Robert Estermann

Born 1970 in Sursee, Switzerland

Education

1991 – 1992:
University of Sorbonne (French Literature and Philosophy), Paris, France
1992 – 1997:
École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris, France (Diploma)
1999 – 2001:
Jan van Eyck Akademie, Post-Academic Institute for Research and Production for Fine Art, Design and Theory, Maastricht, The Netherlands

Grants & Awards

2009:
Swiss Art Award, Swiss Federal Office of Culture, Bern, Switzerland
Bae Open Space Studio Grant (and residency), Busan, South Korea
2007:
Manor Art Prize, Lucerne, Switzerland
Swiss Art Award, Swiss Federal Office of Culture, Bern, Switzerland
Grant of the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland
2005:
Swiss Art Award, Swiss Federal Office of Culture, Bern, Switzerland
Prize of the Jury, Prize of the Cantons of Central Switzerland, Museum of Art Lucerne, Switzerland
Grant of the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland
2001:
Neuentdeckung des Jahres 2000, 20. Internationale Kritiker-Umfrage, Art-Das Kunstmagazin, Hamburg, Germany
Jan van Eyck Akademie Grant, Maastricht, The Netherlands
2000:
Jan van Eyck Akademie Grant, Maastricht, The Netherlands
Huygens Scholarship, Nuffic Programme, The Hague, The Netherlands
1999:
Jan van Eyck Akademie Grant, Maastricht, The Netherlands
since 1998:
Various exhibition grants, including Pro Helvetia, Zurich, Switzerland

Solo Exhibitions

2010:
“Announcements Annonces Ankündigungen”, ( les halles ) espace d’art contemporain, Porrentruy, Switzerland
(presently shown: 29 May – 22 August)
“Robert Estermann - Sissy Circus and Other Singularities”, Agnès b. Gallery, Hong Kong, China
2009:
“Modern Beach Design”, Hilfiker Kunstprojekte, Lucerne, Switzerland
2008:
“New Sundays”, Galerie du Jour agnès b., Paris, France
2007:
“Robert Estermann. Manor Kunstpreis Luzern 2007”, Museum of Art Lucerne, Switzerland
2003:
“Robert Estermann”, Ausstellungsraum restitution, Berlin, Germany
2002:
“Robert Estermann”, Galerie du Jour agnès b., Paris, France
2000:
“water is strong”, Galerie du Forum Saint-Eustache, Paris, France
1995:
“sudden, everything”, ENSBA, Paris, France

