Biography

Arnulf Rainer is one of the most important and controversial Austrian artists of the post-war period. As early as the 1950s, he belonged to a circle of creative artists who radically disagreed with the social and political conservatism and classbased thinking of their times. Between 1940 and 1944, Rainer went to an elite Napola Nazi school in Traiskirchen, but dropped out at the age of 14 when he was forced to paint nature scenes. He dropped out of studies at the Viennese Academy of Applied Arts and the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna after a few days because of disagreements with his teachers. In the early 1950s, he began painting fantastic, surreal works in the abstract art informel style. Rainer settled in an unfurnished, abandoned villa in Lower Austria.

At first, due to a lack of funds, so Rainer began to paint over other artists’ paintings without permission. This technique later became the core aspect of his work. At roughly the same time, he began to “cover” paintings with black paint. He would continue this till the late 1950s. This is the genesis of his later overpainting work. Rainer has gone on to choose his own and other people’s bodies as the basis for overpainting. When he drew and painted, he allowed himself to be filmed while intoxicated by alcohol and drugs, testing his suppressed, controlled instincts. These forbidden performances were often interrupted by the police.

His attitude towards artistic powers of anger, delusion, dreams, and the subconscious drove him to dwell on the subject of death. This main motif had been present in his art since 1977 in a large series of crosses. Between 1981 and 1995, he taught at the Viennese Academy of Arts.

Works

News

Documents

Publications

Arnulf Rainer is one of the most frequently presented Austrian artists after 1945. The following is a selection of the most important exhibitions.


Awards

2019

Silver Commander’s Cross of the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Province of Lower Austria

Grand Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria

2015

Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, First Class

2014

Grand Gold Decoration of Honour for Services to the Province of Lower Austria

2006

Aragón-Goya Prize

2004

Honorary Doctorate of the University of Münster

2003

Rhenus Art Prize

1989

Gold Medal of Honour of Vienna

Prize of the International Centre of Photography, New York

1982

Max Beckmann Prize

1978

Grand Austrian State Prize for Fine Arts

1966

Austrian State Prize for Graphic Art (together with Gotthard Muhr)


Solo Exhibitions (Selection)

2025

Galerie Michael Haas, Berlin

Arnulf Rainer Museum, Vienna

2024

Arnulf Rainer Museum, Vienna

2022

MARe – Muzeul de Artă Recentă, Bucharest, Romania

2020

Arnulf Rainer Museum, Vienna

2019

Albertina, Vienna

2017

Lentos Kunstmuseum Linz, Linz

Arnulf Rainer Museum, Vienna

2016

Arnulf Rainer Museum, Vienna

Sharjah Art Foundation, Sharjah

2015

Museum Frieder Burda, Baden-Baden

Museum Weserburg, Bremen

Kunstmuseum Ahlen

Cobra Museum of Modern Art, Amstelveen

Arnulf Rainer Museum, Vienna

2014

Arnulf Rainer Museum, Vienna

Galerie Michael Haas, Berlin

Albertina, Vienna

2013

TEA, Tenerife Espacio de las Artes, Santa Cruz, Tenerife

Arnulf Rainer Museum, Vienna

2012

Arnulf Rainer Museum, Vienna

Kunsthalle Rostock

Stiftskirche Baden-Baden, Baden-Baden

2011

Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, Madrid

Maison de Victor Hugo, Paris

Arnulf Rainer Museum, Vienna

2010

Pinakothek der Moderne in der Alten Pinakothek, Munich

Arnulf Rainer Museum, Vienna

Katholische Akademie, Munich

Vincent van Gogh Huis, Zundert

Rogaland Kunstmuseum, Stavanger

2009

Musée d’art moderne de Saint-Etienne Métropole, Saint-Etienne

Museum der Moderne, Salzburg

Museum moderner Kunst Kärnten

Albertina, Vienna

2008

Österreichische Galerie im Belvedere, Vienna

2007

MAK Center for Art and Architecture, Los Angeles

Deichtorhallen, Hamburg

2006

Landkreisgalerie Schloss Neuburg

Museo de Zaragoza, Zaragoza

MAK Vienna

Museum Frieder Burda, Baden-Baden

2005

Essl Museum, Klosterneuburg

Armandomuseum, Amersfoort

Gemeentemuseum Den Haag

2004

Kunsthalle Jesuitenkirche, Aschaffenburg/Kunstmuseum Mülheim an der Ruhr, Mülheim/Haus am Waldsee, Berlin

Museo dello Splendore, Giulianova

Westfälisches Landes-Museum Münster, Münster

Atterseehalle, Attersee

Musée National Marc Chagall, Nice

2003

Museo Correr, Venice

Museo Diocesano d’Arte Sacra, Venice

2002

Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich

2001

Museum Würth, Künzelsau

Sinclair-Haus Bad Homburg

Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich

2000

Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam

Provinciaal Centrum voor Beeldende Kunsten, Hasselt

Kunstforum Wien, Vienna

Neue Galerie der Stadt Linz, Linz

1999

Städtische Kunstsammlungen Augsburg, Neue Galerie im Höhmann-Haus

Galéria mesta Bratislavy

1998

Carolino Augusteum, Salzburger Museum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte, Vienna/Theater-museum Hannover

1997

Kunsthalle Krems

Kunstmuseum Bonn/Staatliche Galerie Moritzburg Halle/Salzburger Landessamm-lungen Rupertinum

1996

Kärntner Landesgalerie, Klagenfurt

Landesmuseum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte, Oldenburg
Bonnefantenmuseum, Maastricht
CGAC Centro Galego de Arte Contemporánea, Santiago de Compostela

