Helmut Ditsch








Well, you might be thinking that this is another photo of the sea, but you are wrong my friend. I´m gonna show you some paintings made by Helmut Distch. He is awesome!



































































































1962
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina.



1969
His mother dies young and his idyllic childhood comes to an abrupt end.


1970
Ditsch, whose view of the world has so far been determined by the infinite expanse of the pampas, experiences the 6,000 metre high Andes for the first time.
The longing for distance becomes a constant feature of his life.


1980-82
Military service in the Argentine Marines.


1983
Ditsch starts life as a freelance artist in Buenos Aires.


1984
Works for a period in the USA.



1985
Following problems which arise in the course of his first experience with gallery business, he decides to abandon art and spends a year mountaineering in extreme conditions. He takes part in numerous expeditions to the Argentinean Andes.


1986
Continues painting and searches for alternatives to selling his work through commercial galleries. Ditsch distances himself from Surrealism, and his mountaineering experiences influence his work.



1988
Moves to Vienna.


1988–93
Studies painting at the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna.


1991
Works on a series of paintings entitled Zyklus (Cycle).


1993
Produces his first large-format paintings.



1994
Ditsch transfers his studio to a former children’s home near Vienna.
Ditsch meets the legendary mountaineer Reinhold Messner in Merano.



1995
Study trip to Argentina. He crosses the Patagonian inland glacier (Hielo continental).



1996
Works on the panorama entitled Klagenfurter Becken (Klagenfurt Basin) commissioned by the BIG, Republic of Austria. Study trip to the Sinai peninsula. Works on the theme of the Ten Commandments.


1997
He is invited to participate in the OeNB II art competition organized by OeNB, the Austrian central bank.



1998
Ditsch spends several weeks alone in the Austrian Alps working on studies for his painting Das Gebirge (Mountain Range).



1999
The BIG, Republic of Austria, commissions a painting from Ditsch, relulting in Grossglockner II. After two years of work, Ditsch completes Das Gebirge (Mountain Range), 150 x 1190 cm, for the OeNB, the Austrian central bank.
He is nominated for the Anton-Faistauer Prize.



2000
Ditsch moves his studio to Ireland, where he decides to live and work.


2001
Ditsch meets the Argentinean musician Charly García in Buenos Aires.



2002
He completes the work Das Eis und die vergängliche Ewigkeit (730 x 290 cm) for the BIG, Republic of Austria, and Los Hielos for the agency Agulla y Baccetti in Buenos Aires.
Ditsch paints Reducción, a 2 x 5 cm miniature, inspired by the monumental painting Das Eis und die vergängliche Ewigkeit.



2003
He finishes the monumental work Under Your Sign (800 x 360 cm) for the Viennese headquarters of the holding company STRABAG.
In preparation for his painting Aguas blancas, he goes on a study trip to the Andes in Chile.
He is invited to give lectures at several Argentinian Universities.
Study trip to the western coast of Ireland (Loop Head).



2004
Completion of Also sprach Zarathustra (150 x 500 cm) for the executive board of CUUBUUS Real Immobilien A and of Cafayate and Das Meer I for the BIG, Republic of Austria.



2005
Completion of the cycle of great topics of nature with the painting Das Meer II (150 x 600 cm).

Ditsch’s first monograph is published with the German publisher Prestel.





2006
Presentation of the monograph in course of the the solo exhibition at the 32nd Buenos Aires International Book Fair

Opening of the MMM Firmian (Messner Mountain Museum) where the just compleated painting K2 will be part of the permanent exhibition.






Solo exhibitions (selection):

1983
Municipalidad de San Martín, Buenos Aires

Centro Cultural Teatro San Martín in Buenos Aires, Argentina


1995
Hipp-Halle, Gmunden, Austria


1997
Bau Holding Kunstforum, Klagenfurt, Austria


2001
Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Buenos Aires

Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Santiago de Chile


2002
Meister / Werke im Belvedere (4), Museum Österreichische Galerie Belvedere, Wien


2003
Kunsthalle Krems, Krems, Österreich


2005
The Triumph Of Nature, “tresor” at the BA-CA Kunstforum, Vienna


2006
32ª Feria Internacional del Libro de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentinien




Group exhibitions (selection):


1990
Meisterschule Brauer Oberes Belvedere ’90, Museum Österreichische Galerie Belvedere, Wien


1991
Die Kunst, Messepalast, Wien


1992
Städtische Galerie, Wiener Neustadt, Österreich


1994
Realismus heute, Stadtmuseum Erlangen, Deutschland
Kick off, Akademie der bildenden Künste, Wien


1998
Über die Berge, Niederösterreichisches Landesmuseum, St. Pölten


1999
10. Faistauer-Preis 1999, Galerie im Traklhaus, Salzburg


2000
Malerei: Österreichische KünstlerInnen heute, Graphische Sammlung Albertina und Suppan Contemporary, Wien


2001
Festészet nevében, Szépmüvészeti Múzeum, Budapest

I Bienal Internacional de Arte de Buenos Aires, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Córdoba, Argentinien


2002
Mo(u)numental, Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum, Innsbruck

Schöne Aussicht, Kunst Meran, Südtirol


2004
Phänomen Landschaft, Niederösterreichisches Landesmuseum, St. Pölten

Messner Mountain Museum, Sulden, Italien

Strabag Artlounge, Wien


2005
Figur und Wirklichkeit, „the BA-CA Kunstforum on tour“ at the Ferdinandeum, Innsbruck, Austria


2006
Einblicke, Werke aus der Kunstsammlung der Oesterreichischen Nationalbank
at the European Central Bank, Frankfurt am Main


Prizes:


1990
Masterclass Award –Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna


1993
Award in recognition of his work by the Austrian Federal Ministery of Science and Research


1997
Special Award of Bau Holding Kunstforum


Well, that´s all. Thank you for your visit, I hope you enjoyed this post!