spain
-No Art = No City!, Urban Utopias in Contemporary Art, (german/english), exhibition
catalogue, edited by Florian Matzner, Hatje Cantz Verlag, Germany
-Tirana Biennale 2, exhibition catalogue, Albania
-NetworkingCity, Artistic Practices and Urban Transformation, Marco Scotini,
interview with Bert Theis: Partecipation: Unfinished thought (it/eng), ed. TRA ART
Maschietto&ditore, Firenze, Italy
-Segno n. 190, Italy
-Shenzhen Evening News, 7 december, China
2002
- Pause, exhibition catalogue, Bert Theis, Russel-prosthesis 01, Gwangju Biennale,
Corea
- Abstract Magazine, Claude Zurcher, Dossier: Arte a Milano, “Untitled/Untilted” à
Isola, Geneva, Switzerland
-Artfan, Audience as Artist. A Constructed World & Serpentine Gallery, London,
Great Britain
2001
-Maurizio Bortolotti, L’Isola Garibaldi, (it/eng), Domus n. 838, Milano, Italy
-Bert Theis, Art and the City: Einige Samples/A Few Samples (german/english), in
Public Art/Kunst im öffentlichen Raum, ed. Florian --Matzner, Hatje Cantz Verlag,
Germany
-Bert Theis / relax, booklet edited by Galerie Erna Hécey, Luxembourg
-Salto mortale, exhibition catalogue, Bert Theis, Fischbehn, Museum of Sepulchral
Culture Kassel, edited by Florian Matzner, Quantum Books, Kassel, Germany
-Javier Fuentes Feo, El paseo olvidado. Entre el Arte Público y el Arte Exterior,
Cimal Arte internacional, n. 54, Valencia, Spain
-b-guided n. 11, spring, Barcelona, Spain
-Maurizio Bortolotti, Dopopaesaggio, Juliet Art Magazine, n. 103, giugno, Trieste,
Italy
2000
-Strange Paradises, exhibition catalogue, Casino Luxembourg, p. 114-121
-Josée Hansen, Einsteins’ Brain, FRAC Bourgogne 1984-2000 catalogue, France
1999
-Giulio Ciavoliello, Arte o Barbarie. Verso un minimalismo ecologico, Flash Art n.
214, Italy
- Skulptur-Biennale im Münsterland 1999, Bert Theis, BPNB (By-Pass Niels Bohr),
catalogue, Laumann-Verlag, Dülmen, Germany
-Andreas Denk, Skulptur-Biennale 1999 im Münsterland, Kunstforum n. 147,
Germany
-Jen Budney & Roberto Pinto, Stranger Knocking, Signs of Live, Melbourne
International Biennial, Collaborating Country Project, Italian Pavilion, catalogue,
Australia
-Mimmo Di Marzio, Quando l’artista è “public”, That’s art n. 15, aprile, Milano, Italy
1998
-Ulrike Groos, Markus Müller, Interview mit Bert Theis, Make it funky: Crossover
zwischen Musik, Pop, Avantgarde und Kunst, Oktagon Verlag, (Jahresring 45),
Germany
-Claudia Posca, Manifesta in Luxembourg, Unterwegs zur Kunst im erweiterten
Europa, Kunstforum n. 142, Germany
-Bert Theis, Independent subcurator project / Dialectical Leap, Manifesta 2,
exhibition catalogue, (french/english), Casino Luxembourg
-Sven Lütticken, Apes on the rock in Luxembourg, Manifesta 2, archis, n. 9,
Rotterdam, Netherlands
-Bert Theis, Le dita della mano/Ten fingers, Arte all’arte 98, exhibition catalogue,
(italian/english), Galleria Arte Continua, Maschietto & Musolino, Florence, Italy
-Bert Theis, Enclave 1876, Subway, exhibition catalogue, Milano, Italy
-Bert Theis, Artfan 8, Summer 1998, A Constructed World Inc., Australia
-Kunst im Stadtraum: Toskana, Art n. 11, November, Gruner+Jahr AG, Germany
-Heie Treier, Dialektiline sissevaade Manifestale, Eesti Ekspress n. 10, July,
Estonia
1997
- Carlo Dolci, Interview with Bert Theis, Skulptur.Projekte Münster 1997, (germ/
eng), exhibition catalogue, Verlag Gerd Hatje, Germany
-Michael Hübl, Kreisende Bewegungen. Von den Räumen zwischen Kleingarten
und Internet, Kunstforum n. 138, Germany
-Christoph Blase, Die Beute des Kunstsommers aus Venedig, Kassel und Münster,
Kunstbulletin 7/8, Juli/August, Schweizerischer Kunstverein, Switzerland
-Alberto Fiz, Ciò che è nascosto non ci interessa?, Class n. 4, Milano, Italy
1996
-Frederico Tanzi-Mira, Bert Theis, Flash Art n. 198, Italy
-Federico Tanzi-Mira, Bert Theis, Return to sender, Flash Art n. 200, Italy
-Antonio D’Avossa, Interview with Bert Theis, Cimal Arte internacional, n. 45, Ed.
Cimal Internacional, Valencia, Spain
1995
- Bert Theis, Potemkin Lock, catalogue by the Ministry of Culture, Luxembourg
1995, La Biennale di Venezia 1995, authors: Antonio d’Avossa, B.T.M.D. and
Enrico Lunghi, The art of rapping, zapping and other (virtual) pranks, Marsilio
Editori s.p.a., Italy
-Loredana Parmesani, Anni ´90. Arte a Milano, Abitare Segesta Cataloghi, Italy
-Biennale-Venedig, Kunstforum n. 131, Germany
Video-catalogues:
Mariette Schiltz, Bert Theis. Some Platforms, 2007, DVD, 20 min
Mariette Schiltz, Picked-out, 2004, DVD, 15 min
Mariette Schiltz, Palma clandestina, 2002, DVD, 3 min
Mariette Schiltz, Bert Theis more works 2001-2004, DVD, 30 min
Mariette Schiltz, Bert Theis some works, 1995-2000, DVD, 50 min
Mariette Schiltz, Uno, due, tre. A Public Action, 1999, DVD, 3 min
Paul Kieffer, Bert Theis, Portraits, Cassette 7-12, 1998, VHS, Samsa Films
Web-links:
http://www.isolartcenter.org/
http://www.officeforurbantransformation.org/
http://www.podcast.de/episode/21016/Bert_Theis%3A_Broadway_Fly and other videos
http://www.mudam.lu/de/le-musee/la-collection/bert-theis/
http://eipcp.net/n/1244798405