Megert, Christian

Christian Megert was born in Bern, Switzerland, in 1936. He is one of the key figures of the European post-war avant-garde and is particularly known for his work with mirrors and light.

Early years and education
After finishing school, Megert began to engage intensively with art in the 1950s. Early on, he developed an interest in new materials, especially glass and mirrors, which soon became his central design elements.

Artistic development

  • In the early 1960s, Megert joined the ZERO movement , an international avant-garde group of artists including Otto Piene, Heinz Mack, Günther Uecker, Yves Klein, and Lucio Fontana. ZERO was characterized by the idea of ​​creating a "new beginning" in art – beyond expression and subjectivity.

  • Megert experimented with mirror sculptures, mirrored rooms, and installations that actively involved the viewer. For him, mirrors meant not only reflection but also the dissolution of fixed boundaries and the integration of the audience into the artwork.

  • In 1961 he published his manifesto “A New Space” , in which he emphasized the importance of mirrors and light for the renewal of art.

Important works and exhibitions

  • From the 1960s onwards, Megert exhibited internationally, including at the Städtische Kunsthalle Düsseldorf, the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Kunsthalle Bern.

  • His works are represented in numerous important collections, including the Zentrum Paul Klee (Bern), the Museum Kunstpalast Düsseldorf and the Moderna Museet Stockholm .

  • His mirrored rooms , in which visitors become part of the artwork by seeing themselves and their surroundings reflected, became particularly famous.

Teaching
From 1976 to 2002, Megert was Professor of Fine Arts at the Düsseldorf Art Academy , where he influenced numerous generations of artists.

Later years and significance
Christian Megert lives and works in Düsseldorf and Bern. His works are considered key contributions to the ZERO movement and to European post-war art. The interplay of light, space, and mirrors makes his work timelessly relevant, particularly with regard to questions of perception, self-reflection, and the blurring of boundaries between viewer and artwork.