Malte Zenses
With ironic nonchalance, Malte Zenses’ (*1987) paintings and sculptures expand the vocabulary of abstract painting and new realism by pointedly integrating the zeitgeist of his generation through autobiographical fragments. His inspiration often begins with a memory, a place or a snapshot. Disguising the personal references, he uses his own set of abstract codes made up of personal symbols, signs and lyrics. Rather than implementing his own story through known codes, he educes the viewers own memories while capturing the spirit of our ceaseless journey between the digital and the analogue. Through this play of codes and tones, words and signs, Malte Zenses develops his own visual language and aesthetic. Formalistically not bound by materiality or media, he constantly relates between different places and harmonizes the personal and impersonal. His artistic practice can therefore also be described as an appropriation, translation and recycling of experienced reality.
Works
Malte Zenses, Pretty fucking good world, I'd say, 2024, oil on canvas in wooden frame, 130 × 100 cm
Malte Zenses, Objects in mirror are closer than they appear, 2024, UV-print and oil on canvas, 130 × 100 cm
Malte Zenses, Wolkenstudie in Wilhelmsruh, 2024, oil on canvas in wooden frame, 130 × 100 cm
Oranienburg geht der Strom aus, 2024, paper collage, drawing and oil on canvas, 170 × 130 cm
Blick auf den Garten, 2024, Oil & gouache on canvas, 170 × 130 cm
schräge Hände #1, 2024, Oil on canvas, 170 × 130 cm
Der Frevel, 2024, Oil on canvas, 170 × 130 cm
Regentage im Elbsandsteingebirge, 2024, Oil on canvas, 170 × 130 cm
Ein unbekannter Engel rettet Menschenleben., 2024, Charcoal, silkscreen print and oil on canvas, 170 × 130 cm
- I know. It doesn’t make any sense, 2024, Oil on canvas, 170 × 130 cm
Malte Zenses, Isa’s Albtraum, 2023, Oil, paper, plastic and play dough on aluminium, 150 × 100 cm
Malte Zenses, A special thanks, 2023, Oil on canvas, 150 × 100 cm
Malte Zenses, Fetztage in der Villa, 2023, Mixed media on canvas, 60 × 80 cm
Malte Zenses, Birkenwald in Wilhelmsruh, 2023, Charcoal, paper, and acrylic on canvas, white glazed maple wood floater frame, 150 × 120 cm
Malte Zenses, Mond mit Birkenwald, 2023, Charcoal, oil, and acrylic on canvas, white glazed maple wood floater frame, 150 × 120 cm
Malte Zenses, Tell them I said no, 2023, Second-hand clothes, epoxy, and gipsum, 100 × 60 × 60 cm
Malte Zenses, Eher geht ein Kamel, 2023, Second-hand clothes, rubber gloves, and epoxy, 120 × 15 × 15 cm
Malte Zenses, Wiedersehen nach langer Zeit, 2022, Silkscreen print on canvas, floater frame, 150 × 130 cm
Malte Zenses, irgendwann checkst du nix mehr, 2022, silkscreen print, pastel and oil on canvas, floater frame, 150 × 130 cm
Malte Zenses, Campbell als Saturn, 2022, Silkscreen print on canvas, floater frame, 150 × 130 cm
![Malte Zenses, - Uh... [inhales sharply] - Okay, 2023, Oil on canvas, 150 × 130 cm](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/ov30aai3/production/f4eb0eb49b2c2c356c8eb5c241ae13e709262a75-1583x1800.jpg?w=1920&q=80&auto=format)
Malte Zenses, - Uh... [inhales sharply] - Okay, 2023, Oil on canvas, 150 × 130 cm
![Malte Zenses, [crying] - Hey, Kate, 2023, Oil on canvas, 150 × 130 cm](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/ov30aai3/production/8b2d961e67764fca4b22f2917835f279ce0fd717-1587x1800.jpg?w=1920&q=80&auto=format)
Malte Zenses, [crying] - Hey, Kate, 2023, Oil on canvas, 150 × 130 cm
Malte Zenses, Hi big brother. How’s your ass?, 2022, oil and acrylic on canvas, floater frame, 80 x 120 cm
Malte Zenses, My God, it's almost dark., 2022, oil and acrylic on canvas, 150 x 130 cm
Malte Zenses, How much?, 2022, oil and acrylic on canvas, 80 x 120 cm
it was beautiful schön wars #1 – #4, each 130 × 100 cm, oil, oil-stick and paper (inkjet-print) on canvas, 2021
it was beautiful schön wars #1
Karin und Heike, Brunch im Freien #1 – #4, 130 × 100 cm, 240 × 30 cm and 250 × 50 cm (fabric), Powder coated steel and fabric on wooden frame, 2021
