Bob Gramsma blank bodies

1 February – 28 March 2024

We are very pleased to present the solo exhibition of the Swiss artist Bob Gramsma (*1963, lives Zurich) in our gallery.

In the exhibition blank bodies by Bob Gramsma, his work references the inseparable relationship of the individual to spatial surroundings and their history, as places of intensification and renewal per se. His scoops, rockers, home glows seduce, mislead, and hold us accountable. Gramsma's sculptural hybrids manifest as materialized documentations of exposed spots, holes, and gaps – in clay, earth, and sand. Metallic and mineral casts from excavations make emptiness tangible and reveal the hidden.

home glow, OI#22306, 2022

Acrylic plaster, pigments, neon, 8 1/4 x 7 1/8 x 3 1/8 in.

scoop, OI#23318, 2023

Polymer plaster, pigments, colour like chrome, 43 x 58 x 9.5 cm

scoop, OI#23326, 2023

Polymer plaster, pigments, color like chrome, 14.5 x 23 x 4.5 cm

In his art, Bob Gramsma succeeds in an inimitable way in making the non-haptic visible using sculptural means. The precise positioning of the works in the gallery preserves the self-evident character of their presence. His exhibition exudes great familiarity and certainty. Bob Gramsma’s work activates openings between function and imagination, connecting the present with the past and intertwining memory and projection.

deep surface, OI#24325, 2024

Polymer plaster, glass, pigments, iron chain, 25 x 75 x 46 cm

rocker, OI#23322, 2023

Polymer plaster, glass, pigments, color like chrome, cast aluminium, 85 x 68 x 350 cm

rocker, OI#24323, 2024

Polymer plaster, glass, pigments, color like chrome, cast aluminium, 64 x 35 x 310 cm

Bob Gramsma (*1963, lives Zurich) holds a BA in Arts from ArtsEZ University Arnhem and an MA in Arts from Ateliers Arnhem. He has received various awards and distinctions, including UBS Art Award, Swiss Art Awards, multiple work grants from the city and the canton of Zurich, the Dutch Mondriaan Foundation, the PS1 MoMA studio program of the Federal Office of Art, and other private and public foundations. Bob Gramsma's work extends to public spaces and architectural installations globally. His artworks have been featured in national and international exhibitions, including those at Kunstmuseum St. Gallen, Kunsthaus Zürich, Kunstmuseum Bern, Kunsthaus PasquArt, Architecture Biennial Venice among others. His works are part of prestigious collections, including Kunstmuseum St. Gallen, Sammlung Bundesamt für Kultur, FRAC Alsace, Collection Land Art Flevoland, Palestinian Museum, MAC Lyon, Julius Bär Collection, Credit Suisse Collection, Collection of the City and the Canton Zurich, Die Mobiliar, among others.

bonnet, OI#24330, 2024

Acrylic plaster, glass, pigments, acrylic paint, ironwood, 90 x 25 x 18 cm

bouquet, OI#23311, 2023

Acrylic plaster, glass, pigments, acrylic paint, ironwood, 88 x 42 x 42 cm

glyph, OI#24329, 2024

Polymer plaster, glass, pigments, 75 x 120 x 18 cm