Thomas Kellein (born 1955)[1] is a German art historian; gallery director; author; and curator. He was the Director at
Kunsthalle Basel between 1988 and 1995, and the Director of the
Kunsthalle Bielefeld between 1996 and 2010.[2] He was the Director of the
Chinati Foundation between 2011 and 2012.[3]
In 1982, Kellein received his doctorate degree from the
University of Hamburg.[4] His dissertation was published by
Gerd Hatje in the book, Sputnikschock und Mondlandung: Künstlerische Großprojekte von Yves Klein zu Christo (1989), and additional sections appeared in his catalogue, Walter de Maria: 5 Kontinente Skulptur (1989).[citation needed]
Career
Early beginnings
In 1982, he was appointed curator of the
Staatsgalerie Stuttgart, where he directed the International Archive for Intermedia Arts founded by Hanns Sohm in 1945. Later he curated exhibitions, with
Ad Reinhardt and then with
Walter de Maria.
During his years in Basel, Kellein was guest curator at Watari-Um in
Tokyo, at the
Royal Academy of Arts in London and at
Haus der Kunst in
Munich. There, in 1995, he curated the historically comprehensive exhibition “Pierrot: Melancholy and Mask.” Between 1982 and 1996 he was part-time lecturer and Professor for Art History at the
Philipps-Universität Marburg, the Kunstakademie Stuttgart, and the Universities of Stuttgart and Freiburg. With the help of the architectural firm Zwimpfer Partner, Kellein invited
Donald Judd to
Basel in 1991, where the sculptor developed the design of the façade of the Bahnhof Ost railroad station.
From 2011 until 2012, Kellein served as Director of the
Chinati Foundation in
Marfa, Texas.[2][3] The 340-acre estate comprises more than thirty buildings, which the American sculptor
Donald Judd (1928-1994), through grants since 1979 from the
Dia Art Foundation, filled with art installations to found his own museum. After just 15 months, Kellein resigned from his position as director; he continued to serve as a consultant for another six months.[8]
From 2012 to 2013 Kellein was an independent art advisor.[9][10] Starting in 2013, he was Director of Art Consult at
Bergos Berenberg AG in Zurich, a Swiss
private bank.[citation needed] In 2015, Kellein gave testimony in the court case connected to Berenberg Art Advice (a now dissolved subsidiary of the private Berenberg Bank), because his former co-worker, art dealer Helge Achenbach was accused of defrauding customers through hidden premiums.[11][12][13]
Publications
A list of select exhibition catalogues and book publications, in descending order by year of publish.
Books
Kellein, Thomas (1984). Ad Reinhardt Schriften und Gesprache [Ad Reinhardt Writings and Conversations] (in German). Munich, Germany: Verlag Silke Schreiber.
ISBN9783889600066.
Kellein, Thomas (1989). Sputnik-Schock und Mondlandung: Künstlerische Grossprojekte von Yves Klein zu Christo. Stuttgart, Germany: Gerd Hatje.
ISBN978-3775702843.
Whiteread, Rachel; Kellein, Thomas (1995). Rachel Whiteread Sculpture, Skulpturen (exhibition catalogue) (in German and English). Philadelphia, PA: Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania, The British Council of Philadelphia.
Lueg, Konrad; Kellein, Thomas (1999). Ich nenne mich as Maler Konrad Lueg [When I paint my name is Konrad Lueg] (exhibition catalogue) (in German). Kunsthalle Bielefeld, Museum of Contemporary Art in Gent, P.S. 1 New York.
Kellein, Thomas (2002).
Jeff Koons: Pictures, 1980–2002 (exhibition catalogue). Kunsthalle Bielefeld. Cologne, Germany: Distributed Art Publishers (DAP), Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König.
ISBN9781891024610.
Kellein, Thomas (2002).
Donald Judd: 1955-1968 (exhibition catalogue). Kunsthalle Bielefeld, Menil Collection. Cologne, Germany: Distributed Art Publishers (DAP), Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König.
ISBN9783883755793.
Kabakov, Ilya; Kabakov, Emilia (2005). Kellein, Thomas (ed.). Ilya And Emilia Kabakov: The Utopian City And Other Projects (in English and German). Kerber.
ISBN978-3936646894.
Tiravanija, Rirkrit (2010). Kellein, Thomas (ed.). Rirkrit Tiravanija, Cook Book (exhibition catalogue: Rirkrit Tiravanija: Just Smile and Don't Talk). London, UK: Edition Hansjorg Mayer.
ISBN9786167339061.
Kellein, Thomas; Riedel, David (2011). Picasso: 1905 in Paris; Katalog zur Ausstellung in Bielefeld, 25.09-2011-15.01.2012 (exhibition catalogue).
Hirmer Verlag.
ISBN978-3777444710.
References
^"Kellein, Thomas". LC Name Authority File (LCNAF), Library of Congress (LOC). Retrieved 2020-12-24.