Thomas Zipp

In his paintings, sculptures, and installations, German artist Thomas Zipp draws on historical, religious, and scientific discourses and conflicts, emphasizing what he describes as “the weirdness of mankind.” His work often evokes the absurdist tropes of dada, especially in whimsical drawings, which may be shown with delicate paintings and brusque sculptures made with industrial materials and fluorescent lamps. Likewise, his paintings are sometimes made to be carried, banner-like, hoisted on twin wooden posts at their lower corners. Zipp has also created several sound pieces, including, in 2006, a room-sized organ organ titled Geist Über Materie (“Spirit over Matter.”) His work has been exhibited at institutions such as the Kunsthalle Fridericianum in Kassel, the Irish Museum of Modern Art, the Saatchi Gallery, the Rubell Family Collection in Miami, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, the Tate Modern, and MoMA PS1 and was included in the 4th Berlin Biennial in 2006.