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Referencing Minimalism, Abstract Expressionism, and Color Field painting, Bernard Frize focuses on the mechanics of painting while maintaining an experimental approach. He often works in series, following strict rules as to process and palette, and employs assistants in elaborately choreographed acts of painting. With much humor, Bernard Frize actually describes his most successful works as the ones that required minimal intervention from him and thus realized themselves to some extent autonomously.

Bernard Frize (b. 1949, Saint-Mandé, France) lives and works in Paris and Berlin. He was the subject of solo museum exhibitions at Centre Pompidou Paris (2019), Akademie der Künste Berlin (2015), Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris (2003), Gemeentemuseum Den Haag (2002), SMAK Gent (2002), Kunstmuseum St. Gallen (2000), Kunsthalle Zurich (1993) and Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris (1988). His work has been collected by prestigious public and private collections worldwide.

Once I've decided how I'll be going about a work, I just take the actual result as it comes. I can't exactly predict the outcome of the procedure — but I would seldom, if ever, change anything once it's done.

Bernard Frize

Biography

Awards

  • 2015

    Käthe Kollwitz Prize, Akademie der Künste, Berlin, Germany

  • 2011

    The Fred Thieler Prize for Painting, Berlinische Galerie, Berlin, Germany

  • 1993

    DAAD, Berlin, Germany

  • 1984

    Villa Medici, Rome, Italy

Solo Exhibitions

  • 2023

    Galerie Perrotin, Hong Kong

    Galerie Perrotin, Paris, France

  • 2022

    Galerie Perrotin, Paris Matignon, France

    Galerie Perrotin, Seoul, South Korea

    Galerie Perrotin, New York, NY, USA

  • 2021

    Galerie Perrotin, Shanghai, China

    Galerie nächst St. Stephan Rosemarie Schwarzwälder, Vienna, Austria

    Galerie Micheline Szwajcer, Antwerp, Belgium

  • 2020

    Simon Lee Gallery, Taipei Dangdai, Taiwan

  • 2019

    Centre Georges Pompidou, Musée national d’art moderne, Paris, France

    Galerie Perrotin, Tokyo, Japan

    Galerie Perrotin, Paris, France

    Galerie Perrotin, New York, NY, USA

    KaiKai KiKi, Tokyo, Japan

  • 2018

    Dirimart, Istanbul, Turkey

    Simon Lee Gallery, London, UK

    De Brock, Knokke, Belgium

  • 2017

    Galerie Perrotin, Seoul, South Korea

    Simon Lee Gallery, Hong Kong

    Galleria Gentili, Florence, Italy

  • 2016

    Galerie Perrotin, New York, NY, USA

    Galerie Micheline Szwajcer, Brussels, Belgium

    Galerie nächst St. Stephan, Vienna, Austria

  • 2015

    Akademie der Künste, Berlin, Germany

    Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisbon, Portugal

  • 2014

    Johyun Gallery, Seoul, South Korea

    Simon Lee Gallery, London, UK

    Galerie Perrotin, Paris, France

  • 2013

    Galerie Perrotin, Hong Kong

    Pace Gallery, New York, NY

  • 2012

    Simon Lee Gallery, Hong Kong

  • 2011

    Galleria Christian Stein, Milan, Italy

    Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin, Paris, France

    Galerie Micheline Szwajcer, Antwerp, Belgium

    Berlinische Galerie, Berlin, Germany

  • 2010

    Morsbroich Museum, Leverkusen, Germany

    Patrick De Brock, Knokke, Belgium

    Simon Lee Gallery, London, UK

  • 2009

    Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin, Miami, FL, USA

    Hakgojae Gallery, Seoul, South Korea

    Galerie nächst St. Stephan, Vienna, Austria

  • 2008

    Patrick Painter Inc., Santa Monica, CA, USA

  • 2007

    Simon Lee Gallery, London, UK

    Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin, Paris, France

    Kunsthallen Brandts Klaedefabrik, Odense, Denmark

  • 2006

    Galerie Micheline Szwajcer, Antwerp, Belgium

    Galerie Wilma Lock, St. Gallen, Switzerland

  • 2005

    Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin, Paris, France

    Galerie nächst St. Stephan, Vienna, Austria

    Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin, Miami, FL, USA

    52 Angles, Art Unlimited, Basel, Switzerland

  • 2004

    Galerie Micheline Szwajcer, Antwerp, Belgium

    Patrick Painter Inc., Santa Monica, CA, USA

    Galerie Wilma Lock, St. Gallen, Switzerland

    Galerie nächst St. Stephan, Vienna, Austria

  • 2003

    Museum Gegenstandsfreier Kunst Landkreis, Cuxhaven, Germany

    Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin, Paris, France

    Frith Street Gallery, London, UK

    Ikon Gallery, Birmingham, UK

    Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Paris, France

  • 2002

    Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, The Hague, The Netherlands

    This exhibition travelled to Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst (SMAK), Gent, Belgium

