Fact-checked by Grok 2 weeks ago

Roman Signer

Roman Signer (born 1938) is a artist best known for his time-based sculptures, installations, performances, and films that harness everyday materials and natural forces—such as , , , and explosions—to create fleeting, transformative events. Born in , , Signer initially trained as a technical draftsman before pursuing formal art education at the Schule für Gestaltung in in 1966, followed by studies at the same institution in from 1969 to 1971, and at the Academy of Fine Arts in from 1971 to 1972, where the city's streets profoundly influenced his open-air artistic approach. Settling in , where he lives and works, Signer taught at the School of Design for 21 years until 1995, during which time he developed a playful, intuitive style emphasizing chance, kinetic energy, and the interplay of permanence and transience, often capturing his works in Super-8 films and photographs. His oeuvre, spanning over five decades, features ephemeral pieces like House with Rockets (1981), where a structure is propelled by fireworks, and Installation with Violin (), in which sand cascades onto strings to produce sound, reflecting influences from artists such as , Robert Morris, and , as well as the 1969 exhibition When Attitudes Become Form. Signer has received major accolades, including the Prix Meret Oppenheim in 2010 and the Ehrenpreis FILAF in 2014, and his works have been exhibited internationally, with recent solo shows at the in 2025 and the in 2023, underscoring his status as a leading figure in and conceptual sculpture.

Early Life and Education

Childhood and Formative Years

Roman Signer was born in 1938 in , a rural town in known for its alpine landscapes and traditional crafts. Growing up in this isolated region, he was immersed in the natural environment of rolling hills, forests, and the nearby mountain river , which provided a backdrop for his early fascination with the passage of time and elemental forces. The structured yet serene rural surroundings of Appenzell shaped his appreciation for manual labor and the interplay between human-made objects and nature, influences that permeated his later creative explorations. His family background included a father who was a and a grandfather who worked as a locksmith, fostering an atmosphere where mechanical curiosity and hands-on activities were commonplace. Signer often spent his childhood and youth playing along , conducting informal experiments by observing the river's flow, building small , and noting how altered the across seasons—an early engagement with and impermanence. These solitary pursuits highlighted his innate tendency toward tinkering, as he disassembled and reassembled everyday items to understand their inner workings. One poignant involved living near a bridge rigged with as a wartime precaution against potential , an experience that introduced him to the concepts of controlled destruction and latent energy. His father's supportive yet pragmatic nature was evident in family hikes, including one during a where he expressed concern about Signer's future, underscoring the tension between youthful experimentation and societal expectations for a stable path. In his , this curiosity extended to ; around 1958, Signer experimented with a , inadvertently burning it by miswiring the power source, an incident that revealed his playful yet risky approach to mechanics. These formative events in cultivated a destructive-creative mindset, bridging his rural origins to eventual studies in .

Academic Training and Early Studies

Roman Signer began his formal artistic training at the age of 28 in 1966, after working for a decade as a technical draftsman in various Swiss cities and . He initially enrolled in a basic course at the Schule für Gestaltung in , focusing on and , though financial constraints limited his time there. This marked a pivotal shift from non-artistic professions to pursuing a creative path, influenced by an earlier aptitude test that suggested artistic potential. From 1969 to 1971, Signer continued his studies at the Schule für Gestaltung in , where he specialized in under instructor Anton Egloff, whose class emphasized experimental approaches to form and materials. The curriculum at integrated fine arts with design principles, providing foundational skills in , , and emerging techniques that would inform his later process-oriented works. Signer's engagement with these disciplines during this period built his technical proficiency in manipulating everyday objects and documenting transient events. In 1971–1972, Signer participated in an exchange program at the Academy of Fine Arts in , , where he encountered the vibrant Eastern European art scene amid the constraints of the communist era. This exposure introduced him to practices that prioritized ideas over traditional media, broadening his perspective beyond design education and influencing his interest in ephemeral and action-based forms. During his time in , he also met his future wife, Polish artist Aleksandra Signer.

