Martin Mlecko was born in 1951 in Essen and passed away in 2016 in Berlin, Germany.
Martin Mlecko 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, 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.
Mlecko taught staged photography at the Kunsthochschule Berlin-Weißensee. His work has been shown among other 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.
Die Dinge des Lebens
BA Fine Art, Major in Photography, Parsons School of Design, New York, USA 1993-1996
BA Fine Art, Major in Photography, Parsons School of Design, Paris, France 1992-1993
Moderna Museet, Stockholm
Museet for Fotokonst, Brandt, Denmark
Victoria&Albert Museum, London, UK
The Swedish Art Council
British Council, Forschungsreise mit dem National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, UK 2007
Arbeits – Stipendium culturesfrance, Paris, France 2007
Paris, Cite Internationale des Arts, Aufenthaltsstipendium, France 2006
7_seas Travel-log – eines der schönsten deutschen Bücher, Stiftung Buchkunst Frankfurt, Germany 2003
Stiftung Kunst und Kultur NRW, Germany 1991
Glück Auf, w/Wolfgang Schöddert, Barbara Krüger, Rosemarie Trockel, Tony Cragg, Olaf Metzel a.o., Zeche Rheinpreussen, Moers, Germany 1991
Oberhalb der Baumgrenze, w/Christian Boltanski, Tony Cragg, Walter Dahn, Ian Hamilton Finlay, Rosemarie Trockel a.o., Schloß Gut Granerhof, Germany 1990
Catalogue FIVE, Grundemark Nilsson Gallery, Germany 2015
Les choses de la vie (Die Dinge des Lebens), Corinna Weidner (Hrsg.), Kerber Verlag, Bielefeld, Germany 2013
Smooth trippin, Edel Verlag, Hamburg, Germany 2005
Closed circuit, Ein Leitfaden zur Geschichte und Theorie der Medienkunst, Seite 698f, Slavco Kacunco, Logos Verlag, 2004
Heimweh, Corinna Weidner (Hrsg.), Nicolai-Verlag, Berlin, Germany 2003
Lexikon der Fotografen, Reinhold Misselbeck (Hrsg.), Prestel Verlag, Munich, Germany, 2002
Private Life, Corinna Weidner (Hrsg.), Prestel Verlag, München, 2002
travel_log, Corinna Weidner (Hrsg.), Mare Verlag, Hamburg, 2002
Paternoster, Wolfgang Schöddert (Hrsg.). Mit Beiträgen von Boris Groys, Paolo Bianchi, Constantin von Barloewen u.a., 1994
Z, Kay von Keitz (Hrsg.), 1994
Positionen, Wolfgang Schöddert (Hrsg.), 1993
Glück Auf, Mit Beiträgen von Giancinto Di Pietrantonio, Andrea Pagnes, Johannes Stüttgen u.a., 1991
Oberhalb der Baumgrenze, Mit Beiträgen von Friedhelm Mennekes, Bettina Pauly, Andrea Pagnes, 1990
Martin Mlecko Arbeiten 1986-1989, Anderland Verlag, Munich, Germany 1989
Private Life, Dorothee Nilsson Gallery, Berlin, 2022
Den Rest muss dann jeder selber entscheiden…, Dorothee Nilsson Gallery, Berlin, 2021
On the Lookout for Beauty, Grundemark Nilsson Gallery, Stockholm, Sweden 2017
Photo Basel, Grundemark Nilsson Gallery, Switzerland 2016
Private, Grundemark Nilsson Gallery – Studio show, Berlin, Germany 2015
Die Sieben Weltmeere, Videoskulptur im öffentlichen Raum, Frankfurt, Germany 2014
still /LIFE, Galerie Pinter & Milch, Berlin Gewalt und Leidenschaft AJL Art, Germany 2013
Les choses de la vie, Pavlov’s Dog, Berlin, Germany 2013
Photographie, w/ Lara Dhondt, Bourouina Gallery, Berlin, Germany 2011
BEAUTIES and beasts, Kunstraum Denkpause, Hamburg, Germany 2010
Hysteria, Premiere, c/o Berlin, Germany 2009
Das kleine Glück, found Galerie, Hamburg, Germany 2007
BEAUTIES and beasts, Galerie immanence (Goethe Institut), Paris, France 2007
Fetish No I, Galerie 1blick, Hallein, Germany 2007
Family Affair, Kunsthalle Wien, Vienna, Austria 2006
Loge, proejct space on Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin Germany 2006
