Michel Majerus’ work can be seen as the capturing of the visual culture of a moment. Majerus was fascinated by the specific imagery of his time: 1990's advertisement and its slogans, brands and their logos as well as the emerging importance of the internet and computer technology with its digital aesthetics. But also pop cultural phenomena like comics, graffiti or techno mark recurring motifs of his work. During only a decade-long career, the artist created an enormous oeuvre, including paintings, installations, murals, collages and video works. His spontaneous and rapid way of working combined with a deep curiosity bore a multi-faceted body of work with a very distinct spatial sensibility.

Michel Majerus was born in Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg, in 1967. He died in Niederanven, Luxembourg in 2002.

Education

Michel Majerus studied at the Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste, Stuttgart under Joseph Kosuth (1986-1992), and received a DAAD scholarship (2000-2001) in Los Angeles, California, US.

Exhibitions

Majerus’ work has been presented in numerous major solo exhibitions, including: Early Works, KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin (2022); Michel Majerus: Progressive Aesthetics, Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami (2022); Neuer Berliner Kunstverein (n.b.k.), Berlin (2022); Michel Majerus. Zum 20. Todestag, Sprengel Museum, Hannover (2022); Data Streaming, Hamburger Kunstverein (2022); In EUROPE everything appears more serious than in the USA, Kunsthalle Bielefeld, Bielefeld (2018); Michel Majerus - Aluminium Paintings, neugerriemschneider, Berlin (2017); Michel Majerus - Aluminium Paintings, Matthew Marks, New York (2017); Michel Majerus. Printer's Proof, Galerie l'Indépendance, BIL, Luxembourg (2016); Michel Majerus, Galerie Max Hetzler, Berlin (2015); Michel Majerus, Matthew Marks, New York (2014); Kunstmuseum Stuttgart, Stuttgart (2011); zweihundertvier sechzigmalsechzig, neugerriemschneider, Berlin (2011); MudAM Musée d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean, Luxembourg (2006); demand the best don’t accept excuses, Deichtorhallen Hamburg, Hamburg (2005); Olympia 2050. Michel Majerus, Sprüth Magers Lee, London (2005); progressive aesthetics, neugerriemschneider, Berlin (2005); what looks good today may not look good tomorrow, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam (2005); kestnergesellschaft, Hannover (2005); Pop Reloaded, Hamburger Bahnhof – Museum für Gegenwart, Berlin (2003); Tate Liverpool, Liverpool (2003); Sozialpalast, Brandenburger Tor, Berlin (2002); Leuchtland, Friedrich Petzel Gallery, New York (2002); controlling the moonlight maze, neugerriemschneider, Berlin (2002)

His work has also been shown in selected group exhibitions, including: 24h (in collaboration with Super Super Markt), BRAUNSFELDER, Cologne (2022); kosuth majerus sonderborg, Michel Majerus Estate, Berlin (2022); Nothing is Permanent, Konschthal Esch, Esch-Sur-Alzette (2022); Now or Never – 50 Years LBBW Collection, Kunstmuseum Stuttgart, Stuttgart (2021); Lovely Creatures, Ludwig Forum, Aachen (2021); majerus wool warhol…“cold beer” the “smudge tool” and other short stories, Michel Majerus Estate, Berlin (2019); Paintings from the 1980s and 1990s. MUDAM Collection, MUDAM, Luxembourg (2017); The World on Paper - Sammlung Deutsche Bank, Deutsche Bank Kunsthalle - Museum Palais Populaire, Berlin (2017); The Materiality of the painterly event, Parko Eleftherias, Athens (2017); Municipality Arts Center, Athens (2017); German Art, Galleri K, Oslo (2017); Faithless Pictures National Museum, Oslo (2017); Mental Yellow. High Noon. The KiCo Collection,Kunstmuseum Bonn, Bonn (2017); Exhibition #3, Sammlung Boros, Berlin (2017); Painting 2.0: Expression in the Information Age, Museum Brandhorst, Munich (2015); Accrochage 3: Pop & Music, Foundation Louis Vuitton, Paris (2015); I Got to Have One of Those, Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich (2015); After an Early Death, Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden (2015)

User: Michel Majerus
Mousse Magazine, article by Kerstin Stakemeier, 2022