Thomas Zipp

Thomas Zipp
Born(1966-07-01)1 July 1966
Heppenheim, Hesse, West Germany
Died3 April 2026(2026-04-03) (aged 59)
EducationStädelschule
Slade School of Fine Art

Thomas Zipp (1 July 1966 – 3 April 2026) was a German artist based in Berlin.

Education

Zipp studied at the Städelschule, Frankfurt (with Thomas Bayrle) and the Slade School, London from 1992–1998.

Work

Art

With a palette that favors burnt umber, gray and army green, his dark thinly painted canvases and sculptures often come in a careworn palette of ash white, granite grey, and much black. The paintings' stretchers sometimes extend into legs that might allow them to be carried like banners; some are paired with separately framed photo-based images of bearded 19th-century father figures or skeletons that seem to comment on the paintings. In his 2008 show "White Dada" at London's Alison Jacques Gallery, Dada-style montages and defaced pictures included a textbook description of electroconvulsive therapy and images of drugs of the medical, non-recreational kind.

Music

In music, Zipp teamed up with Felix Weber to produce "Freie Musik" in 2002, first called Nazihipiwelt. They formed a trio called ZLW-Trio with electronic artist Sepp Löbert. Next Zipp and Weber founded the band DA ("Dickarsch", meaning fatass in English) in 2006. The band featured Stefan Branca on guitar, as well as Phillip Zaiser and Kai Erdmann. DA released the LP Nach Hause in 2007. The opening nights of Zipp's exhibitions often feature musical performances by the artist and his band.

Teaching

From 2008, Zipp was a professor at the Berlin University of the Arts.

Death

Zipp died on 3 April 2026.

Exhibitions

Zipp's work has been shown work in many exhibitions including “Artforum Berlin”, at Thread Waxing Space in New York City, and at Stadtische Galerie Wolfsburg. Zipp also exhibited at galleries and museums such as the Tate Modern, London, Transmission Gallery, Glasgow, and OTTO, Copenhagen.

He is represented by Galerie Guido W Baudach in Berlin; Alison Jacques Gallery in London; Patricia Low Contemporary in Gstaad; Harris Lieberman in New York; and Patrick Painter and China Art Objects Galleries in Los Angeles.

Solo exhibitions (selection)

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2001

2000

Group exhibitions (selection)

2008

2007

2006

2005

2003

Publications (selections)

References

  1. ↑ Skye Sherwin (March 1, 2012), Artist of the week 179: Thomas Zipp The Guardian.
  2. ↑ Roberta Smith (June 2, 2006), Art in Review; Thomas Zipp New York Times.
  3. ↑ Skye Sherwin (March 1, 2012), Artist of the week 179: Thomas Zipp The Guardian.
  4. ↑ Thomas Zipp: White Dada, 17 October - 15 November 2008 Alison Jacques Gallery, London.
  5. ↑ "Thomas Zipp gestorben". monopol-magazin.de, 4 April 2026 (in German). Retrieved 5 April 2026.
  6. ↑ Solomon, Tessa (6 April 2026). "Thomas Zipp, Visionary Installation Artist With a Punk Sensibility, Has Died". ARTnews.com. Retrieved 7 April 2026.