== Biography ==
== Biography ==
Nicolaus studied painting in Munich before relocating to Florence in 1981. His early work, influenced by Symbolism and the German Neo-Expressionist movement, combined figurative imagery with collage and metaphorical motifs.
Nicolaus studied painting in before relocating to Florence in 1981. His early work, influenced by Symbolism and the German Neo-Expressionist movement, combined figurative imagery with collage and metaphorical motifs.
In 1990 he had his Dutch debut with a solo exhibition at Galerie Hans Brinkman in Amsterdam. ”De Telegraaf” described his work as “a dreamlike yet distant figurative world,” praising his Dutch debut as “worthy of a museum follow-up.”<ref>{{cite news |title=Nicolaus |work=De Telegraaf |date=16 October 1990 |language=nl |url=https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010646213:mpeg21:a0576 |access-date=8 October 2025}}</ref> ”Het Parool” likewise noted his transformation of reality “into dream images.”<ref>{{cite news |title=Heinrich Nicolaus bij Galerie Hans Brinkman |work=Het Parool |date=16 October 1990 |language=nl |url=https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ABCDDD:010833327:mpeg21:a0193 |access-date=8 October 2025}}</ref>
In 1990 he had his Dutch debut with a solo exhibition at Galerie Hans Brinkman in Amsterdam. ”De Telegraaf” described his work as “a dreamlike yet distant figurative world,” praising his Dutch debut as “worthy of a museum follow-up.”<ref>{{cite news |title=Nicolaus |work=De Telegraaf |date=16 October 1990 |language=nl |url=https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010646213:mpeg21:a0576 |access-date=8 October 2025}}</ref> ”Het Parool” likewise noted his transformation of reality “into dream images.”<ref>{{cite news |title=Heinrich Nicolaus bij Galerie Hans Brinkman |work=Het Parool |date=16 October 1990 |language=nl |url=https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ABCDDD:010833327:mpeg21:a0193 |access-date=8 October 2025}}</ref>
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Heinrich Nicolaus |
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|---|---|
 Heinrich Nicolaus by Institute 54 as part of the BaBa Project (2025) |
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| Born | 1955 (age 69–70)
Munich, Germany |
| Nationality | German |
| Known for | Painting, sculpture, publishing, graphics, video, installation |
| Movement | Contemporary art, Neo-Expressionism, Neo-Dada |
Heinrich Nicolaus (born 1955, Munich) is a German contemporary artist known for his multidisciplinary practice across painting, sculpture, publishing, graphics, and video. His work is associated with Neo-Expressionism and Neo-Dadaist influences and is characterized by systematic research, eclectic experimentation, and cross-disciplinary collaborations. Since the 1980s, his works have been exhibited internationally and acquired by public and private collections, including the Sammlung Würth.
Nicolaus studied painting in Kiel before relocating to Florence in 1981. His early work, influenced by Symbolism and the German Neo-Expressionist movement, combined figurative imagery with collage and metaphorical motifs.
In 1990 he had his Dutch debut with a solo exhibition at Galerie Hans Brinkman in Amsterdam. De Telegraaf described his work as “a dreamlike yet distant figurative world,” praising his Dutch debut as “worthy of a museum follow-up.”[1] Het Parool likewise noted his transformation of reality “into dream images.”[2]
In 1992 the German magazine ARTIST – Kunstmagazin published a portrait by Martin Bochynek situating Nicolaus within the European contemporary art scene.[3]
From 1999 to 2005 Nicolaus co-founded and directed the international artist group Dormice together with Sawangwongse Yawnghwe and Dougal Graham. The group explored the intersection between collective process and individual authorship and was featured in exhibitions including Exit. Nuove geografie della creatività italiana (Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Turin, 2002) and Melting Pop (Palazzo delle Papesse, Siena, 2003). Articles and interviews about the group appeared in Arte e Critica (2002) and Arte magazine (2001).[4][5][6][7]
Nicolaus’s work has been exhibited at institutions such as the Kunstpalast (Düsseldorf), the Leopold-Hösch Museum (Düren), and in public-art projects including Tuscia Electa (Chianti, 1996).[8]
In 2009 he presented the performative project ToM – Theatre of More at White Box, New York, curated by Juan Puntes with Wolf Guenter Thiel; later that year, a related installation TOM: Détournement Venice was shown at Palazzo Albrizzi, organized by the Goethe-Institut (ACIT Venice) as part of the collateral events of the 53rd Venice Biennale.[9] The project was discussed by American artist-critic George Quasha in PAJ: A Journal of Performance and Art.[10]
In 2018 Hilger NEXT (Vienna) presented the solo exhibition Heinrich Nicolaus: Works from the years 1980–2005, and in 2023 he staged Chat I54 at Shoobil (Antwerp) under the collective Institute 54 with Karin Draaijer.[11]
Selected exhibitions
[edit]
- 1990 – Galerie Hans Brinkman, Amsterdam (solo).