Professional Development

Apprenticeships and Initial Career

Following his in the , Roman Signer undertook a brief at a radio store in Saint Gallen, lasting only two months, which introduced him to basic . He then apprenticed as a construction draftsman in during the late and early 1960s, honing skills in and that informed his later understanding of form and structure. This apprenticeship, spanning several years, involved practical work in architectural firms across locations including Engadine, , and , where an illness prompted a period of recovery before pursuing further artistic training. After completing his academic studies in and in the early 1970s, Signer returned to Saint Gallen and took up work as a locksmith at Metall Keller, engaging in mechanical tasks that built on his earlier technical expertise from 1972 to around 1975. These post-education roles in and provided financial stability while allowing him to explore creative ideas outside formal employment. During this transitional period, he also freelanced in related fields, bridging his practical with emerging artistic pursuits. By the mid-1970s, Signer began conducting initial artistic experiments, marking his shift from technical professions to ; these included his first films, which captured ephemeral events and served as a bridge to his sculptural practice. These early films, starting in 1975, documented simple actions with everyday materials, drawing directly on the and knowledge gained from his apprenticeships.

Emergence as an Artist

In 1972, Roman Signer relocated to , , where he established himself as an independent artist and set up a studio dedicated to his experimental practice. This move, close to his native , allowed him to immerse himself in the structured rural landscapes that would influence his work. By 1974, he had begun conducting initial actions in this environment, such as Power of Rain, where water eroded a block to reveal its transformative potential, marking the start of his engagement with natural forces. In the same year, Signer began teaching at the Lucerne School of Design, a position he held until 1995, which supported his artistic pursuits financially. Signer's entry into the international art scene occurred through his debut participation in prominent group exhibitions, notably the 37th in 1976, where his contributions introduced his emerging approach to a global audience. This exposure highlighted his shift from technical apprenticeships—such as drafting and printing—to conceptual art-making, solidifying his presence beyond . The appearance served as a pivotal milestone, connecting him with broader European networks during a period of flux in the late 1970s. Throughout the late 1970s and 1980s, Signer refined his signature "actions" in remote Swiss locations, including the Alpine terrains around and projects like Säntisprojekt (1975), which linked geographical landmarks with helium balloons to emphasize spatial and elemental dynamics. These interventions echoed the European movements of the era, such as those associated with artists exploring site-specific transformations in natural settings, though Signer emphasized ephemeral processes over permanent alterations. He meticulously documented these events using and Super-8 beginning in 1975, capturing the fleeting interactions between everyday objects and uncontrollable forces like wind, water, and fire. Early critical reception in the 1970s and 1980s praised Signer's actions for their poetic precision and subversion of sculptural norms, positioning him as a key figure in process-oriented art amid Europe's post-conceptual landscape. Exhibitions and documentation of his works, including Super-8 films from 1975 to 1989, garnered attention for bridging everyday materials with unpredictable energy, fostering connections to 's emphasis on environmental intervention while establishing his distinct, minimalist aesthetic.

Artistic Practice

Conceptual Framework and Themes

Roman Signer's artistic practice centers on the concept of time as a sculptural material, where ephemeral processes transform static objects into dynamic events that capture fleeting moments of change. His "time sculptures" (Zeitskulpturen) emphasize temporality, often lasting mere seconds as materials interact with forces like , , or , highlighting the transient nature of form and . This approach redefines not as permanent artifacts but as interventions in time, drawing from process-oriented methodologies that prioritize becoming over being. A key theme in Signer's work is the tension between and , achieved through meticulously planned setups that yield unpredictable outcomes in natural or controlled environments. He explores sudden bursts of energy against states of calm, where everyday objects are subjected to controlled disruptions, revealing form within apparent formlessness. This interplay underscores a philosophical interest in the balance of structure and , often manifesting in outdoor settings that amplify environmental unpredictability. Influenced by and , Signer views destruction as an integral form of creation, where the annihilation or alteration of objects generates new aesthetic possibilities. His early experiments in the with Super-8 films and actions laid the groundwork for this perspective, treating explosive or erosive processes as constructive acts that echo minimalist economy while expanding into performative dimensions. Philosophically, these ideas resonate with notions of impermanence rooted in cultural contexts, such as the precision of alpine landscapes juxtaposed with their volatile natural forces, reflecting a broader on transience and renewal.

