Georg Herold
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Biography
Born 1947 in Jena, Germany
Lives and works in Cologne, Germany
Georg Herold is one of the most influential German artists of his generation, known for a multifaceted practice that spans sculpture, painting, installation, drawing, video, and text. His past solo exhibitions include Kunstmuseum Bonn; Museum Brandhorst, Munich; Museum Ludwig, Cologne; Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst, Ghent; Kunsthalle Baden-Baden; Kunstverein Hannover; Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg; Kunsthalle Zürich; and The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Herold has participated in major international exhibitions including documenta IX, Kassel; Skulptur Projekte Münster; and the 52nd Venice Biennale. His work has also been presented at the Centre Pompidou, Paris; Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin; Tate Liverpool; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; and New Orleans Museum of Art.
Spanning a career of almost five decades, Herold’s works are held in major public collections worldwide, including San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; Centre Pompidou, Paris; Tate, London; Museum Brandhorst, Munich; Museum für Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt; Museum Ludwig, Cologne; Nationalgalerie – Staatliche Museen zu Berlin; Sammlung Falckenberg, Hamburg; and Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg. -
Georg Herold
Kunstraub I, II, III (Art Theftology I, II, III), 1985Roof battens, fabric
Part I: 200 x 169 x 7 cm / 78.7 x 66.5 x 2.8 inches
Part II: 200.5 x 168 x 4.5 cm / 78.9 x 66.1 x 1.8 inches
Part III: 201 x 207 x 5.5 cm /79.1 x 81.5 x 2.2 inches -
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Ph: Lothar Schnepf
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Installation view, Georg Herold f., Capitain Petzel, Berlin, 2026. Ph: GRASC
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Installation view, Georg Herold f., Capitain Petzel, Berlin, 2026. Ph: GRASC
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Installation view, Georg Herold f., Capitain Petzel, Berlin, 2026. Ph: GRASC
Georg Herold
Untitled, 2007Roof battens, screws, canvas, twine, lacquer, varnishApprox. 107 x 390 x 90 cm / 42.1 x 153.5 x 35.4 inchesB-GHEROLD-.26-0005Further images
Georg Herold draws inspiration from astronomical concepts and transforms them into a playful, tangible form. His starting point is the phenomenon known as the “Pfannkuchentheorie” (pancake theory), in which matter,...Georg Herold draws inspiration from astronomical concepts and transforms them into a playful, tangible form. His starting point is the phenomenon known as the “Pfannkuchentheorie” (pancake theory), in which matter, influenced by rotation and gravity, condenses into flat, disc-shaped structures—much like those seen in galaxies or gas clouds.
With characteristic humor, Herold brings this cosmic order into everyday life, arranging his signature material—simple roof battens—into a sculpture that evokes stacked, layered planes. The work balances scientific idea, material concreteness, and wit, making the structure of the cosmos both accessible and delightfully ironic.ExhibitionsExternal ExhibitionsNewsPressPublicationsRequest more information



