Günther Förg

For his first United States museum exhibition, German artist Günther Förg’s installation questions the presence or absence of meaning in art, as it relates to individual expression and identity. The Renaissance Society’s dramatic and unique exhibition space provides Förg a rich and complex setting in which to contemplate and interpose his work. Förg first became prominent in Europe for using entire interior architectural spaces as formats for his work, often juxtaposing fields of rich wall color with large scale photographs of people, architecture, and reflective surfaces. These interior arrangemants envelope the viewer physically and reflectively in the artworks’ information. Viewers participated in the actual image of the work, and thus its meaning was predicated by their presence. The individual impact and meaning of the photographs and installation hinged on the viewer’s personal experiences and interpretations.