About
Martin Mlecko was born in 1951 in Essen and passed away in 2016 in Berlin, Germany. He was an investigative artist working in a range of media, continually seeking the inherent beauty in objects and his subjects. He was both a traveler and observer, sometimes also a seeker. His photographic oeuvre is a collection of series without itself being serial in structure. Among his art forms are large-format arrangements and small-scale documentation, both representational and abstract. His photographs were shown not so much as observations of reality, but rather as expressions of moods. Mlecko traveled extensively and often found inspiration in his surroundings be it on a container freight ship in the middle of the ocean or the streets of Paris. He was inspired by the people around him and conversations or chance encounters often triggered the start of new work.
Mlecko’s work with found objects and his choice to exhibit his work in unconventional spaces such as a neighborhood pub in Berlin or the white-tiled changing room of a closed mine can be attributed to his conceptual thinking. He searched for authenticity and often multiple viewpoints on a subject were represented. He was a socially conscious person who highlighted inequality by bringing it to the foreground of his work or by giving space to those underrepresented. Kay von Keitz wrote about Mlecko: “Places and atmospheres, encounters and stories are photographed, drawn and described in writing, from which he derived his visual images. He used sweeping gestures, at times including pathos, visual language in the form of parable or allegory as appropriate ways of enhancing emotional clarity.” Mlecko looked for joy in the small things, he searched for beauty and found it all around him in everyday objects.
Martin Mlecko taught staged photography at the Kunsthochschule Berlin-Weißensee. His work has been shown among others at Sammlung Hoffmann, Galerie Jule Kewenig, DE; Kunsthalle Wien, AT, Bourouina Gallery. Together with Wolfgang Schöddert, he championed the work of other artists in their project space Loge, a former porter’s lodge in Kreuzberg-Berlin.
News
Work
Je ne sais quoi
Die Dinge des Lebens
Evidenz
Prélude
Private Life
CV
2022
Private Life, Dorothée Nilsson Gallery, Berlin, DE
2021
Den Rest muss dann jeder selber entscheiden…, Dorothée Nilsson Gallery, Berlin, DE
2018
Gegen den Strich, Dorothée Nilsson Gallery, Berlin, DE
2017
On the Lookout for Beauty, Grundemark Nilsson Gallery, Stockholm, SE
2015
Private, Grundemark Nilsson Gallery, Berlin, DE
2014
Die Sieben Weltmeere, Video sculpture in public space, Frankfurt, DE
2013
still /LIFE, Galerie Pinter & Milch, Berlin Gewalt und Leidenschaft AJL Art, Berlin, DE
Les choses de la vie, Pavlov’s Dog, Berlin, DE
2011
Photographie, Bourouina Gallery, Berlin, DE
2010
BEAUTIES and beasts, Kunstraum Denkpause, Hamburg, DE
2009
Hysteria, Premiere, c/o Berlin, DE
2007
Das kleine Glück, found Galerie, Hamburg, DE
BEAUTIES and beasts, Galerie Immanence (Goethe Institut), Paris, FR
Fetish No I, Galerie 1blick, Halle, DE
2006
Family Affair, Kunsthalle Wien, Vienna, AT
Loge, project space at Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin, DE
Gewalt und Leidenschaft, Schauraum 1°, Berlin, DE
Ich glaube, part 2 of the Trilogy Liebe-Glaube-Hoffnung, Schauraum 1°, Berlin, DE
Von der Hoffnung, part 3 of the Trilogy Liebe-Glaube-Hoffnung, Heilandskirche, DE
2005
Familienbande, Schauraum 1°, Berlin, DE
2004
Über die Liebe, part 1 of the trilogy Liebe-Glaube-Hoffnung, Familienlokal Euler-Eck, Berlin, DE
2001
BEAUTIES and Beasts, Boutwell-Draper Gallery, Sydney, AU
