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DW
11-06-2025
- General
- DW
Avant-garde nail art creator, Günther Uecker, dies aged 95 – DW – 06/11/2025
Günther Uecker was a prominent figure in postwar German art and a key member of the contemporary ZERO art movement. Nails. Thousands of completely normal nails, each one driven into a wooden board covered with linen. Some straight, some slanted, but none hammered in all the way. Sewing machines, chairs, record players and grand pianos have also borne the brunt of those little shafts of steel. Artist Günther Uecker, who has died on June 10 at the age of 95, became famous in Germany and beyond through his nail reliefs. Hardly any other artist has equally dedicated his work to the craft of simple physical labor. Even during the last years of his life, he was still hammering nails into backdrops and objects with force and precision. Günther Uecker created reliefs that he termed "nail fields." The works achieve their full effect in the play of light and shadow. Over 50 years of nail fields: Günther Uecker in 1965 Image: dpa/picture-alliance A life of war and peace Born in the of town of Wendorf near Schwerin in northeastern Germany on March 13, 1930, Günther Uecker found himself boarding up doors and windows of his family house at age 15 in an effort to protect his mother and sister from the Russian army at war's end. It was the beginning of a life-long preoccupation with hammers and nails. Post-World War II, he studied pictorial arts from 1949 until 1953 in Wismar, then in East Germany. In 1955 he fled to West Berlin and eventually found himself at the Art Academy in Düsseldorf, studying under Professor Otto Pankok from 1955-57. During his studies he encountered the artists Heinz Mack and Otto Piene and joined their artists' conglomerate named ZERO in 1961. Together they represented a "zero hour" of art untouched by the horrors of the Second World War, marking a new beginning in art history. Timeless art, nailed and painted The avant-garde artists' group made waves far beyond Germany and their time. ZERO's ideas have undergone a renaissance in the new millennium, with ZERO retrospectives staged regularly worldwide since 2004. Back in 1966, no one could have anticipated the group's future popularity. It dissolved soon afterwards, and the artists went their separate ways. Meanwhile, Günther Uecker's abstract art has been shown in over 60 countries and frequently been considered pioneering. In 2012 he became the first Western artist to be exhibited in the Iranian capital Tehran since the 1979 revolution. In 2007 came an exhibition in Beijing originally scheduled for 1994. On invitation from the Chinese government, Uecker had prepared the conceptual artwork "Letter to Beijing." In this work, the UN Declaration of Human Rights was reproduced on 19 large, freely-arranged screens, but the words were partially rendered unrecognizable by black paint. However, on short notice, the Chinese culture ministry cancelled the show in 1994, explaining that the people were not yet ready for his art. Uecker was permitted to exhibit in China 18 years later. Humanist artistic ideals "Letter to Beijing" isn't the only work in which Uecker addressed human rights violations. In "Verletzungsworte" (Words That Hurt), on display in various cities of the world since 1993, 60 words like "hitting," "despising" and "gassing" that describe physical and psychological abuse are translated into local languages and painstakingly added by Uecker to the artwork. Günther Uecker's art is understood — and esteemed — worldwide and in the most diverse cultures. Asked what makes it so universal, Uecker once volunteered his own explanation: "I'm often told that the humane character recognizable in my work stirs peoples' feelings." This article was originally written in German and is an updated version of a profile of the artist for his 90th birthday.
Local Italy
04-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Local Italy
10 inspiring Italian women you should know about
Saturday, March 8th, will be International Women's Day (or Festa della Donna in Italian). Though it's not an official national holiday in Italy, the event is recognised in the form of celebrations and parades all around the country. Besides talks, gatherings and marches, you can also expect Italian florists to work overtime this Saturday as, according to a uniquely Italian tradition, men give the women in their families yellow mimosa flowers as a token of appreciation. With just days to go until this year's Festa della Donna, we looked at 10 of the most inspiring women in Italian history – and how they left an indelible mark on the world. Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1656) A true artistic pioneer, Artemisia Gentileschi was the first woman to be accepted into Florence's Art Academy (Accademia delle Arti). Despite suffering a harrowing sexual assault and enduring a brutal trial, she used her trauma as inspiration for her powerful and dramatic paintings, often depicting strong female protagonists like Judith Slaying Holofernes. Her work challenged the male-dominated art world and continues to be celebrated today as one of the finest examples of Baroque painting. A woman looks at 'Lucretia' by female Italian Baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi. Photo by BERTRAND GUAY / AFP Grazia Deledda (1871-1936) Born in Sardinia, Grazia Deledda became the first Italian woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1926. Her novels, deeply rooted in the traditions and struggles of her homeland, tackled themes of love, sin and redemption. Despite societal constraints on female writers, she persisted in her writing career, publishing her first short story under a pseudonym before achieving international recognition. Her works are a testament to the power of storytelling in capturing cultural identity and human emotion. Rita Levi Montalcini (1909-2012) Pioneering