Selected Group Exhibitions

2011:
“Môtiers 2011 - Art en plein air”, Môtiers, Switzerland
(forthcoming)
“Voici un Dessin Suisse (1990-2010)”, Swiss Institute Contemporary Art, New York, USA
(forthcoming)
“Voici un Dessin Suisse (1990-2010)”, Kunsthaus Aarau, Switzerland
(forthcoming)
Kim Kim Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
(forthcoming)
2010:
project to be announced, curated by Jörg Kohnen-May, Cologne, Germany
(forthcoming: December – January 2011)
project to be announced, curated by Kristofer Paetau, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
(forthcoming)
“Edition 5, Erstfeld”, Haus für Kunst Uri, Switzerland
(presently shown: 12 June – 22 August)
“Voici un Dessin Suisse (1990-2010)”, Musée Rath, Geneva, Switzerland
(presently shown: 31 March – 15 August)
Gluri Sutter Haus, Wettingen, Switzerland
2009:
“If it works, it's out of date”, Gallery Shilla (with Kim Kim Gallery), Daegu, South Korea
“Moving Seashore”, Space Bandee, Busan, South Korea
“Sammeln Verpflichtet”, Museum of Art Solothurn, Switzerland
“Swiss Art Awards 2009”, Art Basel, Basel, Switzerland
MadridFoto, with Galerie du Jour agnès b., Madrid, Spain
“Zeigen”, ETH Zurich Hönggerberg, Zurich, Switzerland
2008:
“Zentralschweizer Kunstschaffen 2008”, Museum of Art Lucerne, Switzerland
“24. Kantonale Jahresausstellung”, Museum of Art Solothurn, Switzerland
“Impression 2008”, Kunsthaus Grenchen, Grenchen, Switzerland
“Kim Kim Gallery”, ROB-ERT, Berlin, Germany
2007:
“Top of Central Switzerland”, Museum of Art Lucerne, Switzerland
“Werkbeiträge Bildende Kunst 2007 Kanton Zürich”, F+F, Zurich, Switzerland
“Swiss Art Awards 2007”, Art Basel, Basel, Switzerland
“Prix Special Noël”, Galerie du Jour agnès b., Paris, France
2006:
“Was macht die Kunst - Ankäufe der Stadt Zürich 2001 - 2006”, Helmhaus, Zurich, Switzerland
“Heimatflimmern”, Brandenburgischer Kunstverein, Potsdam, Germany
“La Luna. La Diva”, likeyou.projects, Zurich, Switzerland
Int. Triennale für Originaldruckgrafik, Grenchen, Switzerland
“Performances et Projections”, Galerie du Jour agnès b., Paris, France
2005:
“Jahresausstellung Innerschweizer Künstler”, Museum of Art Lucerne, Switzerland
“Werkbeiträge Bildende Kunst 2005 Kanton Zürich”, F+F, Zurich, Switzerland
“Swiss Art Awards 2005”, Art Basel, Basel, Switzerland
2004:
Fiac, with Galerie du Jour agnès b., Paris, France
“11th Biennial of Visual Arts VALUES”, Pancevo, Serbia
“Desidolize Now”, Grande-Halle de la Villette, Paris, France
2003:
“Kunstszene Zürich”, Toni-Areal, Zurich, Switzerland
Art Cologne, with Elisabeth Kaufmann Gallery, Cologne, Germany
“PARA...SIGNS”, Elisabeth Kaufmann, Zurich, Switzerland
2002:
Fiac, with Galerie du Jour agnès b., Paris, France
Art Forum Berlin, with Galerie du Jour agnès b., Berlin, Germany
“seeyuatthepremierefair”, Kongresszentrum Rauchstrasse, Berlin, Germany
“Commitment”, Las Palmas, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
“Sans Dessus-Dessous”, Galerie Jennifer Flay, Paris, France
2001:
“The air palpably thickens …”, MARRES centrum beeldende kunst, Maastricht, The Netherlands
“T-SHIRT”, paris project room, Paris, France
“LIE!”, Compression Space, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
“drawings”, Jan van Eyck Academie, Maastricht, The Netherlands
“UNLIMITED.NL#4”, De Appel Foundation, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2000:
“objet : projet”, Shed im Eisenwerk, Frauenfeld, Zurich, Switzerland
“affinités électives 2”, Galerie du Jour agnès b., Paris, France
“open nights”, Jan van Eyck Academie, Maastricht, The Netherlands
“Literie”, Galerie du Forum Saint-Eustache, Paris, France
1999:
“The Garden Project”, Total Open-Air Museum, Jangheung, South Korea
“Drawing a Line”, Total Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul, South Korea
“affinités électives”, Galerie du Jour agnès b., Paris, France
1998:
“Rencontres internationales Hors Circuit Paris/Berlin”, Brotfabrick, Berlin, Germany
“Storage”, TONIC, New York, USA
“Fin de Siècle”, Ambassade Suisse, Paris, France
1996:
“Sin-Aesthetics”, MK Galerie, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
“District heating and other transitions”, former criminal investigation departement, Helsinki, Finland
1995:
“While you kissed the stairway”, rue de Lancry, Paris, France
1993:
“Etat de transfert”, Galerie Jorge Alyskewycz, Paris, France

