The Lady of the Rose: Sculptor Isa Genzken turns 70
After she planted an eight meter metal rose at the center of the site of the Occupy Wall Street protests in September, Isa Genzken showed she remains — at the age of 70 — one the great public sculptors.
Isa Genzken
Described by MOMA as "arguably one of the most important and influential female artists of the past 30 years," Genzken was born in northern Germany in 1948 and studied in nearby Hamburg at the University of Fine Arts. She worked as a photography model before commencing her studies at Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, where she worked under future husband, the artist Gerhard Richter.
Steel flowers
Even though Genzken had dedicated herself successfully to painting, photography and film, she is best known as a sculptor. Her work is so well known that she installed an eight-meter rose made of painted steel next to the new World Trade Center in New York. The sculpture "Rose III" was erected in September 2018.
Orchids in Central Park
Isa Genzken's rose installation at the World Trade Center was not the first of her sculptures to find a setting in New York. Her "Two Orchids" have been in Central Park since 2016. The flowers, measuring eight and ten meters tall, were placed at the southeast entrance of the storied Manhattan park. They were previously exhibited at the Venice Biennale.
A rose is a rose is a rose ...
Genzken has also installed her flowers made of steel in locations throughout Germany. This eight meter high rose made of stainless steel blooms on the north side of Leipzig. The colorful sculpture welcomes visitors to the city's trade fair.
Material Girl
Steel is by no means the only material used by Genzken. Aluminium, wood and, last but not least, concrete are among the materials she has utilized. She likewise reused everyday objects like this doll surrounded by cheap plastic kitsch, along with strollers turned upside down. The postmodern Passion Play was on display at the front courtyard of the Liebfrauen-Überwasserkirche in Munster in 2007.
"Mach dich hübsch!"
Or.... "Make yourself pretty!" was the title of Isa Genzken's exhibition at the Martin-Gropius-Bau in Berlin in 2016. For the show, the artist placed various sunglasses on the (already) pretty noses of her "Nefertiti Heads."
A passion for photography
For the installation "Spielautomat," or "Slot Machine," which appeared at the Museum Ludwig in 2009 as part of the "Open Sesame" exhibition, Genzken placed photographs together to create the shape of a cube.
The urban room
"I'm Isa Genzken, The Only Female Fool" was the title of an exhibition of the artist's work at the Kunsthalle Vienna in 2014. At the heart of the show was a confrontation with urban architecture over the previous four decades.
A Kaiserring for Isa Genzken
One of the most renowned prizes in the art world in Germany, the Kaiserring recognizes artists for their life's work. In October 2017, the city of Goslar awarded the ring to Isa Genzken. The jury said in awarding the prize that the artist contributed to the international discourse with her work and did so, "not without humor."