Oskar Holweck

Oskar Holweck (1924 - 2007, Germany), is considered to be a pioneer of paper art in Europe,. Early on, Holweck caught the attention of the ground-breaking German avant-garde group ZERO and was subsequently invited to participate in their exhibitions. His early ink drawings were serial and experimental, in line with liberating gestural experimentations in Europe and the US, always driven by the desire to explore the fundamental principles of art: light, movement and space. To illustrate that his works are nothing more than a seismographic description of the state of a moment, from the mid-1950s onwards Holweck no longer gave his works conventional titles. The title became the day the work was created.

Holweck had a particular passion for one medium: paper. Folding, cutting, compressing, crumpling, removing, scaring and drilling – he hardly omitted any experiment with and around paper. To this day, he is regarded as a “pioneer of paper art” in Europe. The tools he employed were simple: nails, screws and a drill. The results were all the more surprising! As the works were radically new, he also invented a new genre: Reissreliefs (torn reliefs), a term that describes both the process and the result.

Equally, as a university professor, Holweck developed fundamental studies based on the Bauhaus' preliminary courses, aiming to deepen the understanding of "seeing." Sehen (seeing) was also the title of an exhibition he conceived, which toured from Cologne to Zurich, London, Glasgow, Bristol, Manchester and Birmingham, where it made a significant impact on art colleges and the public.

Even after many decades, Holweck's oeuvre retains its integrity and originality. The reduction and concentration that distinguish his works still speak to us today; he could be referred to as a classic. His art is not boisterous, it is tranquil, and through its openness, it offers the viewer a pathway to self-reflection.

In 2024, PHCA  presented the German artist’s first solo exhibition in the UK, marking 100 years since the birth of this largely overlooked and recently rediscovered seminal post-war figure. The title One Zero Zero refers to both, the centenary of his birth as well as his affiliation with Group Zero, an influential post-war art movement that originated in Germany and developed international acclaim. In the spirit of Zero and other post-war art movements such as Arte Povera and Spatialism, Holweck’s oeuvre is deeply innovative, constantly pushing the boundaries of the artistic process - particularly through the use of one medium: paper. Holweck is thus considered one of the key pioneers of paper art in Europe. The exhibition featured a historic overview of works sourced directly from Holweck’s estate, spanning different phases of his career.

Exhibitions at the gallery:

One Zero Zero, 2024 (solo show)

Tearing, Punching, Squeezing, Drilling, 2024 (group show)