Bernd Zimmer, born in 1948 in Planegg, Germany, is a contemporary German artist. His work is often considered to be part of the Neo-Expressionist movement Neue Wilde, as it is characterized by a monochromatic color palette, especially blue, yellow and green, which is more or less abstractly applied to the canvas. The artist's products are especially inspired by his long travels around the world. He has achieved great success for his work - his works have been exhibited in institutions such as the Center for Contemporary Art H2 in Augsburg, Germany, the Museum of Modern Art in New York and The Berlin Gallery in Berlin.
Sources of photographs: HNA, ars mundi, Upsilon Gallery, STOA169
1948
Born on November 6th in Planegg near Munich.
1969-1972
A six-week trip to Morocco and Spain, followed by a six-month trip to Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Burma and Hong Kong. Moves to Bremen, works in Bettina Wassmann bookstore.
1973/74
Moves to Berlin, designs books at Klaus Wagenbach publishing house. Began studying philosophy and religious studies with Klaus Heinrich at the Freie Universität.
1975/76
A four-month stay in Mexico and the south of the USA. Study of the Mexican landscape and the monumental paintings of muralists Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco and David Alforo Siqueiros lead to the decision to become a painter. He continues his studies in Berlin and starts painting.
1977
Co-founder of Galerie am Moritzplatz in Berlin (together with Salomé, Helmut Middendorf, Rainer Fetting and others), which existed until 1981 as a self-help gallery for artists. Still life paintings, interiors, paintings with skulls and figures and Berlin cityscapes. In September, he travels to the Basque-Galicia Atlantic coast. After his return, he creates the monumental painting “FLUT” for his first solo exhibition at the Galerie am Moritzplatz.
1979
Completion of studies at Freie Universität, Berlin. He receives the Karl Schmidt Rottluff scholarship.
1981
January/February six-week trip to Indonesia (Java, Bali, Lombok, Flores). Participation in the exhibition “Rundschau Deutschland 1″ at the Künstlerwerkstatt Lothringer Straße 13, Munich. Solo exhibition at Barbara Gladstone Gallery in New York and Galerie Yvon Lambert in Paris. Creating the images "Indonesien" and "Feuer".
1982/83
The first museum exhibition at the Groningen Museum. Winner of the Villa Massimo scholarship in Rome. There he creates a series of paintings "Aus der Ferne", "Vor Rom" and "Mann im Mond". Moving to Rome in the fall.
1984
In June, he moves to Polling/Upper Bavaria, moving into a former monastery estate. Marriage to Nina Zeidler. Abandoning the Berlin studio.
1985
The first woodcuts.
1989
The group of paintings "Übersicht" is shown in Munich (A11 Artforum) and at Forum Kunst Rottweil.
1990
A six-week trip around India. Under the impression of Hindu philosophy, the working groups "Himmelbilder" and "Monatsbilder" were created.
1991-1995
Travels to Libya, Polynesia and the Marquesas Islands.
1996/97
The first terracotta sculptures and a visit to China for his first first exhibition in Beijing and Shanghai.
2006
The first comprehensive exhibition "Cosmosbilder" at the Kunsthalle Mannheim.
2007
Elected president of the University Council of the Academy of Arts in Munich. The mandate lasted until September 2011.
2012
Bernd Zimmer Art Foundation.
2018/19
Works on the realization of STOA169 - a corridor of columns created by over 100 artists from around the world.