Materials, Techniques, and Processes

Roman Signer's artistic practice centers on the transformation of ordinary materials through dynamic interventions, beginning with mundane objects such as chairs, umbrellas, tables, bottles, kayaks, bicycles, and vehicles, which serve as starting points for his actions. These everyday items, often sourced from domestic or industrial contexts, are selected for their familiarity and inherent potential for disruption, allowing Signer to explore their latent possibilities beyond conventional use. By manipulating these objects in controlled yet unpredictable ways, he creates temporary assemblages that challenge perceptions of stability and function. Central to his techniques is the incorporation of elemental forces—explosives, , and —to induce sudden, irreversible changes, embodying what Signer describes as "sculpture in motion." Explosives like , , and safety fuses (for which he holds a B-level blasting ) generate explosive bursts that fragment and propel objects, producing a cascade of fleeting forms within seconds. is harnessed through or to erode or displace materials, while introduces and , accelerating or . These processes emphasize over static form, with each guided by precise timing and in ignition systems to ensure safety and repeatability, though the outcomes remain inherently . This methodology aligns briefly with broader explorations of time and in his oeuvre. Documentation is an integral component of Signer's process, capturing the ephemerality of these events through films, photographs, and videos, which complete the work by preserving its transient essence for later presentation. Early actions were self-recorded using cameras for their portability and immediacy, while later pieces involve collaborative filming—often by his wife—to capture multiple angles, including those inaccessible during the event itself. These media serve not as mere records but as autonomous elements that extend the action's duration and accessibility. Signer frequently employs site-specific processes in the mountains and countryside, such as near Weissbad or , where natural landscapes provide expansive testing grounds for larger-scale interventions. These locations, including glaciers, ski jumps, and remote fields, facilitate the integration of environmental factors like , terrain, and , prioritizing impermanence as the actions dissipate without trace—requiring meticulous cleanup afterward. This approach underscores , contrasting with traditional sculpture's emphasis on endurance, and treats nature as an active collaborator in the process.

Key Works and Series

Sculptures and Installations

Roman Signer's sculptures and installations often transform ordinary objects and materials through controlled interventions, capturing moments of tension, release, and transformation to explore the interplay between and . These works, frequently prepared in advance for static presentation, emphasize the sculptural potential of post-event remnants or staged configurations, drawing on elemental forces like , , and without relying on live . His approach redefines traditional by incorporating the residue of dynamic processes into enduring forms, as seen in his use of everyday items repositioned in absurd or precarious arrangements. In the , Signer's practice evolved from expansive land-based pieces to more contained works that internalized these environmental dialogues. This shift allowed for greater precision in simulating forces within controlled spaces, moving from site-specific interventions in countryside settings to object-centered installations suitable for museum contexts. By the , this progression was evident in pieces like Floating (), a suspended evoking and , marking his adaptation of outdoor experiments into intimate, viewable artifacts. A signature series involves everyday objects in , where mundane items like or furniture undergo or incendiary modifications to reveal hidden energies. For instance, in Kayak I (1988), a is subjected to an , fragmenting its form into a sculptural study of rupture and dispersal, highlighting the object's transformation from utility to abstract debris. Similarly, works featuring burning objects, such as exploded chairs or a deliberately ignited bridge, present charred remnants as final sculptures, underscoring themes of destruction as constructive form. These installations use simple materials—often found or mass-produced—to create poignant commentaries on impermanence. The installation Accident as Sculpture (2008), also known as Unfall als Skulptur, exemplifies this methodology through a staged vehicular crash: a three-wheeled delivery car loaded with water barrels is positioned against a wall in a simulated collision, its dented frame and spilled containers forming a frozen tableau of chaos turned aesthetic. This piece captures the instant of impact as a sculptural event, blending humor with the poetry of unintended form. Signer's permanent public installations in , such as Seesicht (2015) in —a descending to a submerged viewpoint on Lake Zug—extend these ideas into , inviting viewers to experience altered perspectives on familiar landscapes from the 1990s onward.

