Rosemarie Trockel is a renowned German artist, born in 1952, whose diverse body of work spans various mediums, including painting, print, sculpture, video, and installation. She is perhaps best known for her “knitted paintings,” which emerged in the 1980s as a response to the male-dominated art scene. These iconic artworks, created using industrial knitting machines, challenge traditional notions of art and craft, blending the domestic and the avant-garde. Trockel’s use of wool – a material traditionally associated with women’s work – serves as a powerful critique of gender roles and artistic hierarchies. Her explorations extend beyond textiles, delving into ceramics, drawings, and found objects, always marked by her distinctive conceptual approach. Rosemarie Trockel’s artwork often engages with themes of identity, social norms, and the complexities of human behavior, inviting viewers to question the structures that shape their perceptions. In addition to her large-scale installations and sculptures, Trockel is celebrated for her printmaking. Her prints, ranging from screen prints to etchings, are meticulous in their execution and rich in meaning, often featuring recurring motifs like abstract patterns and playful symbols. These print editions, sometimes produced in collaboration with master printers, capture the essence of her broader artistic concerns in a more intimate format. Trockel’s limited edition prints and multiples are highly valued, reflecting her ability to distill complex ideas into accessible, collectible forms. Recently, Rosemarie Trockel has been the subject of solo exhibitions at major institutions including the Moderna Museet Malmö (2018/19), Pinacoteca Agnelli in Turin (2016), and Kunsthaus Bregenz (2015). A traveling show was featured at Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid, the New Museum in New York, and the Serpentine Gallery in London (2012/2013), amongst others. Her 2005 retrospective, Post-Menopause, was presented at the Museum Ludwig in Cologne and MAXXI in Rome. In 1999, she made history as the first female artist to represent Germany at the Venice Biennale.
