The work of Michail Pirgelis updates the traditions of post-minimalism, the readymade and conceptual art while simultaneously resisting them. His process usually begins with found materials from aircraft cemeteries in California and Arizona, where disused passenger planes wait to be dismantled and recycled. The artist explores the limits of our understanding of objects, while radically expanding our experience of the sculptural.

Michail Pirgelis was born in Essen, Germany in 1976. He now lives and works in Cologne, Germany.

Education

Michail Pirgelis studied at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf from 2003 until 2009.

Exhibitions

Pirgelis' work has been presented in numerous international solo exhibitions, including: FUHRWERKSWAAGE, Cologne (2022); Odyssey, Cologne (2022); Sprüth Magers, Berlin (2022); BRAUNSFELDER, Cologne (2019, with Ruth Wolf-Rehfeldt); Sculpture in the City, London (2018); Leopold-Hoesch-Museum, Düren (2016, with David Ostrowski)

His work has also been shown in selected group exhibitions, including: Lantz’scher Skulpturenpark, Düsseldorf (2022); Ludwig Forum, Aachen (2020); DuMont Kunsthalle, Cologne (2019); Kunsthalle Nuremberg (2019); Haus N, Athens (2019); Athens Biennale (2018), Kunstverein Reutlingen (2018); Marta Herford, Herford (2018); Rubell Family Collection, Miami (2015); Istanbul Modern (2014); Bundeskunsthalle Bonn (2013); Museum Morsbroich, Leverkusen (2012); Thessaloniki Biennale (2011), Kunstmuseum Bonn (2010)