IMI KNOEBEL
Imi Knoebel Figura Psi, 2019, Acrylic on Aluminium
WHAT? Imi Knoebel: Once Upon a Time
WHERE? White Cube Bermondsey, 144-152 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3TQ
WHEN? Now until 26th March
Free to visit
WHY GO? To zone into conceptual art. This exhibition gives a new meaning to the concept of experimental art.
At first glance, it looks like a series of geometric puzzles set against the stark interior of the White Cube space, then it seemingly morphs into angular sculptures that are meditative yet dynamic.
Imi Knoebel is a post war German artist (aged 82) up there with the greats for his take on minimalist abstract art across all mediums, from painting and sculpture to photography and installation.
Working in series, each ‘painting’ packs a punch for angular form and everything is worked in everyday materials like plywood and fibreboard.
These geometric puzzle shapes have a distinctly ‘60’s vibe and are soporific to the gaze, though you might think you could have painted them yourself from a do-it-yourself kit!
Even the artist himself urges us not to overthink his work, “It’s simply a question of whether you like it or not”. How true.
IN THE KNOW Knoebel was famously commissioned in 2011 to create a series of majestic stained glass windows for the Notre-Dame Cathedral at Reims. It was recognised as a symbol of Franco-German reconciliation after the originals were damaged during the war.