Thomas Schütte CV 1954 Born November 16 in Oldenburg, Germany, as second of five children. Father is an engineer, and the family moves every three years. 1970 Twice German high-school champion in coxed fours rowing (as a cox). Hitchhikes on his own through Europe (every summer till 1975). 1972 Visits documenta 5 in Kassel two times. Starts to draw. 1973 Enters Art Academy, Düsseldorf. Studies with Fritz Schwegler and with Gerhard Richter. Attends lectures and seminars by Benjamin H.D.Buchloh. 1975 - 76 One-year community service in a retirement home in the countryside. Becomes friends with fellow-students Thomas Ruff and Thomas Struth, who study photography with Bernd and Hilla Becher at the art academy, Düsseldorf. Starts to visit exhibitions by Bruce Nauman, Robert Ryman and others at Konrad Fischer, Düsseldorf. 1977 Produces Große Mauer (Great Wall) consisting of overpainted panels resembling the image of a brick wall. Regards this work as launching his independent artistic activity. Produces work for use and for decoration like wall paper and furniture. Tries to find a way out of the dominant minimal and conceptual tendencies in art. 1978 First 3-month stay in New York. 1979 Six months scholarship at the Cité des Arts, Paris. Meets Kasper König. 1980 First exhibition at Rüdiger Schöttle, Munich. Receives Jürgen Ponto Prize, Frankfurt. 1981 Graduates at Art Academy, Düsseldorf. Begins work with architectural models and stage scenery. Invited by Kasper König to the exhibition Westkunst, Cologne. First exhibition at Konrad Fischer, Düsseldorf. 1982 Models his first Mann im Matsch (Man in Mud), to be followed by subsequent versions up until 1985. 1983 Shares a studio building for five years at Hildebrandtstraße 13/15 in Düsseldorf with fellow artists Klaus Jung, Ludger Gerdes and Wolfgang Luy. Breakdown, poisoned by lacquer paint and heavy drinking. 1984 First exhibition at Philip Nelson, Villeurbanne, France; Produzentengalerie, Hamburg, Germany and at Jean Bernier, Athens, Greece. 1985 Teaches as guest professor at the Art Academy in Hamburg during winter term. KLEINERVONWIESE GALERIE | DOUGLASSTRASSE 28, 14193 BERLIN | CK FINE ART BERLIN GMBH | MULACKSTRASSE 33 | D-10119 BERLIN 1986 First solo museum exhibition at Museum Haus Lange, Krefeld, curated by Julian Heynen. 1987 Takes part in Skulptur. Projekte in Münster. Invites Mario Merz to contribute to the piece Ice Cream at Documenta 8, Kassel. Gives up painting for health reasons. Stops drinking. 1988 First exhibition at Tucci Russo, Torino, Italy and at Galleria Christian Stein, Milano, Italy. 1989 First exhibition at Marian Goodman Gallery, New York and at Galerie Pietro Sparta, Chagny, France. Starts working with clay at Niels Dietrich workshop, Cologne. 1990 An overview of his work is organized by curator Ulrich Loock for the Kunsthalle Bern, Switzerland. The exhibit travels to Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, France and to Stedelijk van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven, Netherlands. 1992 Exhibits Die Fremden (The Strangers), his first group of life-sized figures, at Documenta IX, Kassel, Germany. 1994 Birth of daughter, Carla. Starts to draw from real life. Concentrates on figures and watercolours. Solo exhibition Figur (Figure) travels from Hamburg to Stuttgart and to Nimes. 1995 Begins with Kleine Geister (Little Spirits). A series of these works is made for an exhibition at Lisson Gallery, London, in collaboration with the artist Richard Deacon. 1996 Birth of son, Henri. Begins with Große Geister (Big Spirits) made of cast polished aluminum, later also in steel and bronze 1997 Skulptur. Projekte in Münster 1997, Münster, and Documenta X, Kassel, Germany. 1998 Solo exhibition travels from London to Tilburg and to Porto. 1998 - 99 Trilogy of exhibitions at Dia Center for the Arts, New York, curated by Lynne Cooke. Most of the 120 Ceramic Sketches from 1997-99 and first female figures in steel are made for this occasion. 2001 Starts to make prints with the printer Till Verclas, Hamburg. 2003 - 04 Solo exhibition Kreuzzug (Crusade) travels from Winterthur to Grenoble and Düsseldorf. 2005 Receives Golden Lion Prize at the Venice Biennial, Italy. Thomas Schütte lives and works in Düsseldorf, Germany KLEINERVONWIESE GALERIE | DOUGLASSTRASSE 28, 14193 BERLIN | CK FINE ART BERLIN GMBH | MULACKSTRASSE 33 | D-10119 BERLIN .