Time-Based Works: Performances and Media

Roman Signer's time-based works encompass a range of performances and media pieces that emphasize , , and interaction with natural forces, often captured through to preserve their transient nature. These actions typically involve everyday objects subjected to controlled bursts of energy, such as , , or , unfolding in isolated environments where the artist's solitary interventions become the focal point. Documentation via and later video serves as the primary means of conveying these events, transforming one-off occurrences into enduring artifacts. From 1975 to 1989, Signer produced over 200 short Super 8 films, documenting experimental actions primarily in mountainous landscapes around Appenzell, Switzerland. These silent, color films explore cause-and-effect dynamics with simple materials, frequently incorporating smoke and water to evoke elemental forces and impermanence. For instance, Smoke-cross (1975) features smoke billowing from a cross-shaped structure in a remote setting, symbolizing a fleeting intersection of air and form, while Water Pulse (1975) captures rhythmic water ejections from a container, mimicking natural pulses against rocky terrain. Other examples include Fountain (1975), where water arcs dramatically from improvised nozzles in alpine surroundings, and the explosive action in Water Boots (1986), where boots filled with water are detonated in natural landscapes, capturing the water's dispersal as a transformative event; later works like an exploding milk churn or a subsiding snow field, highlighting destruction and renewal in isolated natural contexts. These films, transferred to video in compilations such as Super 8 Films 1975-1989 (2003), underscore Signer's early fascination with process over product. Signer's video works extend this approach into later decades, recording singular events that rely on mechanical or environmental triggers for their drama. In Due Ombrelli (Two Umbrellas, 2016), filmed on a solitary Sardinian beach, two umbrellas anchored in the sand interact via wind: one opens and lifts the other skyward in a brief, airborne "flight," illustrating tension between stability and release without human intervention beyond setup. Similarly, vehicle-based actions, such as a van propelled down a steep gradient or ski jump in (circa 2007), depict ejections driven by gravity and ignition, where the object hurtles into space, captured in looping footage to emphasize the moment of launch and descent. These videos preserve the unpredictability of the performances, often executed in remote areas devoid of spectators. The 2025 exhibition at highlights recent actions, including water-based propulsion experiments that continue Signer's exploration of motion and as of that year. A recent example, Kajak with Tube (2024), revives Signer's recurring motif of the kayak in dynamic motion, transforming the kayak into an organism-like form by pumping water through its interior, setting it in autonomous motion to explore dynamic propulsion. The absence of an audience in these remote settings—such as mountains, beaches, or rural paths—amplifies the works' introspective quality, positioning media as the essential artifact that disseminates the action to viewers. Signer performs alone, using self-filming or minimal assistance from his wife, ensuring the focus remains on the object's autonomous response to forces, with video and film acting as neutral witnesses to the event's brevity.

Exhibitions

Solo Exhibitions

Roman Signer's solo exhibitions have showcased his evolving practice across sculptures, films, and installations, often highlighting his experimentation with time, energy, and ephemeral processes. These presentations, held in prominent institutions, have provided dedicated platforms for exploring his oeuvre without the context of group contexts. A significant early solo exhibition at Helmhaus in 2008 featured films and videos produced by Signer since 1975, including premieres of his initial works, emphasizing his foundational engagement with moving images and actions. This show, titled Projections, presented a comprehensive selection that underscored the artist's consistent use of simple materials to capture transformative moments. In 2017, the hosted Fokus Roman Signer: Filme (1975–1989), a focused presentation of 205 films acquired by the museum, spanning the artist's early experiments with film as a medium for documenting sculptural actions and natural forces. This highlighted Signer's methodical documentation of over a decade of work, revealing patterns in his approach to and motion. The presented Roman Signer: Filme 1975-1989 from May 16 to November 19, 2023, showcasing all of the artist's short films from the museum's collection, emphasizing his early time-based works and their poetic exploration of transformation. Signer’s first major solo exhibition in , at Konsthall from June 3 to September 10, 2023, offered an overview of his career spanning over fifty years, featuring s, installations, and films that redefines sculpture through everyday materials and elemental forces. The 2025 retrospective Roman Signer: Landscape at Kunsthaus Zürich, on view from April 4 to August 17, surveyed five decades of the artist's production, integrating historical pieces with new commissions such as Kajak with Tube. Curated to trace Signer's manipulation of space and elemental forces, the exhibition occupied multiple galleries and included films, sculptures, and site-specific actions that demonstrated the continuity of his conceptual framework.

