David Weiss (1946-2012) is an internationally known Swiss artist who worked together with Peter Fischli starting in 1979 and who found widespread recognition and great popularity with his sculptural works, photographs and videos. His graphic work, which he did between 1968 and 1979, is less known and can now be newly discovered two years after the death of the artist in the exhibition at the Bündner Kunstmuseum.

For a long time his early works were not an issue for David Weiss. He put aside his graphic work when he began his collaboration with Peter Fischli, although he had gained quite a reputation among other things with his Regenbüchlein (up and down town) in 1975. The fact that he had also created an extensive oevre during this time and excelled in group as well as in solo exhibitions was gradually forgotten. In 1981 David Weiss and Peter Fischli exhibited individual works separately for the last time as part of the exhibition curated by Patrick Frey at the Kunstmuseum Winterthur. In the months before his death in 2012 David Weiss again attended to his early graphic work and in particular also prepared the publication of various art books, which had originated between 1973 and 1979.

For David Weiss narrative components and the imagery of comics stood in the foreground for a long time. In addition there was work in series as well as settings, which were downright cinematic. Beside images of the city and the night these are cosmic worlds culminating in abstract compositions with nets or spirals, which he varied again and again. David Weiss is a Romantic and a melancholic man. He knows the grand emotions and chooses motifs in which they are expressed. However, he knows that pathos can more or less always be kept at bay by means of irony.

 The exhibition with works on paper some of them large-size at the Bündner Kunstmuseum Chur is dedicated for the first time to this part of David Weiss’ oevre and permits a work known only to a few to be newly discovered. 

Opening: Friday, February 14, 6 pm
Welcome and introduction: Stefan Kunz, Director Bündner Kunstmuseum 

Catalogue
A richly illustrated catalogue accompanies the exhibition. 144 pages, Texts by Stephan Kunz and Iwan Schumacher. As well as by the Edition Patrick Frey: Nine books. 1973-1978.