Elga Heinzen
Presentation
Born in Geneva in 1933, Elga Heinzen lives and works in Garches (France). Her work was first exhibited in France in 1973 by John Craven, then noticed by Iris Clert, who included it in its historic group show "Grandes femmes. Petits formats" and in International Contemporary Art Fair (FIAC). In 1977, Elga Heinzen presented her first solo show at Iris Clert Gallery and participated in several group shows, as at the Georges Pompidou Center and UNESCO. That same year, the French Ministry of Culture acquired two of her paintings. She also participated in the Salon de Montrouge in 1984. Since then, her work has been exhibited in international institutions and galleries (England, United States, Italy, Japan, and France).
Elga Heinzen explores movement, particularly folds, through different mediums: painting, drawing, and sculpture. Her work offers a glimpse into her private life and obsessions, which she expresses through her representations of organic and sensual forms as well as everyday objects such as fabrics, beds, ropes, nuts, and flags. Her works establish a dialogue between colors and shapes, creating a corpus of her fascinations and memories.
Cv
Solo shows (selection)
2024
Ailleurs est ici, Françoise Livinec Gallery, Paris, France
2023
Réminiscences, Françoise Livinec Gallery, Paris, France
2016
Le Langage Des Plis, 24b Gallery, Paris, France
2011
Permanence Du Pli, La Réserve - AREA Gallery, Paris, France
2007
Agnes Dutko Gallery, Paris, France
2002
Peccolo Gallery, Livornio, Italia
1998
Lipworth-Hartman Gallery, Boca Raton, Florida, USA
Claude Lemand Gallery, Paris, France
1996
Espace du Bateau Lavoir, Paris, France
1991
Wildenstein & Co, London, England
1990
Gallery Henoch, New York, USA
1987
Blondel Gallery, Paris, France
1985
Blondel Gallery, Paris, France
1984
Kornblee Gallery, New York, USA
The Tweed Museum of Art, Duluth, USA
1983
Kornblee Gallery, New York, USA
Galerie Calart, Geneva, Swiss
1980
Kornblee Gallery, New York, USA
1979
Negru Gallery, Paris, France
1978
Kornblee Gallery, New York, USA
1977
Iris Clert Gallery, Paris, France
1975
Iris Clert Gallery, Paris, France
1973
John Craven Gallery, Paris, France
1970
Gavina Gallery, Turino, Italia
Group shows (selection)
2026
ARCO Madrid, duo with Laura Garcia Karras, Galerie Anne-Sarah Bénichou, Madrid, Spain
Drawing Now, Galerie Anne-Sarah Bénichou, Paris, France
2018
Croiser TEXTILE/ART, Abbey of Trizay, Vendée, France
2016
MUES, 24b Gallery, Paris France
2007
Museum of modern and contemporary art, Mantova, Italy
2006
40 Years: A dealer's collection, Gallery Henoch, New-York, USA
2004
MiDA Museum, Scontrone, Italy
1999
Érotisme Sans Frontières, 1900-2000 Gallery, Paris, France
1997
Erotic Museum, Paris, France
1996
Astres, Naïa De Monbrison Gallery, Paris, France
1995
Eventails d'artistes, La Pochade Gallery, Paris, France
Livres d'artistes, Toner Gallery, Paris, France
1994
Photocollages, 1900-2000 Gallery, Paris, France
Érotisme, 1900-2000 Gallery, Paris, France
Le Dernier Souper, Market Hall art space, Sens, France
1993
La Disparition De L'alphabet,Toner Gallery, Paris, France
Elga, Wimmer Gallery, New York, Etats-Unis
Le Dernier Souper, Toner Gallery, Paris, France
Souvenir De L'avenir, 1900-2000 Gallery, Paris, France
Grands Meubles, Toner Gallery, Paris, France
1989
L'art au plus que parfait, Abbaye Saint André, Meymac, France
1988
Fabric, Gallery Henoch, New-York, USA
Masques d'artistes, Saint André collegiate church, Chartres, France
Hommage à Iris Clert, Grand Palais, Paris, France
Les pouvoirs Du réel, Luneville castle's museum, Luneville, France
L'art au plus que parfait, Avranches contemporary art center, France
1986
Hommage à Iris Clert, Acropolis, Nice, France
Autour De Chayssac, Eymoutiers cultural center, Eymoutier, France
1985
Pour Les Droits De L'homme, Georges Pompidou Center, Paris, France
1984
92 du 92, Boulogne cultural center, Paris, France
Salon De Montrouge, Montrouge cultural center, Paris, France
1983
Realism Now, Museum of Modern Art, Saitama, Japan
Nœuds Et Ligatures, National center for visual arts, Paris, France
Salon De Montrouge, Montrouge cultural center, Paris, France
1977
Dialogue, UNESCO, Paris, France
Choisir, Georges Pompidou Center, Paris, France
1976
Dialogue, UNESCO, Paris, France
1975
Grands Et Jeunes D'aujourd'hui, Grand Palais, Paris, France
Salon De Mai, Modern Art Museum, Paris, France
1974
Grandes Femmes Petits Formats, Iris Clert Gallery, Paris, France
Grands Et Jeunes D'aujourd'hui, Grand Palais, Paris, France
Salon De Mai, Modern Art Museum, Paris, France
1973
Grands Et Jeunes D'aujourd'hui, Grand Palais, Paris, France
Salon De Mai, Modern Art Museum, Paris, France
Publications
Elga Heinzen: permanence du pli, Claude Ber, Elga Heinzen and Pascal Bonafoux, Descartes & Cie, 2005
Les Plis, Nadine Vasseur Le Seuil, 2002
Le Pli, Gilles Deleuze, Les Editions De Minuit, 1988,
Nœuds Et Ligatures, Gilbert Lascaux, Centre National Des Arts Plastiques, 1983
Texts
Pascal Bonafoux, Le langage des plis, 2016
Pascal Bonafoux, Colline di sienes, 2003
Représenter le tissu, Textile/art, n°10, 1984
Iris Clert, Grande femmes. Petit format, 1974
Talks
1999
Meeting with contemporary artist on the theme of folding, Louvre Museum, France
Collections (selection)
Ministry of Culture, Paris, France
National Fund for Contemporary Art, Paris, France
Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation, Los Angeles, United States
Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, United States
National Bank of Paris, Paris, France
Museum of Art and History, Geneva, Switzerland
Private collections