Group Exhibitions and International Shows

Roman Signer's international profile was established through his participation in prestigious group exhibitions, beginning with his early appearance at the in 1976, where he presented land art-inspired works that explored ephemeral processes and natural elements. This debut marked a significant step in introducing his action-based sculptures to a global audience, emphasizing transformations through time and materials like and . At 8 in in 1987, Signer contributed site-specific performances and installations that highlighted his interest in and transience, most notably "Aktion vor der Orangerie," in which 350 stacks of paper were arranged in a field and detonated to scatter dramatically into the air. This piece, staged as a closing event for the exhibition, exemplified his approach to as a temporal event rather than a static object, aligning with the biennial's focus on media and . Signer further expanded his presence in major surveys with two water-activated installations at Skulptur Projekte in : "Fontana di ," featuring a modified scooter that propelled water in rhythmic bursts, and a kinetic of a "dancing" above a via a water jet, creating fleeting patterns on the surface. These site-specific works integrated urban and natural environments, underscoring themes of motion and impermanence within the public sculpture event. In more recent group contexts, Signer participated in minus20degree in , , in 2022, a collaborative platform for and in alpine landscapes, where he performed "Fallende Reifen" (Falling Tires), releasing tires down a snowy slope to evoke controlled chaos and gravitational force. This inclusion highlighted Swiss artists engaging with environmental themes alongside international figures like Heidi Specker. His works were also featured during Zurich Art Weekend in 2025, coinciding with institutional presentations that broadened exposure through the event's multi-venue format.

Recognition and Legacy

Awards and Honors

In 2010, Roman Signer received the Prix Meret Oppenheim, Switzerland's premier award for , recognizing lifetime achievement in the field. This honor, established by the Federal Office of Culture, underscores his transformative impact on conceptual and over decades. Signer was selected as a finalist for the in 2008, an accolade that highlights innovative contemporary practices, particularly his experimental sculptures involving ephemeral transformations and energy. The prize, awarded biennially by the in collaboration with , positioned him among leading international artists for his distinctive approach to form and transience. Throughout the to , Signer garnered several and accolades that supported his early development and mid-career recognition, including multiple Eidgenössisches Kunststipendien in 1972, 1974, and 1977; the Kiefer-Hablitzel Stipendium in 1972; the Kulturpreis of in 1998 and 2004; the Kulturpreis Konstanz in 1998; the International Art Prize of in 1995; and the Aachener Kunstpreis in 2006. These awards, often tied to regional and national institutions, affirmed his contributions to sculpture and action-based works during formative periods. In 2014, he was awarded the Ehrenpreis at the International Festival of Independent Film (FILAF) in , , honoring his pioneering use of film in artistic processes. Signer's ongoing recognition is evident in major institutional retrospectives, such as the 2025 survey at , which celebrates his enduring influence without additional formal prizes post-2020.

Influence and Publications

Roman Signer's exploration of and has profoundly influenced contemporary artists, particularly those engaging with transient forms and everyday materials in performative contexts. His iconic work Wasserstiefel (Water Boots), depicting boots filled with water and launched into a stream, exemplifies this theme and has permeated , notably as the cover image for Gastr del Sol's 1996 album Upgrade & Afterlife, highlighting how his visual motifs resonate beyond into and . This adoption underscores Signer's role in inspiring artists to embrace impermanence as a core aesthetic, where fleeting actions challenge notions of permanence in and media. Signer’s practice has also left a lasting mark on , , and time-based media, positioning him as a pivotal figure for global practitioners who integrate natural forces and duration into their work. Regarded as one of the foremost representatives of and , his "time sculptures"—events that unfold through energy, motion, and decay—have encouraged artists worldwide to prioritize experiential over static objects, blending with environmental intervention in ways reminiscent of 1970s movements. His approach, which treats landscapes as dynamic studios, continues to inspire explorations of and human intervention in natural settings, fostering a legacy in time-based media that emphasizes documentation as an extension of the event itself. Key scholarly publications on Signer's oeuvre include Konrad Bitterli's 1999 catalog for the , which examines his sculptural events; Gerhard Mack's 2005 monograph, co-edited with Paula van den Bosch and others, analyzing suddenness and strategy in his installations; Rachel Withers' contributions in the 2008 exhibition texts and the 2020 publication Roschtige Hund, delving into his playful absurdities; and the 2014 comprehensive volume edited by Bitterli and Fiedler, featuring essays by Mack and others on his temporal structures. Post-2020 updates appear in catalogs tied to recent retrospectives, such as the 2025 exhibition Landscape, which documents over five decades of his transformations, and the accompanying of his films published by Verlag Walther König for the Kunstmuseum show. These works highlight ongoing scholarly interest, though documentation remains somewhat sparse for pieces created after 2022 until coverage in the 2024–2025 exhibitions.

