Bert Hölldobler and Edward O. Wilson in the rain by Tobias Rehberger

2009
Steel, wood, plaster, and bungee cords
Patrons: Jana and Fred Bartlit

In Tobias Rehberger’s installation, the standard “look, don’t touch” rule of museums doesn’t apply. You’re invited to look, touch, and walk through the maze of bungee cords. The title, Bert Hölldobler and Edward O. Wilson in the Rain, refers to the two authors who won the Pulitzer Prize for their book The Ants, which talks about the insects’ ecology, social organization, and anatomy.

Often an artwork is defined as a ‘useless’ object. But this is actually a myth, just like the myth of the neutral white space of the museum.

Explore Rehberger’s interactive artwork on level two of the Hamilton Building. It was executed with help from Martin/Martin Consulting Engineers; Norkoli Construction, Inc.; our invaluable Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design students; Scott’s Painting; South Valley Dry Wall, Inc.; and devoted Denver Art Museum staff.

Meet the Artist

Tobias Rehberger was born in 1966 in Esslingen, Germany, and currently lives and works in Frankfurt. He received his MFA at Hochschule für Bildende Kunst, Staedelschule in Frankfurt where he has been a professor since 2001.

He has exhibited widely throughout the United States and Europe, including solo exhibitions at the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, the Whitechapel Gallery, London, the Museu Serralves, Porto, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. He has participated in group exhibitions such as The Quick and the Dead at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis in 2009, Wouldn’t it be Nice… Wishful Thinking in Art and Design, Museum für Gestaltung, Zurich in 2008, and Space for Your Future at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo in 2007. He also participated in the Venice Biennale in 1997, 2003, and 2009. In 2009 Rehberger was awarded the prestigious Golden Lion for best artist at the 53rd Venice Biennale. His work is in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian‘s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C. He is represented by Friedrich Petzel Gallery in New York, Neugerriemschneider Gallery in Berlin, and Galerie Bärbel Grässlin in Frankfurt.

Photo courtesy of the artist.

Recent Work

Rehberger_Kunst_500

Installation view, Kunst ein Kinderspiel, 2004. Bungee cords, wood, paint, Approx. 30 x 15 x 2.2 m. Schirm Kunsthalle Frankfurt am Main. Courtesy Neugerriemschnedier, Berlin.

Rehberger_Ends_500

ends of the world, 2003. Murano glass lamps, bulbs, sockets, cables and computer. Installation view, Venice Biennale 2003. Courtesy Neugerriemschneider, Berlin.

Photos

Embrace! is organized by the Denver Art Museum. Special thanks to Vicki and Kent Logan and the Embrace! patrons who sponsored the work of these artists. Support is provided by U.S. Bank and Accenture, the Denver Art Museum’s Technology Partner. Additional funding is provided by Avanade Inc., the citizens who support the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, the generous donors to the Annual Fund Leadership Campaign, the LEF Foundation, and the John G. Duncan Charitable Trust. Promotional support is provided by The Denver Post, CBS4, and 5280 Magazine.

Bert Hölldobler and Edward O. Wilson in the rain by Tobias Rehberger