ELISABETH SONNECK
Bünde (DE), 1962
Bio
Solo Exhibitions | Site Specific
Group Exhibitions | Site Specific
Projects
Bibliography
Collections
Work
Biography
Elisabeth Sonneck's site-specific installations unfold from the intrinsic language of materials with the energetic potential of color. Both contradiction and symbiosis, long, painted sheets of paper enter into a fragile balance with found everyday objects. Her minimalistic paintings develop complex color spectra in slow, freehand brushstrokes, like a musical improvisation that emphasizes the immediate physical moment: multi-layered staggered ends show the emergence of color nuances and rhythm, in sharp dissonances as well as in barely noticeable coloristic shifts.
Sonneck's Scrollpaintings (since 2006) create flexible, changeable curvatures in space from the reversibility and metamorphosis of the painted paper with its inherent material tension. Found remnants, broken tools, parts of the space itself become counterweights to balance the paper installation – protagonists of a fragile temporary situation in which space, work and the moving viewpoint of the visitor merge, to open up the poiesis of the impermanent and an ongoing process of development – in color.
Elisabeth Sonneck was born in Bünde, Germany. Lives and works in Berlin (DE).
1984-1988 Studied Sculpture at FH für Kunst Ottersberg (DE)
2008 Annual grant of the Berlin Senate of Cultural Affairs (DE)
2013-2015 Teaching assignments colour + space, art academy HBK Saar, Saarbrücken (DE)
2015 Grant of Upper Austria, Salzamt Linz (AT)
2017/2020 Teaching assignments colour + space, art academy Burg Giebichenstein KH Halle (DE)
2020 DieResidenz residency, Die (FR)
Solo Exhibitions / Site Specific
* with catalogue
2024 Scrollpainting137 fragile turns, Galeria NAVE, Lisbon (PT)
2023 Scrollpainting118 dark lux, rosalux, Berlin (DE)
Scrollpainting125 La vie florissante – Les fleurs du macabre, KOP.12, Essen (DE)
2022 Scrollpainting103 Rubato, Spazienne, Milan (IT)
Scrollpainting105 congruenze spaziali, Spazio Insitu, Rome (IT)
Im Dialog (Axel Dick), Kunstverein Buchholz (DE)
Scrollpainting113 interim, in color, Stroboskop, Warsaw (PL)
2021 Introspective – Green Values, Foundation Conceptual Art in Museum Wilhelm Morgner, Soest (DE) *
Insofern – In Farbe, Neuköllner Kunstverein, Berlin (DE)
Un/framed Space, with Dittmar Krüger, Semjon Contemporary, Berlin (DE) *
2020 Temporarily – in Color (#7), Hammerschmidt+Gladigau, Erfurt (DE)
2019 Hantieren+fingieren (in Farbe #6), municipal gallery weisser elefant, Berlin (DE)
Small sisters (in color #5), Brunnhofer Galerie, Linz (AT)
2018 In Color (#4) – Curved Space-Time, IWE Art Museum, Kunming (CN) *
Raumdurchsuchung, andererseits nützlich, marie wolfgang, Essen (DE)
Scrollpainting32, Georgium, Anhaltische Gemäldegalerie, Dessau (DE) *
2017 One of many reasons, superbien! greenhouse for contemporary art, Berlin (DE)
Between walls, März Gallery Mannheim (DE)
Plusminus greybluewhiteviolett, Galerie Carla Reul, Bonn (DE)
