Palazzo Grassi, in Venice, celebrates the 10th anniversary of its reopening by French collector François Pinault with a comprehensive retrospective of Sigmar Polke’s work. More than 90 pieces - paintings, works on paper and videos - trace the artist’s career from the 1960s to his death in 2010.Or, rather unusually, the other way around: by entering from the Campiello or from the jetty on Canal Grande, visitors begin the journey with his latest, huge paintings from 2005-2007, and then proceed backwards to reach his earliest works on the upper floors of the palazzo.Visually and conceptually, the layering of materials, patterns and figures is key to the development of Polke’s aesthetics: on the ground floor, the monumental series Axial Age, comprised of seven paintings and exhibited in 2007 Biennale, is also illuminated from behind by natural light, revealing the importance of the frame - and of structure in general - in Polke’s work.The reverse chronological order guides the viewer through cycles of paintings that move between his two main themes: politics and alchemy. The four canvases devoted to Hermes Trismegistos (1995), the founder of Alchemy, are among the most powerful pieces of his figurative production, whilst the “Lanterna Magica” series (1988-1992) has the strongest visual impact, being composed of six panels painted on both sides like stained-glass windows.His critical approach to society is expressed in many of his works from the 1980s, such as “Polizeischwein” (1986) and “Amerikanisch-Mexikanische Grenze” (1984), that deal with the topics of police force and borders, or “Hochstand” (1984) which evokes concentration camps. In fact, the 1980s occupy most of the show, that also celebrates the 30th anniversary of Polke’s first prize at the Venice Biennale in 1986.The decade of the 1970s is all about experimentation, both with images and materials; inspiration comes from comics or pop culture, and the paint can be heavily dripped on giant canvases or combined with wood, paper and other objects.His - often pixelated - works from the 1960s, seen together, show how revolutionary and influential Polke was at the very beginning of his career: the patterned fabrics sewn together and used instead of blank canvases anticipate the “wallpaper aesthetics” that is so strong right now, and his “Kartoffelhaus” (1967/1990), a garden hut studded with potatoes, lets the mind fly towards ultra-contemporary works like Urs Fischer’s “Bread House,” conceived some 40 years later.The same layered approach to visual construction is visible in his film production; both the palazzo’s mezzanine’s small theatre and a single room on the second floor (where the display projects three videos at the same time) host Polke’s footages and personal stories: the making of the 1986 Biennale, his travels, his studios, his entourage, his personality. (A selection of Polke’s most significant films will be screened at the Teatrino di Palazzo Grassi in autumn).Many of the pieces on show in Pinault’s Venetian private museum don’t belong to his collection: loans come from other private collection and museums such as the Hamburger Banhof in Berlin, the Pompidou in Paris, the Reina Sofia in Madrid, making this the widest survey of Sigmar Polke’s work ever shown in Italy.“Sigmar Polke” is open at Palazzo Grassi, Venice, until November 6.Information and tickets: www.palazzograssi.it
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