Actions & Performances

2009:
“Streetpeople”, ETH Zurich Hönggerberg, Zurich, Switzerland
“Brnd mrror kds srrnd accdnt”, Mueum of Art Lucerne, Switzerland
2007:
“Alex in Town”, Streets of Grenchen, Switzerland
2005:
“Reflexe auf Fensterscheiben in Cartoons (...)”, artist's studio, Zurich, Switzerland
2003:
“unreiner Duft”, Amt für Hochbau, AH III und AH IV, Zurich, Switzerland
2002:
“Je suis ninja. Voilà ma proposition pour une séance profonde de Rock.”, Galerie Jennifer Flay, Paris, France
2000:
“room and anteroom / all desires / I have forgotten your name”, Gallery 227, Maastricht, The Netherlands
1999:
“Illegal company”, Bahnhofstrasse, Zurich, Switzerland
“This is fiction”, Total Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul, South Korea
1998:
“Streetpeople”, Brotfabrick, Berlin, Germany
1997:
“Fighting People”, ENSBA, Paris, France “Sex For a future”, ENSBA, Paris, France
“L'oiseau le plus beau de notre époque”, ENSBA, Paris, France
1995:
“Changer des jambes en plantes aquatiques est un crime”, ENSBA, Paris, France
“Parkett”, Hôtel de Chimay, ENSBA, Paris, France

Film Projections

2000:
“thés vidéos”, Galerie Eof, Paris, France
“Singular multiplicity: a re-visitation on 'idendity' [breaking the code, part 2]" Institut für Gegenwertskunst, Wien; Central St Martins? School of Art, London, UK
“Inhabiting Technologies” (Symposia), with Sue Golding [johnny de philo], ICA, London, UK
1999:
“Drive-In”, cinéma action cristine, Paris, France “contamination”, “contamination continue”, cinéart café, Nanterre, France “what is Enlightenment (chapter 2)”, symposium, Jan van Eyck Academie, Maastricht, The Netherlands

Public Collections

City of Zurich, Switzerland
Museum of Art Lucerne, Switzerland
Museum of Art Solothurn, Switzerland
MARRES centrum beeldende kunst, Maastricht, The Netherlands
Total Open-Air Museum, Jangheung, South Korea
Sammlung Hoffmann La-Roche, Basel, Switzerland
Agnès B. Collection, Paris, France
Numerous Private Collections

Teaching, Lectures & Workshops

2008 – present:
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ), Department of Architecture, Zurich, Switzerland (teaching assignment at the Institute of Architecture and Art)
2003:
Hochschule für Gestaltung und Kunst (HGKZ), Zurich, Switzerland (performance workshop with Danel Kurjakovic)
2001:
Academie van Beeldende Kunsten, Maastricht, The Netherlands (lecture)
1999:
The Korea National University of Art, Seoul, South Korea (performance workshop with Koh Nak Beom)
1997:
Camp Crystalaire, Frankfort, Michigan, USA (Head of Arts & Crafts Department)