1997
Die Dinge des Lebens, Galerie Jule Kewenig c/o Rudolf Springer, Berlin, DE
1996
Nomaden, public exhibition on the station platforms of central station, Cologne, DE
1995
Positionen – Venedig, New York und Köln, Kunstraum Balanstraße, Munich, DE
Positionen – 14.Mai 1995, Raum für Kunst F & M, Cologne, DE
Cadavre Exqui, Cologne, DE
1994
Pater Noster, a room transformation with lectures by Boris Groys, Constantin von Barloewen, Paolo Bianchi and others, Hansa-Hochhaus, Cologne, DE
2016
Perceptions, Grundemark Nilsson Gallery, DE
2010
Invisible Past-pictures of a disappearing time, Galerie Johanna Breede, Berlin, DE
Kunst Is The People’s Project, plan 10, Forum aktueller Architektur, Cologne, DE
Überleben, w/ graft architects Aut, Innsbruck, AT
Zeigen – a project by Karin Sander, Temporäre Kunsthalle, Berlin, DE
2009
Inszenierte Fotografie, Fototage, Wiesbaden, DE
Stand by your man, Filmmuseum Wien, Vienna, AT
Visions in New York City, short films and videos, curated by Maurizio Pellegrin, Teachers College, Columbia University, NY, USA
2008
IN.SIGHT.OUT, Video Schau – Giardino del Guasto, Bologna, IT
ON THE EDGE OF LOVE, Sammlung Hoffmann, Berlin, DE
Stilles Leben, found Galerie, Hamburg, DE
Gemischte Gefühle, found Galerie, Hamburg, DE
2006
Was ist deutsch?, Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nürnberg, DE
2005
Über die Liebe, Euler Eck, Berliner Liste 05, DE
2004
Heimweg, Galerie Zink & Gegner, Munich, DE
Heimweg, Galerie Martin Kudlek, Cologne, DE
2000
Private, w/ Christian Boltanski, Gordon Matta-Clark, Pat Naldi & Wendy Kirkup and Thomas Ruff, KulturAllianzen, Cologne, DE
1999
Les Adieux, w/ o.a Christian Boltanski, Imi Knoebel, Katharina Sieverding, Rosemarie Trockel, Galerie Jule Kewenig, Frechen, DE
Waiting, Forum aktuelle Architektur im Museum für Angewandte Kunst, Cologne, DE
Die Dinge des Lebens, Galerie Jule Kewenig, Frechen, DE
Papier, w/ a.oMercedes Barros, Frances Scholz, Charles Worthen, Galerie Gabriele Rivet, Cologne, DE
1998
Königswalde – Berlin, 1, Berlin-Biennale, plattform, Berlin, DE
2015
Catalogue FIVE, Grundemark Nilsson Gallery, DE
2013
Les choses de la vie (Die Dinge des Lebens), Corinna Weidner (pub.), Kerber Verlag, Bielefeld, DE
2005
Smooth trippin, Edel Verlag, Hamburg, DE
2004
Closed circuit, Ein Leitfaden zur Geschichte und Theorie der Medienkunst, Seite 698f, Slavco Kacunco, Logos Verlag
2003
Heimweh, Corinna Weidner (pub.), Nicolai-Verlag, Berlin, DE
2002
Lexikon der Fotografen, Reinhold Misselbeck (pub.), Prestel Verlag, Munich, DE
Private Life, Corinna Weidner (pub.), Prestel Verlag, München, DE
travel_log, Corinna Weidner (pub.), Mare Verlag, Hamburg, DE
1994
Paternoster, Wolfgang Schöddert (pub.) with contributions by Boris Groys, Paolo Bianchi, Constantin von Barloewen, Cologne, DE
Z, Kay von Keitz (pub.), DE
1993
Positionen, Wolfgang Schöddert (pub.), DE
1991
Glück Auf, with contributions by Giancinto Di Pietrantonio, Andrea Pagnes, Johannes Stüttgen, DE
1990
Oberhalb der Baumgrenze, with contributions by Friedhelm Mennekes, Bettina Pauly, Andrea Pagnes, DE
1989
Martin Mlecko Arbeiten 1986-1989, Anderland Verlag, Munich, DE
2007
British Council, Research Trip with the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, UK
Culturesfrance, Scholarship Paris, FR
2006
Cite Internationale des Arts, Residency Grant, Paris, FR
2003
7_seas Travel-log, Stiftung Buchkunst, Frankfurt, DE
1991
Stiftung Kunst und Kultur NRW, DE
Moderna Museet, Stockholm, SE
Museet for Fotokonst, Brandt, DK
Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK
The Swedish Art Council, Stockholm, SE