Biography

Ernst Caramelle’s artistic approach stands in the tradition of concept art, which considers the idea as equal to the artistic product, whether realized or not. Since the mid-seventies, Caramelle has created an extremely diverse body of work shifting from video works to drawings, photographs, paintings and wall installations. Using various manifestations of color and geometric form, often applied directly to the walls of an installation space, Caramelle’s work explores the relationship between the art concept and the space it occupies. Caramelle has had a number of solo exhibitions internationally, including Musée Schloss Hardenberg, Velbert, Germany, Musée Haus Lange, Krefeld, Germany, University Art Museum, Berkeley, Wexter Centre for the Arts, Columbus, Ohio, Kunstverein, Frankfurt, Nationalgalerie, Berlin, and Badischer Kunstverein, Karlsruhe, Germany. Group exhibitions include South London Gallery, London, Musée d’Art Moderne et Contemporain, Strasbourg, Neues Museum Weserburg, Bremen, Museum für angewandte Kunst, Vienna, Museo de Bellas Artes, Caracas, Documenta, Cassel, and the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston. Since 1994 he has been teaching at the Karlsruhe Art Academy in Karlsruhe, Germany.