Selected Bibliography

2010:
Kunst-Bulletin, Annelise Zwez, “Robert Estermann”, 7-8/2010, Zurich, p. 56
“Edition 5 Erstfeld”, Ruth Nyffeler, Jürg Nyffeler, Barbara Zürcher (publishers), edition pudelundpinscher, ISBN: 978-3-9523273-8-8, Erstfeld
“Voici un dessin suisse – Swiss Drawings 1990-2010”, jrp|ringier (publisher), ISBN: 978-3-03764-100-2 (english edition), ISBN: 978-3-03764-101-9 (french edition), ISBN: 978-3-03764-102-6 (german edition), Zurich, pp. 129-132, 248, 252
“Voici un dessin suisse”, livret d'exposition, Musées d'art et d'histoire (publisher), Geneva, pp. 28-29
Le Temps, Laurence Chauvy, “Le dessin suisse poursuit ses chimères”, 6. April 2010, Geneva, p. 22
Aargauer Zeitung, Sabine Altorfer, “(Nur) der Standort verbindet sie”, 6. February 2010, Aargau, p. 22
Rundschau Ausgabe Süd, 21. January 2010, Brugg, p. 13
Ateliergemeinschaft Spinnerei Wettingen, “Ateliergemeinschaft Spinnerei Wettingen”, catalogue, January 2010, Wettingen
2009:
Openspace Bae International Artist-in-residence Program, “Open to You”, yearbook catalogue, December 2009, Busan, Korea, pp.98-109, and DVD
Swiss council for the arts, “Swiss Art Awards 2009”, exhibition catalogue, ISBN 978-3-9523148-8-3, Bern, pp. 66-69
20 Minuten, daw, “ETH-Unterricht mal anders: Haus schwarz angemalt”, 7. October 2009, Zurich, p. 9
Neue Luzerner Zeitung, Urs Bugmann, “Zeichnungen sind Ausbrüche des Denkens”, 30. September 2009, Lucerne, p. 11
e-FM Busan, radio broadcast about Open Space Bae (includes interview with R.E.), 7. September 2009, Busan
“Modern Beach Design”, artist's book, Caustic Window (publisher), 2009, Seoul ISBN 978-89-956464-4-1
Kulturzeiger, Fabian Gressly, “Eidgenössische Kunstpreise für sechs Solothurner”, July 2009, Solothurn, p. 7
Neue Luzerner Zeitung, Urs Bugmann, “Die Kunst gibt dem Leben eine Projektionsfläche”, 9. February 2009, Lucerne, p. 11
Radio DRS1, Regionaljournal Zentralschweiz, “Vierzig Jugendliche als lebendige Skulptur”, Mirjam Breu, 7.2.2009, Lucerne
Solothurner Zeitung, Urs Byland, “Bilder und Kunst aus einer anderen Welt. Atelierbesuch Robert Estermann”, 31. January 2009, Solothurn, pp. 1, 31
2008:
“collection agnès b.”, jrp|ringier (publisher), ISBN: 978-3-905829-82-2 (english edition), ISBN: 978-3-905829-83-9 (french edition), Zurich
Les Inrockuptibles, “Robert Estermann”, 19. February 2008, Paris, p. 76
2007:
Kunstmuseum Luzern, “Top of Central Switzerland”, exhibition catalogue, ISBN 978-3-267- 00154-6, 2007, Lucerne, pp. 72-73
Tages-Anzeiger, Sascha Renner, “Die Zürcher Kunstszene geht fast leer aus”, 13. June 2007, Zurich
Swiss council for the arts, “Swiss Art Awards 2007”, exhibition catalogue, ISBN 978-3-9523148-1, Bern, pp. 00-1;61-64
Kunstmuseum Luzern, “Robert Estermann, Pleasure, Habeas Corpus, Motoricity. The Great Western Possible”, exhibition catalogue, Edition Fink, ISBN 978-3-03746-105-1, 2007, Zürich (monographical)
Kunst-Bulletin, Niklaus Oberholzer, “Luzern: Robert Estermann im Kunstmuseum”, Mai 2007, Zurich, p. 71
Neue Zürcher Zeitung, sba., “In der Mausfalle”, 31. March 2007, Zurich, p. 52
Neue Luzerner Zeitung, Urs Bugmann, “Ich biete Reibungsflächen”, 21. March 2007, Lucerne, p. 43
Schweizer Illustrierte, Kati Moser, “Der Pfahlbauer”, 20. February 2007, Zurich, pp. 75-76