Gewalt und Leidenschaft, Schauraum 1°, Berlin, Germany 2006
Familienbande, Schauraum 1°, Berlin, Germany 2005
Von der Hoffnung, part 3 of the Trilogy Liebe-Glaube-Hoffnung, Heilandskirche
Potsdam and Schauraum 1°, Berlin, Germany 2006
Ich glaube, part 2 of the Trilogy Liebe-Glaube-Hoffnung, Schauraum 1°, Berlin,
Germany 2006
Über die Liebe, part 1 of the trilogy Liebe-Glaube-Hoffnung, Familienlokal Euler-Eck, Berlin, Germany 2004
BEAUTIES and Beasts, Boutwell-Draper Gallery, Sydney, Australia 2001
Die Dinge des Lebens, Galerie Jule Kewenig c/o Rudolf Springer, Berlin, Germany 1997
Nomaden, public exhibition on the station platforms of central station, Cologne, Germany 1996
Positionen – Venedig, New York und Köln, Kunstraum Balanstraße, Munich, Germany 1995
Positionen – 14.Mai 1995, Raum für Kunst F & M, Cologne, Germany 1995
Cadavre Exqui, Cologne, Germany 1995
Pater Noster, a room transformation with lectures by Boris Groys, Constantin von
Barloewen, Paolo Bianchi and others, Hansa-Hochhaus, Cologne, Germany 1994
The Venice-Piece, Raum für Kunst F & M, Cologne, Germany 1994
Hennaraum, Marktstraße 13, Munich, Germany 1992
Z – 1. Station, attempt for an autopoetic structure in art, in cooperation with Milo
Frielinghaus, Cologne, Germany 1992
Labyrinthos, Galerie Art & Concept, Munich, Germany 1990
Martin Mlecko 1986 to 1989, Art & Concept Gallery, Munich, Germany 1989
Ich bin Berliner, Political Statement, Berlin, Germany 1986
Perceptions, Grundemark Nilsson Gallery, Germany 2016
Scope Miami Beach, Grundemark Nilsson Gallery, Miami, USA 2015
Invisible Past-pictures of a disappearing time, w/ Sibylle Bergemann, Stefan Moses,
Hannes Kilian, Leo Pompinon, Galerie Johanna Breede, Berlin, Germany 2010
Kunst Is The People’s Project, plan 10, Forum aktueller Architektur, Cologne, Germany 2010
Überleben, w/ graft architects Aut, Innsbruck, Austria 2010
Zeigen – a project by Karin Sander, Temporäre Kunsthalle, Berlin, Germany 2010
Inszenierte Fotografie, Fototage, Wiesbaden, Germany 2009
Stand by your man, Filmmuseum Wien, Vienna, Austria 2009
Visions in New York City, short films and videos, curated by Maurizio Pellegrin,
Teachers College, Columbia University, NY, US 2009
IN.SIGHT.OUT, Video Schau – Giardino del Guasto, Bologna, Italy 2008
ON THE EDGE OF LOVE, Souterrain, Sammlung Hoffmann, Berlin, Germany 2008
Stilles Leben, found Galerie, Hamburg, Germany 2008
Gemischte Gefühle, found Galerie, Hamburg, Germany 2008
Was ist deutsch?, Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nürnberg, Germany 2006
Über die Liebe – Euler Eck, a Reminiszenz-Installation, Berliner Liste 05, Germany 2005
Heimweg, Galerie Zink & Gegner, Munich, Germany 2004
Heimweg, Galerie Martin Kudlek, Cologne, Germany 2004
Private, w/ Christian Boltanski, Gordon Matta-Clark, Pat Naldi & Wendy Kirkup and Thomas Ruff, KulturAllianzen, Cologne, Germany 2000
Les Adieux, w/Christian Boltanski, Imi Knoebel, Katharina Sieverding, Rosemarie
Trockel a.o, Galerie Jule Kewenig, Frechen, Germany 1999
Waiting, video installation, Forum aktuelle Architektur im Museum für
Angewandte Kunst, Cologne, Germany 1999
Die Dinge des Lebens, photo installation w/ Giulio Paolini, Galerie Jule Kewenig, Frechen, Germany 1999
Papier, w/ Mercedes Barros, Frances Scholz, Charles Worthen a.o., Galerie Gabriele Rivet, Cologne, Germany 1999
Königswalde – Berlin, 1, Berlin-Biennale, plattform, Berlin, Germany 1998
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