Gego. Line as Object

Gertrud Goldschmidt (1912 – 1994), better known as “Gego”, was one of the most influential female artists of South America. Born and raised in Hamburg, she went to Stuttgart to study Architecture under Paul Bonatz. Because of her Jewish background, she was forced to emigrate to Venezuela, where she began working as an architect and later as a freelance artist and teacher. With her large, rhizome-like objects made of wire and ropes, Gego questioned the conventional views of sculpture, and in the same way, created reduced illustrations in which she applied lines as objects. Her pioneering ideas regarding sculptures and drawings in space were revolutionary and experimental. They significantly influenced contemporary art beyond the borders of Venezuela and served as a model for a young generation of South American artists. Because Gego’s works have attracted only limited attention in Europe, this international exhibition tour aimed to emphasise her significance for the European and North American art field. The tour presented the important events in Gego’s life in three individually developed exhibitions in museums in Hamburg, Stuttgart and Leeds. The exhibitions included a large selection of works, e.g. numerous sculptures, room installations and graphic art which have rarely been displayed in public before. Together with an extensive accompanying programme, they provided a comprehensive overview of Gego’s oeuvre.

Artistic directors: Brigitte Kölle, Petra Roettig
Artist: Gertrud Goldschmidt, a.k.a. Gego