    Patrick Painter Inc., Santa Monica, CA, USA

  • 2001

    Galerie Wilma Lock, St. Gallen, Switzerland

  • 2000

    Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin, Paris, France

    Leslie, Cohan & Browne, New York, NY, USA

    Kunstverein St. Gallen Kunstmuseum, St. Gallen, Switzerland

    Westfälisches Landesmuseum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte, Münster, Germany

  • 1999

    Galerie Wilma Lock, St. Gallen, Switzerland

    Galerie Micheline Szwajcer, Antwerp, Belgium

    Carré d'Art, Musée d'Art Contemporain, Nîmes, France

    A arte Invernizzi, Milan, Italy

    MMKSLW, Vienna, Austria

    Galerie nächst St. Stephan, Vienna, Austria

    Ivan Dougherty Gallery, Sydney, Australia

  • 1998

    De Pont Stichting, Tilburg, The Netherlands

  • 1997

    Centre Culturel, Issoire, France

    Galerie nächst St. Stephan, Vienna, Austria

    Frith Street Gallery, London, UK

  • 1996

    Galerie Micheline Szwajcer, Antwerp, Belgium (with Marthe Wéry)

    Galerie Wilma Lock, St. Gallen, Switzerland

  • 1995

    Kunstverein Elster-Park, Leipzig, Germany

    Kunstverein Arnsberg, Arnsberg, Germany

    Frith Street Gallery, London, UK

  • 1994

    Chisenhale Gallery, London, UK

    Centre d’art Contemporain, Fréjus, France

    Galerie nächst St. Stephan, Vienna, Austria

  • 1993

    Bernard Frize, Kunsthalle, Zürich, Switzerland, this exhibition travelled to D.A.A.D. Galerie, Berlin, Germany

  • 1992

    Galerie Crousel-Robelin-BAMA, Paris, France

  • 1991

    Musée Départemental d’art Contemporain, Rochechouart, France

  • 1990

    Galerie Crousel-Robelin-BAMA, Paris, France

  • 1989

    Grey Art Gallery, New York, NY, USA

  • 1988

    A.R.C. Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Paris, France

    Galeria La máquinà Española, Madrid, Spain

    Galerie Crousel-Robelin-BAMA, Paris, France

    Musée des Beaux-Arts André Malraux, Le Havre, France

    Salon d’Angle, Nantes, France

  • 1987

    Galerie Le Chanjour, Nice, France

    Galerie 121 Galerij, Antwerp, Belgium

  • 1986

    Villa Medicis, Rome, Italy

    Galerie Crousel-Hussenot, Paris, France

    Maison de la culture et de la communication, Saint-Etienne, France

  • 1985

    Galerie Crousel-Hussenot, Paris, France

    Galerie Le Chanjour, Nice, France

  • 1983

    Galerie Lucien Durand, Paris, France

  • 1981

    Museum für Sub-Kultur, Berlin, Germany

  • 1980

    Galerie Lucien Durand, Paris, France

  • 1979

    Galerie Lucien Durand, Paris, France

Public Collections

  • Austria

    Museum moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig-MUMOK, Vienna

    Sammlung Essl, Klosterneuburg

  • Belgium

    MUKHA, Antwerpen

    SMAK, Gent

  • France

    Espace de l'art concret, Mouans en Sartoux

    FNAC Fonds National d ́Art Contemporain, Puteaux

    FRAC - Basse-Normandie, Caen

    FRAC - Bourgogne, Dijon

    FRAC - Franche-Comté, Besançon

    FRAC - Haute-Normandie, Sotteville-lès-Rouen

    FRAC - Languedoc-Roussilon, Montpellier

    FRAC - Pays de la Loire, Carquefou

    FRAC - Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Marseille

    FRAC - Rhône-Alpes, IAC - Institute d`art contemporain, Villeurbanne

    MNAM Centre G. Pompidou, Paris

    Musée de Dôle Collection Caisse des dépôts et consignations, Paris

    Musée de St Etienne, St Etienne

    Musée d'Art moderne de la Ville de Paris, Paris

    Musée de Nîmes, Nîmes

    Musée de Rochechouart, Rochechouart

    Musée de Toulon, Toulon

  • Germany

    Daimler Contemporary, Berlin

    Museum Frieder Burda, Baden-Baden

    Museum Gegenstandsfreier Kunst Landkreis Cuxhaven

    Museum für Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt am Main

  • Luxembourg

    MUDAM - Musée d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean

    Musée National d'Art et d'Histoire

  • The Netherlands

    Centraal Museum, Utrecht

    De Pont Stichting voor Hedendaagse Kunst, Tilburg

  • Spain

    Fundacion Caixa de Pensions, Barcelona

    Museo Nacional Centro de Reina Sofia, Madrid

  • Portugal

    Berardo Museum - Collection of Modern and Contemporary Art, Lisbon

  • Switzerland

    Kunstmuseum, St. Gallen

    Kunstmuseum, Basel

    Kunstmuseum, Zürich

    Museum für Gegenwartskunst - Emanuel Hoffmann-Stiftung, Basel

  • UK

    Hiscox Art Projects, London

    Tate Gallery, London

  • US

    Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY

    Weisman Museum, Minneapolis, MN

  • China

    Fondation LVMH, Shanghai

Selected images