Karin und Heike, Brunch im Freien #1, 130 × 100 cm, 240 × 30 cm (fabric), powder coated steel and fabric on wooden frame, 2021
Malte Zenses, Fragment einer Architektur #2, 2020, steel and concrete, 160 × 90 cm
Malte Zenses, Flussdelta und Omega, 2020, laquer and oil on canvas, 100 × 130 cm
Malte Zenses, Du und Ich, sehr müde #2, 2020, second-Hand Garments, 300 × 120 cm
Malte Zenses, ciao bebe, let`s meet in Gerswalde *goodbyekiss*, 2020, lacquer and oil on canvas, 100 × 130 cm
Malte Zenses, schnelle Zeichnung von einer schönen, Hausfassade (Prenzlauer Berg), 2020, lacquer and oil on canvas, 100 × 130 cm
Malte Zenses, Feuer #3, 2020, lacquer and tempera on canvas, 100 × 130 cm
Malte Zenses, Orgelblut II, 2019, oil and pencil on canvas, opal glass and maple wood, 166 × 126,5 cm
Malte Zenses, Mit Karin im Golf, 2019, oil and pencil on canvas, 160 × 120 cm
Malte Zenses, pearl, 2018, lacquer, pencil and dirt on canvas, wood, 130 × 160 cm
Malte Zenses, boy, 2018, lacquer, pencil and oil on canvas, wood, 130 × 220 cm
Malte Zenses, girl, 2018, lacquer, pencil and dirt on canvas, wood, 130 × 160 cm
Malte Zenses, unrasiert, 2017, steel, polyester resin, 140 × 200 × 25 cm
Malte Zenses, blu, solemio, 2017, lacquer and oil on canvas and steel, 130 × 120 × 2 cm
Malte Zenses, Zu weit fort Teil 1, 2017, lacquer and oil on canvas, 140 × 160 cm
Malte Zenses, fare well mario, 2017, Reebok with door stop, 20 × 10 × 10 cm
Malte Zenses, nackt, 2017, UV-print, walnut frame with opalglass, 65 × 72 cm
Malte Zenses, weiches Marmor, 2017, ceramics and neon light, 6 × 4 × 50 cm
Malte Zenses, true blue, komm jetzt, 2017, oilcloth and cushion on wood, 140 × 200 × XX cm
Malte Zenses, Wasserstunden, cool (Zu weit fort Teil II), 2017, lacquer and paper towel on canvas, 150 × 180 cm
Exhibitions
ALTE EICHEN, NEUE BILDER., G2 Kunsthalle, Leipzig 2024
ALTE EICHEN, NEUE BILDER., G2 Kunsthalle, Leipzig 2024
ALTE EICHEN, NEUE BILDER., G2 Kunsthalle, Leipzig 2024
ALTE EICHEN, NEUE BILDER., G2 Kunsthalle, Leipzig 2024
ALTE EICHEN, NEUE BILDER., G2 Kunsthalle, Leipzig 2024
ALTE EICHEN, NEUE BILDER., G2 Kunsthalle, Leipzig 2024
ALTE EICHEN, NEUE BILDER., G2 Kunsthalle, Leipzig 2024
Im Kugelblitz, Kunstverein Heppenheim 2023
Im Kugelblitz, Kunstverein Heppenheim 2023
Im Kugelblitz, Kunstverein Heppenheim 2023
Im Kugelblitz, Teil II, JVDW, Düsseldorf 2023
Im Kugelblitz, Teil II, JVDW, Düsseldorf 2023
Im Kugelblitz, Teil II, JVDW, Düsseldorf 2023
Im Regio 3, totale Verwirrung, Sperling, Munich, DE 2020
Im Regio 3, totale Verwirrung, Sperling, Munich, DE 2020
Unlust Prinzip, Kasseler Kunstverein, Kassel, DE 2018
Unlust Prinzip, Kasseler Kunstverein, Kassel, DE 2018
Have you ever heard about der Traum ist aus, Damien & The Love Guru, Brussels, BE 2018
Have you ever heard about der Traum ist aus, Damien & The Love Guru, Brussels, BE 2018
Have you ever heard about der Traum ist aus, Damien & The Love Guru, Brussels, BE 2018
In Tyrannis, curated by Judith Grobe, Kunstverein Nürnberg, Nürnberg, DE 2017
In Tyrannis, curated by Judith Grobe, Kunstverein Nürnberg, Nürnberg, DE 2017
In Tyrannis, curated by Judith Grobe, Kunstverein Nürnberg, Nürnberg, DE 2017
Selected Solo Exhibitions
- ALTE EICHEN, NEUE BILDER., G2 Kunsthalle, Leipzig, DE
2024
- Im Kugelblitz, Kunstverein Heppenheim, DE
2023
- Im Regio 3, totale Verwirrung, Sperling, Munich, DE
2020
- IN TYRANNIS, Kunstverein Nuremberg, DE
2017
Selected Group Exhibitions
- SEYMOUR, Munich, DE
2024
- Bite the Hand, GROVE, London, UK
2023
- Identität nicht nachgewiesen, Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn, DE
2022
- UNLUST PRINZIP, Kasseler Kunstverein, DE
- High Ends, Nassauischer Kunstverein, Wiesbaden, DE
2018
Publications
- Malte Zenses: In Tyrannis, 2017 ↗
- Malte Zenses, with Peter Brötzmann, Ricardo Domeneck, Annika Henderson, Christina Lehnert, Joanna MacLean, Jan Münz, Albert Oehlen: Malte Zenses, 2021
Press
ALTE EICHEN, NEUE BILDER. (G2 Kunsthalle, Leipzig, 2024)
Patrizia Dander in conversation with Malte Zenses (german, 2020)