References

  1. [1]
    Roman Signer - Hauser & Wirth
    Swiss artist Roman Signer has been redefining sculpture for more than 40 years and is now regarded as one of the finest representatives of Process and ...
  2. [2]
    Roman Signer by Armin Senser - BOMB Magazine
    Oct 1, 2008 · Signer is known as an explosion artist and a maker of ephemeral sculptures. He is neither an intellectual, nor a craftsman, nor a blaster.
  3. [3]
    Roman Signer – Landscape - Kunsthaus Zürich
    Aug 17, 2025 · Roman Signer is a master of transformation. For over five decades, he has explored the possibilities of time, space, and energy using the simplest of materials.Missing: biography | Show results with:biography
  4. [4]
    Roman Signer - SIK-ISEA Recherche
    Growing up in Appenzell, Roman Signer was influenced by the clearly delimited structures of the rural surroundings. Impressions of his youth, ...
  5. [5]
    Roman Signer, It's Not Forbidden to Laugh, Louisiana Channel, 2023
    Growing up by the mountain river Sitter in Appenzell, Switzerland, Signer spent his childhood and youth playing and experimenting in the river, observing it ...Missing: early life
  6. [6]
    Roman Signer - Häusler Contemporary
    1938 born in Appenzell, CH lives an works in St. Gallen, CH Roman Signer has always seen himself as a sculptor. He even refers to actions that only last for ...Missing: childhood early
  7. [7]
    Roman Signer - Biennale Son
    Born in 1938 in Appenzell Lives and works in St. Gallen Roman Signer has more than once recounted his childhood near a bridge loaded with dynamite.Missing: early | Show results with:early
  8. [8]
    Walking on Ice: An Interview with Roman Signer - ArtReview
    May 13, 2020 · I was born in Appenzell, which has a very beautiful landscape. There is a place there called 'The End of the World', near Kurhaus Weissbad ...
  9. [9]
    Roman Signer - Kunstraum Dornbirn
    Nov 9, 2008 · He grew up in Appenzell, studied at the School of Design in Zurich, the School of Design in Lucerne and the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw and ...
  10. [10]
    [PDF] ROMAN SIGNER CHÂTEAU DE MONTSOREAU
    Then, he went to Saint Gall for an internship in a radio store, where he stayed for only two months before becoming an apprentice draftsman in construction. He.
  11. [11]
    Roman Signer - Collection Pictet
    After training ... Zurich's School of the Applied Arts and Lucerne's School of Design. In 1971 he moves to Poland, where he studies at Warsaw's Academy of Fine ...Missing: education Schule für Gestaltung
  12. [12]
    Films – Kunstmuseum / Kunsthalle Appenzell
    Sep 14, 2025 · The Super 8 films that Roman Signer shot from the mid-1970s onwards play a special role. They go far beyond a filmic documentation of his ...
  13. [13]
    1000 WORDS: ROMAN SIGNER - Artforum
    SINCE THE EARLY '70S Roman Signer has been conducting and documenting self-described “sculptural events” in the Swiss countryside, employing a limited ...
  14. [14]
    Roman Signer: Films and Installations - Announcements - e-flux
    Signer began his career as an artist in the second half of the 1960s, after working as an architect's draftsman, an apprentice radio engineer and, for a ...
  15. [15]
  16. [16]
    [PDF] ROMAN SIGNER PROJET POUR UN JARDIN - Middelheimmuseum
    Oct 29, 2016 · Roman Signer (b. 1938) was born in Appenzell, Switzerland, and has lived and worked in St. Gallen, Switzerland since 1971. He studied from ...
  17. [17]
    Roman Signer Body of Work - Prix Pictet
    Born. 1938, Appenzell, Switzerland · Nationality. Swiss · Based in. St Gallen, Switzerland · About Roman Signer. Roman Signer studied at the Academy of Fine Arts ...Missing: biography | Show results with:biography
  18. [18]