2016 Red Values, permanent wallpaintings, Chamber Of Labor Upper Austria, Linz (AT)
Farbwert, Galerie Kim Behm, Frankfurt (DE)
Passacaglia, gallery of Deutsche Werkstätten Hellerau, Dresden (DE)
Background Vocals, Kunstverein Viernheim (DE)
Infinite nuances, Irene Jiang art projects, Hongkong (HKG)
2015 Mono poly - 3 Situationen in Farbe, Kunstmuseum Ahlen (DE) *
Fliegenfänger, widmertheodoridis, Eschlikon (CH)
Retrospektive Basel, with Thomas Kühnapfel, Brunnhofer Galerie, Linz (AT)
Colour cube – between white/white, cube4x4x4 März Galerie Mannheim (DE)
2014 Unfix., with Ka Bomhardt, municipal gallery Parterre, Berlin (DE)
2013 Gallery Hein Elferink, Staphorst (NL)
In Farbe, Galerie Carla Reul, Bonn (DE)
Verschränkungen – Farbe, Licht, Raum, with Andreas Schmid, gallery of Guardini foundation, Berlin (DE) *
2012 Black light, Brunnhofer Galerie, Linz (AT)
Einander, Museum Gegenstandsfreier Kunst, Otterndorf/D, with a permanent wallpainting *
VfaK Ruhrgebiet, Oberhausen (DE), with Peter Stohrer *
Kaum im Lot, cube4x4x4 März Galerie Mannheim (DE)
2011 Schinkels Blau, permanent wallpaintings, Pomona-Tempel (Karl F. Schinkel), Belvedere Potsdam (DE)
Gallery Hein Elferink, Staphorst (NL)
2010 Architektur im Spiegel der Farbe, with Hans Jörg Glattfelder, Galerie artopoi, Freiburg (DE)
2009 Gallery Hein Elferink, Staphorst (NL)
Ansichtssache: Roter Platz, with Brunnhofer Galerie, public space in Linz (AT) Cultural Capitol of Europe
Glissando, Galerie Andrieu, Berlin (DE) *
2008 4/4 full house, Brunnhofer Galerie, Linz (AT) *
2007 Blind date / Klangfläche, public space, Sopot (PL)
Flussbett, permanent facade painting, Laumer Bautechnik, Massing (DE)
Gallery Hein Elferink, Staphorst (NL)
2006 Pendel, Zionskirche Berlin (DE)
2005 Ordnung und Chaos, System und Zufall, Schmidt Galerie, Berlin (DE) *
Intervals, 10 values für 14 rooms, permanent wallpaintings, Gothaer Versicherungen, Berlin (DE)
Group Exhibitions / Site Specific
* with catalogue
2024 Layers of Expression, Gallery Roger Katwijk, Amsterdam (NL)
Gefährten – from the collection, Museum gegenstandsfreier Kunst Otterndorf (DE)
2023 Energy, Foundation Conceptual Art in Museum Wilhelm Morgner, Soest (DE)
Warsaw>Kin<Berlin, Galeria Promocyjna, Warsaw (PL)
Painting after Painting, Galerie Heike Strelow, Frankfurt a.M. (DE)
Round Trip – Fluidum, Fabbrica del Vapore Via Farini, Milan (IT)
Papier&Klang, Haus des Papiers at Willy-Brandt-Haus, Berlin (DE)
2022 Pain/t/hing – ausser Haus, Studiogalerie Haus am Lützowplatz, Berlin (DE)
Papier=kunst #10, Kunstverein Aschaffenburg (DE) *
2021 Arte Elementare, Kunstraum Hochdorf (CH) *
Multilayer Vision 20/20, Mecklenburgisches Künstlerhaus Schloss Plüschow (DE) *
Nothing's gonna change my world?, gr_und, Berlin (DE) *
2020 ???=!!!, Museum gegenstandsfreier Kunst Otterndorf (DE) *
Paper art project, Mumu gallery, Tainan (TW)
Papier skulptural, VfaKR Oberhausen (DE) *
2019 ARTgerecht – works from the collection, Museum gegenstandsfreier Kunst Otterndorf (DE)