1995

Museion, Museo d’Arte Moderna, Bozen

Muzeul National Cotroceni, Bukarest/Muzeul National Brukenthal, Hermannstadt

Palazzo Ducale, Genua

1994

Schömer-Haus, Klosterneuburg/Kulturhaus der Stadt Graz

Museen der Stadt Recklinghausen, Städtische Kunsthalle

Museum Moderner Kunst • Stiftung Wörlen, Passau/Kulturverein Zehntscheuer, Rottenburg am Neckar/Egon Schiele Centrum, Krumau an der Moldau/Listasafn Íslands, Reykjavik/23ª Bienal Internacional de São Paulo, special exhibition/Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Buenos Aires/Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Santiago de Chile/Museo Nacional de Artes Visuales, Montevideo/Múcsarnok, Budapest/Národní galerie v Praze, Sbírka moderního a soucasného umení im Veletrzní palác, Prague

1993

Kunsthalle Dominikanerkirche, Osnabrück/Hessisches Landesmuseum, Darmstadt

Oberösterreichischer Kunstverein 1851, Linz

1992

The Menil Collection, Houston
Kunst-Station Sankt Peter, Cologne

Kärntner Landesgalerie, Klagenfurt/Moderna Galerija Ljubljana

Fundação de Serralves, Porto

1990

Bonnefantenmuseum, Maastricht

Städtisches Kunstmuseum Bonn

Saarland Museum, Saarbrücken/Malmö Konsthall/Brandenburgische Kunstsammlungen, Cottbus

1989

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York/Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago/Historisches Museum der Stadt Vienna/Castello di Rivoli, Museo d’Arte Contemporanea/Haags Gemeentemuseum

Bregenzer Festspiel- und Kongreßhaus

Moore College of Art & Design, Philadelphia

1988

Krefelder Kunstmuseen, Museum Haus Lange – Museum Haus/Neue Galerie – Staatliche und Städtische Kunstsammlungen, Kassel

Städtisches Museum Leverkusen, Schloß Morsbroich/Museen der Stadt Regensburg/Städtische Galerie »Leerer Beutel«/Kunstverein Braunschweig

1987

Magasin – Centre National d’Art Contemporain de Grenoble

Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Brussels/Landesgalerie am Oberösterreichischen Landesmuseum

Museum Overholland, Amsterdam

1986

Ritter Art Gallery, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton/University of South Florida Art Galleries, Tampa/The Grey Art Gallery and Study Center, New York University/North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh/Centre Saidye Bronfman, Montreal

Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts de Lausanne, Palais de Rumine/Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt/Neue Galerie der Stadt Linz, Wolfgang-Gurlitt-Museum

Abbazia di San Gregorio, Venice

1985

Schauspielhaus Bochum mit m Bochum, Galerie für Film, Foto, Neue Konkrete Kunst und Video/Galerie Ulysses, Vienna/Nationalgalerie Berlin, Staatliche Museen Preußischer Kulturbesitz/Kunsthalle zu Kiel

1984

Städtisches Museum Abteiberg Mönchengladbach

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

Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven

1982

Museen der Stadt Aachen, Städtisches Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum

m Bochum, Galerie für Film, Foto, Neue Konkrete Kunst und Video, Hiroshima/Ulmer Museum/Wilhelm-Hack-Museum Ludwigshafen am Rhein/Kunstmuseum Hannover mit Sammlung Sprengel/Malmö Konsthall/Museum van Hedendaagse Kunst, Gent/Westfälisches Landesmuseum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte, Münster/Neuer Berliner Kunstverein/Musée national d’art moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris/Frankfurter Kunstverein/Kunstmuseum Düsseldorf/Kulturhaus der Stadt Graz/Kunsthaus Zürich/Kunsthalle Nürnberg/Kunstverein in Hamburg/Museum of Modern Art, Oxford/Groninger Museum; Museum Boymans-van Beuningen, Rotterdam

1981

Walker Art Center, Minneapolis

1980

Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven, Retrospektive/Whitechapel Art Gallery, London

Nationalgalerie Berlin, Staatliche Museen Preußischer Kulturbesitz/Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden/Städtisches Kunstmuseum Bonn/Museum moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Vienna, Museum des 20. Jahrhunderts/Louisiana Museum for Moderne Kunst, Humleba

1978

La Biennale di Venezia 1978: Austrian Pavillon
Osterreichische Galerie des XIX. und XX. Jahrhunderts, Schloß Belvedere, Vienna/Frankfurter Kunstverein/Württembergischer Kunstverein Stuttgart

1977

Kunsthalle Bern/Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich/Kestner-Gesellschaft Hannover

Kunstraum Munich/Kulturhaus der Stadt Graz/Kestner-Gesellschaft Hannover

1976

Neue Galerie der Stadt Linz, Wolfgang-Gurlitt-Museum

Kulturhaus der Stadt Graz

1975

Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt/Mannheimer Kunstverein

1974

Kunstverein Bremerhaven von 1866

Kunstraum Munich

1973

Graphische Sammlung Albertina, Vienna

1971

Kunstverein in Hamburg
XI Bienal de São Paulo/Busch-Reisinger Museum, Cambridge, Mass.

1970

Galerie van de Loo, Munich
Kunstverein Freiburg
Galerie Müller, Stuttgart and Cologne

1968

Museum des 20. Jahrhundert, Vienna

1964

Galerie Springer, Berlin

1962

Galerie Schmela, Düsseldorf
Minami Gallery, Tokyo

1961

Galleria del Cavallino, Venice

1960

Galerie St. Stephan, Vienna

1957

Secession, Vienna

1956

Galerie St. Stephan, Vienna

1954

Galerie Würthle, Vienna

1952

zimmergalerie franck, Frankfurt am Main

1951

Galerie Kleinmayr, Klagenfurt

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