    Roman Signer, the Swiss artist who makes mountains erupt and ...
    May 4, 2025 · Born in 1938, he only decided to study sculpture in the mid-1960s following a serious illness. A turning point came in 1969, when he visited ...Missing: early | Show results with:early
  19. [19]
    Roman Signer. Filme 1975-1989 - Kröller-Müller Museum
    May 16, 2023 · Roman Signer works as a sculptor, photographer, filmmaker, video and installation artist in Switzerland. After studying at various academies in ...Missing: freelance | Show results with:freelance
  20. [20]
    Roman Signer - Malmö Konsthall
    In a career spanning over fifty years, Roman Signer has redefined what sculpture can be by working with materials in various time-based processes.Missing: experience | Show results with:experience
  21. [21]
    Roman Signer | Four Rooms, One Artist - Swiss Institute
    Nov 13, 2010 · As well as working in his studio, which he calls his lab, Signer often takes off to the Swiss mountains to conduct larger experiments.Missing: site- ephemerality
  22. [22]
    Roman Signer: Kajak with Tube (2024) | VernissageTV Art TV
    Jul 30, 2025 · Often, the artist also experiments with explosions in water and kayaks. Kayak I (1988), on display in the exhibition, which has been ...
  23. [23]
    Sculptures Ticking and Spinning – QAGOMA Stories
    Jul 26, 2012 · While all three phases are brought to life in Signer videos; for example in Unfall als Skulptur (Accident as Sculpture) 2008 a truck laden with ...
  24. [24]
    Roman Signer's «Seesicht» | Switzerland Tourism
    The architectural steel sculpture by Roman Signer is prominently located by the lakeshore promenade in Zug (Rössliwiese). Visitors descend a staircase below ...
  25. [25]
    Roman Signer. Super 8 Films 1975-1989. 2003 - MoMA
    Roman Signer. Super 8 Films 1975-1989. 2003. 205 Super 8mm films transferred to video (color, silent). Duration variable. Committee on Media Funds.Missing: first | Show results with:first
  26. [26]
    Roman Signer at Museo d'Arte Provincia di Nuoro reviewed by Frieze
    Feb 8, 2018 · The display of Signer's entire catalogue of Super 8 films capturing these quasi-scientific experiments – a collection of 205 works from 1975 ...Missing: 1970s | Show results with:1970s
  27. [27]
    Roman Signer Art for Sale: Prints & Originals | MyArtBroker
    His practice is characterised by a blend of kinetic art, conceptual approaches, and an engagement with the natural environment. Signer's use of everyday ...
  28. [28]
    Roman Signer - Hauser & Wirth
    Signer's work explores the relationships between sudden energy releases and calm, between order and chaos, and the existence of form in the apparently formless.
  29. [29]
    Roman Signer: Landscape. Retrospective at Kunsthaus Zürich
    Apr 7, 2025 · Roman Signer is known for his inventive and dynamic approach to art, where he transforms ordinary objects into “event sculptures” that explore ...Missing: early actions remote land
  30. [30]
    [PDF] Kunsthaus Zürich celebrates Roman Signer
    In a solo exhibition at the Kunsthaus Zürich from 4 April to 17 August 2025, he will be showing works from various phases of his career, combined into a.
  31. [31]
    The art installations of Roman Signer. Roman Signer (born 1938 in ...
    Jan 19, 2025 · The art installations of Roman Signer. Roman Signer (born 1938 in ... It was featured in 37th Venice Biennale, Giardini-Arsenale (1976) ...
  32. [32]
    "Opening" The Video Experience of Roman Signer CAFA Art Museum
    Roman Signer was born in Switzerland in 1938. Since 1972, he has participated in major exhibitions including the Venice Biennale in 1976 and 1999, as well as ...
  33. [33]
    Watch the final installment of the digital film program: Roman Signer ...