Cross The Line, Galerie Rupert Pfab, Düsseldorf (DE)
Embodying Color V, Foundation Conceptual Art in Museum Wilhelm Morgner, Soest (DE) *
Klasse Damen! 100 years of female art students in Berlin, Schloss Biesdorf, Berlin (DE)
Transformation of Geometry, City Gallery, Prague (CZ) *
Malerei! De Crignis, Gasteiger, Sonneck, Galerie Kim Behm, Frankfurt a. M. (DE)
2018 Arktis – drawing as expedition, Kunstverein Neukölln, Berlin (DE)
WestFarbe, Stadtmuseum Siegburg (DE) *
Orten, E-Werk Freiburg (DE) *
Colour-light-space, Künstlerhaus Dortmund (DE)
2017 Painting Black, Foundation Conceptual Art in Museum Wilhelm Morgner, Soest (DE) *
Nord-West Zeitgenössisch, Kunstmuseum Bremerhaven (DE) *
Paper Revisited, Austrian Papiermacher Museum, Steyrermühl (AT)
WestFarbe, Kunstmuseum Gelsenkirchen (DE)
2016 Dunkel, Galerie Kim Behm, Frankfurt (DE)
Europa, U 55 Subway station U55 Bundestag, public space, Berlin (DE) *
The Berlin Case, B. Yeltsin Centre, Ekaterinburg (RU) *
Anonymous drawings, Industrie- und Kunstmuseum Rüsselsheim (DE)
2015 Wir können auch anders!, Museum gegenstandsfreier Kunst, Otterndorf (DE) *
Standard International Post Spatial Surfaces, loop at Geisberg Berlin (DE) *
100 years: Black Square, municipal gallery weisser elefant, Berlin (DE) *
2014 Farbwechsel, Kunstverein Gelsenkirchen (DE) *
Aus gutem Grund, widmertheodoridis, Eschlikon (CH)
Vault Series: Jam II, New Bedford Art Museum, New Bedford (USA)
Volta NY, solo with Brunnhofer Galerie, New York City (USA) *
Prime line, Gesellschaft für Kunst und Gestaltung, Bonn (DE)
2013 Colour Space Colour, Georg Kolbe Museum, Berlin (DE) *
Wieder Sehen – the collection, Museum gegenstandsfreier Kunst, Otterndorf (DE)
Collection Grauwinkel, Vasarely Museum, Budapest (HU) *
Hauptsache Grau #1, Mies van der Rohe Haus, Berlin (DE) *
2012 Farbräume and linear, März Galerie Mannheim (DE)
Skylounge, IDEAL-Hochhaus, 50 years of Gropiusstadt, Berlin (DE)
Gleisdreieck – art in public space, Gleisdreieck-Park, Berlin (DE) *
2011 Die Niederländische Savanne – Alte Meister Neue Kunst, Staatliches Museum Schwerin (DE) *
États d´Âme, public space, Hôpiteaux Universitaires de Genève (CH)
Colour and Paint, Kunstverein KunstHaus Potsdam (DE)
2010 Turn Around, Brunnhofer Galerie, Linz (AT)
Rampe, Parkhaus Projects, Berlin (DE)
2009 Farbe konkret, Galerie Nord - Kunstverein Tiergarten, Berlin (DE) *
Start!, Gallery Hein Elferink, Staphorst (NL)
Selected Artists, Neue Gesellschaft für Bildende Kunst, Berlin (DE) *
2008 Neue Kunst in den Neuen Kammern!, Castle Sanssouci, Potsdam (DE) *
2006-09 Berliner Kunstsalon #3-#6, Uferhallen/Humboldt-Umspannwerk, Berlin (DE) *
Projects
Curated and co-curated exhibitions among others:
2022 Studiogalerie Haus am Lützowplatz, Berlin (DE)
2016 Boris Yeltsin Centre Yekaterinburg (RU)
2013 Georg Kolbe Museum Berlin (DE)
2009 Kunstverein Tiergarten, Berlin (DE)
since 2018 super bien! Berlin (DE) – greenhouse for contemporary art with a focus on site specific installations and international exchange projects.