2006:
Stadt Zurich, “Was macht die Kunst - Ankäufe der Stadt Zürich 2001-2006”, exhibition catalogue, Edition Fink, 2006, Zurich
Kunstpanorama Luzern / Brandenburgischer Kunstverein, “Heimatflimmern”, exhibition catalogue, 2006, Luzern / Potsdam, pp. 15-16
2005:
Swiss council for the arts, “Swiss Art Awards 2005”, exhibition catalogue, ISBN 3-9522701- 6-4, Bern, pp. 45-48
association marcel wallace, “paris project room”, ISBN 2-9523935-0-8, 2005, Paris
2004:
"imam da kazõem - Robert Estermann Very Yellow Plane, umetnik iz Sõvajcarske", Pancevac, No.4042, 25 Juni 2004, Pancevo
Gallery of Contemporary Art, “11th Biennial of Visual Arts VALUES”, exhibition catalogue, ISSN 1451-804X, 2004, Pancevo, pp. 102-103
jeune création, “jeune création 2004”, exhibition catalogue, ISBN 2-904652-44-2, 2004, Paris
D (is for drawing), international magazine on contemporary drawing N°1, Johnny Golding, “Four Horses, Four Boys and the Techne of Line Drawing”, Juni 2004, Maastricht, pp. 76-79
Kidswear Magazine N°18, spring/summer 2004, “I mean it: Fetish matter and democracy”, Katharina Koppenwallner (Hrsg.), 2004, Cologne
2003:
Libération, Annik Rivoire, “Le Net sur le pied de paix”, 22 mars 2003, Paris
2002:
Metropolis M nr. 4, Front Page, ISSN 0168-9053, Aug./Sept. 2002, Utrecht (with Pascale Gatzen)
BKVB, “Commitment. Een keuze uit drie jaar Fonds BKVB”, exhibition catalogue, 2002, Rotterdam
“tout est important - Hans-Ulrich Obrist parle avec Robert Estermann very yellow plane - mercredi 4 septembre 2002”, édition galerie du jour agnès b., 2002, Paris, CD audio, 40'
illico, “Expo”, 12 septembre 2002, Paris, p. 23
Louise, “Sans Dessus-Dessous”, 1/2002, Paris, pp. 14-15
2001:
“Robert Estermann very yellow plane”, booklet, self-published, 2001
sl@sh, “Very yellow plane”, décembre 2001, Montreux, p. 60
Issues in contemporary culture and aesthetics n°. 12, “Graphic Society 4”, ISBN 90-7207-X, Sue Golding [johnny de philo] (editor), August 2001, Maastricht, pp. 15-16
Het Parool, Maartje den Breejen, “Een 'scape met momenten van arbeid en frustratie'”, februari 2001, Amsterdam
De Appel Fondation, “UNLIMITED.NL#4”, exhibition catalogue, ISBN 90-73501-54-7, 2001, Amsterdam, pp. 24-27
Compression Space / Fabrice Guyot, “LIE! #0”, exhibition catalogue, 2001, Amsterdam, pp. 22-23
art-das Kunstmagazin, Elisabeth Lebovici, “20. Internationale Kritiker-Umfrage”, Januar 2001, Hamburg, pp. 46-47
2000:
de Voorkant, Eric Hagoort: “Magere man lost op in korrelig beeld”, 26. mai 2000, Amsterdam, p. 14
1999:
Total Open-Air Museum, “The garden project”, exhibition catalogue, 1999, Seoul, pp. 6-7
1998:
Ambassade Suisse à Paris, “FIN DE SIECLE”, exhibition catalogue, 1998, Paris, p. 29 Ensb-a, “Diplômes 97”, exhibition catalogue, ISBN 2-84056-059-3, 1998, Paris, p. 29
1997:
Radio Nova, “On a vu ça, ça et ça...” together with Bojan Sarcevic und Gemma Shedden on talk with Elisabeth Lebovici, 9.2.97, Paris
HTV De Ysberg, Caroline de Bie, “Four Horses”, 1/97, Rotterdam
1996:
Desseins n°. 1 “blank pages” Kristofer Paetau (editor), 1996, Paris
Schweizer Familie, René Brunner, “Schweizer Künstler in Paris”, 2/96, Zurich, p. 67

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