    To mark the close of documenta 8 in September 1987, Swiss artist Roman Signer staged the work Aktion vor der Orangerie (Action in front of the Orangerie).
  34. [34]
    Signer, Roman: Action with Sheets of Paper - Media Art Net
    Roman Signer «Action with Sheets of Paper». documenta 8 propagated a large number of impressive video installations, and also a sizeable performance section.
  35. [35]
    Roman Signer - Skulptur Projekte
    In Münster in 1997 Roman Signer presented two installations connected with the element of water. Fontana di Piaggio (Piaggio Fountain), a work first conceived ...Missing: permanent 1990s
  36. [36]
    Roman Signer - Neue Arbeiten - Hauser & Wirth
    Swiss artist Roman Signer (born 1938) has been a key figure in the Swiss art world for the last thirty years, and is one of the most important contemporary ...Missing: exact | Show results with:exact<|control11|><|separator|>
  37. [37]
    landscape for contemporary art & architecture - minus20degree
    With Kasper König as co-curator we could invite internationally known artists such as Roman Signer, Heidi Specker, Helga Fanderl to deal with the landscape ...
  38. [38]
    minus20degree - 6th edition 2022 -Fallende Reifen (Roman Signer)
    Mar 30, 2022 · minus20degree - landscape for art and architecture location: Flachau, Austria video: Anna Vasof. © 2025 Vimeo.com, Inc. All rights reserved.
  39. [39]
    minus20degree 2022 - Projects » TD
    Jul 5, 2022 · With Kasper König as co-curator we could invite internationally known artists such as Roman Signer, Heidi Specker, Helga Fanderl to deal with ...
  40. [40]
    Kunsthaus Zürich - Exhibitions - Zurich Art Weekend
    Kunsthaus Zürich. www.kunsthaus.ch. Roman Signer. Landscape. Roman Signer. April 04 – August 17, 2025. Roman Signer Installation view, Kunsthaus Zürich, 2025 ...
  41. [41]
    About - Swiss Art Awards
    The Swiss Grand Award for Art / Prix Meret Oppenheim was created in 2001 by the Federal Office of Culture and the Federal Art Commission.Missing: Signer | Show results with:Signer
  42. [42]
    The Hugo Boss Prize 2008 - Guggenheim Museum
    ... finalists—Christoph Büchel (Switzerland), Patty Chang (U.S.), Sam Durant (U.S.), Emily Jacir (Palestine), Joachim Koester (Denmark), and Roman Signer ...
  43. [43]
    Finalists Named for Hugo Boss Prize - The New York Times
    Jan 4, 2008 · ROMAN SIGNER, 69, a Swiss artist who creates sculpture, photographs and video and may be the most surprising selection of this group. Ms. Young ...
  44. [44]
    Upgrade & Afterlife (2LP) - Gastr Del Sol - Soundohm
    The album's cover, Wasserstiefel (Water Boots) by Roman Signer, further underscores its enigmatic and conceptual nature. Upgrade & Afterlife remains a ...
  45. [45]
    Artist Feature: Roman Signer * Tique | publication on contemporary art
    Signer's work explores the relationships between sudden energy releases and calm, between order and chaos, and the existence of form in the apparently formless.
  46. [46]
    Roman Signer - Artist | Mirabaud Group
    Biography. Roman Signer was born in the Swiss canton of Appenzell in 1938. He trained as an artist in Lucerne, Zurich and Warsaw.
  47. [47]
    Roman Signer
    Roman Signer (born 1938 in Appenzell, Switzerland) is an artist who works in sculpture, art installation, photography, and video. Early life and career. Signer ...
  48. [48]
    [PDF] Roman Signer - Galerie Art Concept
    • Roman Signer, Kunstmuseum St. Gallen, KINDL -. Zentrum für zeitgenössische ... • Roman Signer : Zeichnungen 1974-1976, Frauenfeld,. Edition Stäheli und ...
  49. [49]
    Roman Signer “Films” at Kunstmuseum Appenzell - Mousse Magazine
    Aug 13, 2025 · ... flying objects or umbrellas and which repeatedly appear as leitmotifs in the artist's work. ... video. The Super 8 films that Roman Signer ...