neurobiologist Rita Levi Montalcini overcame the anti-Semitic laws of Fascist Italy to continue her research in secret. Her groundbreaking discovery of the Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) earned her the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1986, revolutionising neuroscience and paving the way for the modern-day treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. In her later years, she remained active in politics and philanthropy, advocating for women's education and scientific research. From 2001 until her death, she served in the Italian Senate as a Senator for Life. Levi Montalcini lived to the age of 103. Her funeral in Turin was attended by thousands of people. Nobel laureate for medicine Rita Levi Montalcini (R) is saluted by French ambassador to Italy Jean-Marc de La Sabliere during an award ceremony on December 5th, 2008 at the French Academy in Rome. Photo by ALBERTO PIZZOLI / AFP Margherita Hack (1922-2013) A renowned astrophysicist and fierce advocate for science, Margherita Hack was the first woman to direct an astronomical observatory in Italy. She was famous not only for her contributions to stellar spectroscopy but also for her outspoken views on social issues. As an atheist and champion for LGBTQ+ rights, she defied conventions and inspired generations with her fearless intellect. A statue of Hack was erected in Milan in 2022 – the first in Italy dedicated to a woman of science. Maria Montessori (1870-1952) Maria Montessori was a physician, educator and humanitarian, best known for developing the so-called 'Montessori Method' – a revolutionary approach to education that fosters independence, creativity, and self-directed learning. Montessori was one of the first women in Italy to graduate with a medical degree and pioneered new teaching methods for children with special needs. Today, over 15,000 schools worldwide follow her principles, and her legacy continues to influence modern education. She was also a vocal advocate for women's rights and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times. Maria Gaetana Agnesi (1718-1799) A child prodigy fluent in multiple languages, Maria Gaetana Agnesi wrote the first comprehensive book on differential and integral calculus. She was appointed to the faculty of the University of Bologna, making her one of the first women in the world to hold a university professorship. Despite her success in mathematics, she later dedicated her life to charity, focusing on helping the poor and sick. Her mathematical legacy lives on, as she gave her name to a particular cubic plane curve – the 'Witch of Agnesi'. Teresa Mattei (1921-2013) Teresa 'Chicchi' Mattei was a fearless anti-fascist fighter during World War II and one of the youngest members of the Constituent Assembly that drafted Italy's post-war constitution. She played a pivotal role in promoting gender equality and is credited with choosing the mimosa flower as the symbol of International Women's Day in Italy, as it was a resilient flower epitomising partisans' fight. Her lifelong dedication to justice and democracy remains an inspiration for today's generations. Eleonora de Fonseca Pimentel (1752-1799) Eleonora de Fonseca Pimentel was an influential Italian poet and revolutionary who played a crucial role in the 1799 Neapolitan Revolution. Deeply influenced by the Enlightenment and the ideals of the French Revolution, she became one of the leading voices advocating for freedom and equality in Naples. As a writer and intellectual, she contributed to Monitore Napoletano – a journal that spread revolutionary ideas and rallied support for the overthrow of the Bourbon monarchy in favour of a republic. Pimentel's involvement in the revolution symbolised a unique fusion of intellectualism and activism. Her commitment to these ideals ultimately led to her arrest and execution after the fall of a short-lived Neapolitan Republic, but her legacy as a fearless advocate for justice and equality endures. Samantha Cristoforetti (born in 1977) Samantha Cristoforetti is an Italian astronaut who became the first European female commander of the International Space Station during the Minerva Mission in 2022. Born in Milan, she studied mechanical engineering in Germany and trained as a fighter jet pilot in the Italian Air Force. She joined the European Space Agency in 2009 and holds the record for the longest mission by any European astronaut – 200 days in space. A UNICEF ambassador and polyglot, she is a trailblazer for women in STEM fields. Her story was featured in the 2016 documentary AstroSamantha, inspiring countless young women to follow a career in space science and exploration. Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti poses for a picture during the International Paris Air Show at Le Bourget Airport on June 19th, 2023. Photo by Ludovic MARIN / POOL / AFP Nilde Iotti (1920-1999) Nilde Iotti was a trailblazing Italian politician and one of the most significant figures in post-war Italy. Born in Reggio Emilia, a stronghold of Italy's Communist movement, Iotti's career spanned decades and culminated in her becoming the first woman to hold the position of President of the Chamber of Deputies – a role she held for an unprecedented 13 years. A key figure in the Resistance against Fascism, Iotti began her political journey as a young partisan, aiding the fight against Fascist and Nazi forces during World War II. She worked as a messenger, distributing food supplies and materials to Resistance fighters. After the war, Iotti continued her political activism, becoming a founding member of the Union of Italian Women. Over time, she became one of the most powerful women in Italy's post-war politics, tirelessly advocating for gender equality, social justice and democratic reforms. A staunch defender of women's rights, Iotti worked to groundbreaking divorce and abortion laws and remained a vital voice in Italian politics until her death in 1999.
