Martin Mlecko


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. 

Work


Je ne sais quoi

Die Dinge des Lebens

Evidenz

Prélude

Martin Mlecko, Prelude 073_2013
Martin Mlecko_Prelude_073_2013
Martin Mlecko_Prelude_288_2013
Martin Mlecko_Prelude 269_2013
Martin Mlecko_Prelude 275_3_2013
Martin Mlecko_Prelude_090_2_2013

Private Life

CV


Solo Exhibitions (selected)

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

Group Exhibitions (selected)

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

Publications

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

Awards and Grants

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

Collections (selected)

Moderna Museet, Stockholm, SE

Museet for Fotokonst, Brandt, DK

Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK

The Swedish Art Council, Stockholm, SE