Frederick Kiesler (1890–1965) was a polymath of the 20th century, excelling as an architect, artist, set designer, interior designer, exhibition designer, and visionary. Born in Czernowitz, Austro-Hungary (now Chernivtsi, Ukraine), and educated in Vienna, Kiesler’s influence extends across creative disciplines, transcending the boundaries of Viennese Modernism, De Stijl, Dada, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, and Pop-Art.
His illustrious circle of friends included Egon Schiele, Hans Arp, Marcel Duchamp, Toyen, Louise Nevelson, Arshile Gorky, Lee Bontecou, Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol, and many more. He exhibited in the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum; was represented by two of the most powerful American art dealers of the postwar era, Sidney Janis and Leo Castelli, and was the subject of countless magazine and newspaper articles.
Taking its title from Kiesler’s final environmental sculpture, "Frederick Kiesler: Us, You, Me" focuses on Kiesler’s paintings (known as Galaxies) and sculptures, highlighting their significance within the artist’s oeuvre. The exhibition gathers pieces from various collections, with notable inclusions of works from the Austrian Frederick and Lillian Kiesler Private Foundation, Vienna, and The Estate of Frederick Kiesler, New York. This comprehensive survey, the first of its kind, unveils some of Kiesler’s major achievements, including his previously unseen masterpiece "Bucephalus" (1964-1965), whose cave-like belly can be entered by visitors.
The exhibition, which was developed in collaboration between Kunsthaus Zug, the Austrian Frederick and Lillian Kiesler Private Foundation, Vienna, and The Estate of Frederick Kiesler, New York over several years, will be accompanied by an extensive program and scholarly publication (Hatje Cantz, spring 2024).