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Kai Althoff

Kai Althoff was born in Cologne, Germany, in 1966. He is a multimedia artist, painter, and musician. Althoff borrows from history, religious iconography, and countercultural movements to create imaginary environments in which paintings, sculpture, drawing, video, and found objects commingle. Althoff has collaborated with other artists such as Lutz Braun, Yair Oelbaum, and Isa Genzken to create site-specific installations, dramatic plays, and performances. As a musician, he has released solo albums under monikers such as Fanal, Engelhardt/Seef/Davis Coop. or Ashley's, as well as with other groups. Together with Christoph Rath, Stefan Mohr, and Stephan Abry he co-founded the band Workshop.


Althoff has been the subject of solo exhibitions worldwide, including at the Vancouver Art Gallery; Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston; Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; Kunsthalle Zürich; and Simultanhalle, Cologne. He has shown work in numerous group exhibitions including the 2004 Venice Biennale; Drawing Now at the Museum of Modern Art in New York; Chère Paintre, Liebe Maler, Dear Painter at the Pompidou Centre in Paris; andA Perilous Space at Magnani in London. He is represented by Gladstone Gallery in New York, Christian Nagel in Cologne, and Galerie NEU in Berlin.

Born 1966
Hometown Cologne, Germany
Lives and Works New York, NY and Cologne, Germany

SHOWS

Museum of Modern Art

New York
Sep 18 2016 - Jan 22 2017

Kai Althoff: and then leave me to the common swifts
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Articles

Isa Genzken on Finding Her Place in Art History
Isa Genzken on Finding Her Place in Art History

In this illuminating interview with the German cultural critic Diedrich Diederichsen excerpted from Phaidon’s monograph Isa Genzken, the groundbreaking artist discusses the sometimes unlikely sources of her inspiration.

Laura Hoptman on Good Paintings vs. “Bogus” Ones
Laura Hoptman on Good Paintings vs. “Bogus” Ones

In this interview with Artspace's Dylan Kerr, the longtime champion of contemporary painting gives a fascinating glimpse behind the scenes of her influential work.

Why Does Phaidon's Vitamin P3 Matter?
Why Does Phaidon's Vitamin P3 Matter?

Here's a brief history of the influential Vitamin P series, which has introduced readers to a remarkable array of important painters before they became famous.

Wolfgang Tillmans on His Art and Influences
Wolfgang Tillmans on His Art and Influences

In this interview from his Phaidon Contemporary Art Series monograph, the influential German photographer currently exhibiting at David Zwirner discusses his formative influences.

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