Bibliography
2021 Elisabeth Sonneck. Introspektiv-Grüne Werte, text: Giuseppe Di Salvatore, ed. Stiftung Konzeptuelle Kunst, Soest (DE)
???=!!!, text: Ulrike Schick, ed. Museum Gegenstandsfreier Kunst Otterndorf (DE)
2019 Embodying Color V, ed. Stiftung Konzeptuelle Kunst, Soest (DE)
2018 Elisabeth Sonneck – In Color (#4) Curved Space-Time, texts: Ulrich Loock, Guan Yuda, ed. IWE Art Museum, Kunming (CN)
Elisabeth Sonneck – one of many reasons, ed. Büro im Kiez e.V., Dessau (DE)
2017 North-West-Contemporary – masterpieces from the public collections between Jade, Weser and Elbe, ed. Kunstmuseum
Bremerhaven (DE)
2016 U55 Bahnhof Bundestag Europa, ed. Marvin Altner, Eggs&Bitschin, Jovis publishers, Berlin (DE)
2015 Elisabeth Sonneck. mono poly – 3 Situationen in Farbe, text: Ursula Ströbele, Ferdinand Ullrich, catalogue, ed. Kunstmuseum
Ahlen, Kettler publishers, Bönen (DE)
2014 Verschränkungen – Farbe, Licht, Raum, Andreas Schmid, Elisabeth Sonneck, text: Matthias Flügge, catalogue, ed. Guardini
Stiftung, Berlin (DE)
Hauptsache Grau, catalogue, ed. Mies van der Rohe Haus, Zweck und Form publishers, Berlin (DE)
2013 Elisabeth Sonneck, - einander, wallpaintings and paintings, text: Ulrike Schick, Heinz Stahlhut, catalogue, ed. Museum
gegenstandsfreier Kunst Otterndorf, Kerber publishers, Bielefeld (DE)
Farbe Raum Farbe, text: Julia Wallner, catalogue, ed. Georg Kolbe Museum Berlin/D
2012 Elisabeth Sonneck – In Color. Site specific works 2006 – 2011, text: Dorothée Bauerle-Willert, Ulrich Loock, ed. Brunnhofer
Gallery, Gallery Hein Elferink, Modo publishers, Freiburg (DE)
Gleisdreieck Berlin – art in public space, catalogue, ed. Marvin Altner, Eggs&Bitschin, Jovis publishers, Berlin (DE)
2011 Die niederländische Savanne. Alte Meister - Neue Kunst, catalogue, ed. Dirk Blübaum, Gerhard Graulich, Kunstsammlungen
Staatliches Museum Schwerin (DE)
2009 Selected Artists, grants of Berlin Senate, catalogue, ed. Neue Gesellschaft für Bildende Kunst, Berlin (DE)
2008 Elisabeth Sonneck – Beziehungen in Farbe, text: Matthias Bleyl, ed. Brunnhofer Galerie (AT) and Gallery Hein Elferink (NL)
Neue Kunst in den Neuen Kammern!, text: Marvin Altner, catalogue, ed. Ellen Kobe, Marvin Altner, Jovis publishers, Berlin
(DE)
Collections
Staatliches Museum Schwerin (DE)
Museum Gegenstandsfreier Kunst Otterndorf (DE)
Chamber of Labor Upper Austria, Linz (AT)
DRK-Klinikum Westend, Berlin (DE)
Kunstmuseum Villa Zanders, Bergisch Gladbach (DE)
Kunstmuseum Ahlen (DE)
Sammlung Sparkasse Stade – Altes Land (DE)
ARTHUG, Hôpitaux universitaires de Genève (CH)
Stiftung Konzeptuelle Kunst, Soest (DE)
Kunststiftung Meier-Linnert, Deinste (DE)
Sammlung Grauwinkel, Berlin (DE)
Collection Erwin Hauser, part of Lentos Kunstmuseum, Linz (AT)
art-in-architecture
Robert-Bosch-Klinikum, Stuttgart (DE)
Belvedere Potsdam, Stiftung Preussische Schlösser und Gärten Berlim-Brandenburg (DE)
