Background
Ugo Rondinone was born in 1964, in Brunnen, Switzerland.
Oskar Kokoschka-Platz 2, 1010 Vienna, Austria
During the period from 1986 to 1990, Ugo studied at the University of Applied Arts Vienna.
Ugo Rondinone with his late life partner, John Giorno.
Ugo Rondinone with his late life partner, John Giorno.
Oskar Kokoschka-Platz 2, 1010 Vienna, Austria
During the period from 1986 to 1990, Ugo studied at the University of Applied Arts Vienna.
Ugo Rondinone with his late life partner, John Giorno.
Ugo Rondinone with his late life partner, John Giorno.
Ugo Rondinone was born in 1964, in Brunnen, Switzerland.
In 1983, Ugo moved to Zurich, where he acted as an assistant to Hermann Nitsch. During the period from 1986 to 1990, he studied at the University of Applied Arts Vienna.
In 1997, Ugo began creating neon signs. In 1998, he settled down in New York City and it was at that very time, that he emerged as an artist. Starting in the 1990s, he has produced a series of circular paintings, that are titled by number and resemble Kenneth Noland’s target paintings.
In 2000, the artist produced a series of photos, "I don’t live here anymore Portfolio". Later, in 2007, Ugo curated the exhibition, titled "The Third Mind", at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris. The same year, Rondinone acted as the representative of Switzerland in the Venice Biennale.
In 2013, Ugo exhibited an installation, titled "Human Nature" - a group of monumental stone figures, resembling rudimentary rock totems. This work was followed by a large-scale land art sculpture, "Seven Magic Mountains (2016-2018)", commissioned, produced and financed by the Art Production Fund (APF) and the Nevada Museum of Art. This work represents highly artificial neon totems, set in the natural environment. "Seven Magic Mountains" was privately funded and cost approximately $3.5 million.
During his career, Ugo has taken part in numerous solo and group exhibitions, including those, held at the Kunsthalle, Vienna; Museo de Art Contemporaneo, Leon, Spain; Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebaek, Denmark; Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; and SculptureCenter, New York City.
His projects have been exhibited at the Biennales of São Paulo (1996), Melbourne (1997), Berlin (1998), Venice (1999), Istanbul (1999) and Lyons (2003).
Currently, Ugo lives and works in New York City.
Ugo Rondinone is a famous artist, noted for a range of contemporary paintings and sculptures. It was in the 1990's, that the artist began gaining prominence for his installations, combining photo, video, painting, sculpture and sound.
One of Ugo's best-known works is a large-scale land art sculpture, titled "Seven Magic Mountains (2016-2018)", with its seven fluorescently-painted totems of large, car-size stones, stacked 32 feet (9.8 m) high. It is one of the largest land-based art installations in the United States since the early 1990's. The Reno Gazette-Journal estimated that more than two million people have taken photographs at the sculpture for Instagram. Vogue magazine used the installation in a photoshoot in April 2017.
In addition, Rondinone is noted for his circular spray paintings and video environments, that convey a sense of melancholy and alienation, as well as theatrical installations, immersing the viewer in a certain state.
Ugo received many awards, including the Swiss Art Award, Swiss Poster Award, Kiefer-Hablitzel-Stipendium, Honoree Award and many others.
The artist's works are kept in the collections of different museums, including the New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York City, among others.
07. Mai 06
Everyone Gets Lighter
If there were anywhere but desert. Monday
einundzwanzigstermaizweitausendundzehn
still.life. (pale pink candle)
zehntermärzzweitausendundachtzehn
Leuven Landscape (Hansa Yellow 111)
Stars
Untitled
still.life. (one pear)
Untitled
if there were anywhere but desert. wednesday
No matter, what art media Ugo works with, he always explores the concepts of emotional and mental depth, found in the ordinary elements of everyday life. With his works, the artist also presents the conflict between reality and utopia, as well as reflects a feeling of alienation and breaking ties.
It's also worth mentioning, that, working with different media, such as photography, video, sculpture and drawing, Ugo often appropriates phrases from literature and popular culture. Many of his works involve signage, such as the rainbow-colored sculpture "Hell, Yes!" (2001). By using the language of psychedelia and advertising, Rondinone conveys his profound interest in the contemplation of everyday life and activities.
In addition, the artist's sculptures often transform everyday objects by casting them in bronze, giving them an artificial permanence, that both underscores and denies their perishability.
Quotations: "I see art-making as a ritual, a meditation for myself. It's to exclude myself from society and to create my own rites…The energy of art is that you can spend time with yourself."
Ugo was married to John Giorno, an American poet and performance artist, who passed away on October 11, 2019.