- 1993 – Kunstverein Mannheim (solo).
- 1996 – Tuscia Electa, Chianti (group).
- 2002 – Dormicelab, Antonio Colombo Arte Contemporanea, Milan (group).
- 2002 – Exit. Nuove geografie della creatività italiana, Fondazione Sandretto, Turin (group).
- 2003 – Melting Pop, Palazzo delle Papesse, Siena (group).
- 2004 – Alberi, Venice Design Art Gallery – San Samuele, Venice (solo).
- 2005 – Heinrich Nicolaus, Venice Design Art Gallery – San Samuele, Venice (solo).
- 2007 – Re, Venice Design Art Gallery – San Samuele, Venice (solo).
- 2007 – Clante – Lo spirito della Libera Repubblica di Panzano, Cortile Sassolini, Greve in Chianti (curatorial).
- 2009 – ToM – Theatre of More, White Box, New York (project).
- 2009 – TOM: Détournement Venice, Palazzo Albrizzi / ACIT – Goethe-Institut, Venice (collateral event, 53rd Venice Biennale).
- 2010 – Il giardino segreto, Museo Archeologico, Bari (group).
- 2013 – Heinrich Nicolaus – So what? Still Good!, Capricorno Gallery, Capri (solo).
- 2018 – Heinrich Nicolaus: Works from the years 1980–2005, Hilger NEXT, Vienna (solo).
- 2023 – Chat I54, Shoobil, Antwerp (solo, Institute 54).
Nicolaus’s work is represented in:
- Sammlung Würth, Künzelsau.[12]
- Works have also been exhibited or catalogued in connection with the Kunstpalast (Düsseldorf) and the Leopold-Hösch Museum (Düren).
Bibliography / Further reading
[edit]
- Bochynek, Martin. “Heinrich Nicolaus.” ARTIST – Kunstmagazin, Heft 12, 2/92.
- Bonami, Francesco (ed.). Exit. Nuove geografie della creatività italiana. Milano: Mondadori, 2002. ISBN 8804508027.
- Marziani, Gianluca (ed.). Melting Pop. Milano: Silvana Editoriale, 2003. ISBN 9788882155483.
- Cavallucci, Fabio (ed.). Tuscia Electa. 14 Artisti internazionali in Toscana. Torino: Hopefulmonster, 1996. ISBN 8877570652.
- Galletta, Alessandra (ed.). Dormice: Dormicelab. Milano: Antonio Colombo Arte Contemporanea, 2002.
- Quasha, George. “Configuring Principle (Principle vs. Conceptual Art and the Poetics of Thinking).” PAJ: A Journal of Performance and Art, Vol. 32, No. 3 (2010): 72–84.
- Linckens, Flor. “Het geheimzinnige onderzoek van Institute 54.” Gallery Viewer, 27 July 2023.
- Stather, Martin (ed.). Kopf und Figur. Arbeiten auf Papier 1978–1990. Mannheimer Kunstverein, 1993.
- Hilger NEXT. Heinrich Nicolaus: Works from the years 1980–2005. Vienna, 2018.
Category:1955 births
Category:Living people
Category:German painters
Category:German contemporary artists
Category:People from Munich
Category:Performance artists
