Biography
Born in Bolzano, Italy. He currently lives and works in Ortisei.
After finishing his studies at the Institute of Art in Ortisei, Peter Demetz spent a lot of time as apprentice with Heinrich Demetz and got his masters degree in Sculpture in 1993.
The sculptor has participated in several exhibitions both in his home country, Italy, and abroad. He is considered one of the most interesting contemporary sculptors and he has been supported by such relevant organizations as the Swarovski Design Center, Wattens, LKJ - Sachsen Leipzig and the Daetz - Centrum of Lichtenstein.
Demetz's installations capture the unique gestures and postures of his characters. Men are usually large, bald and very masculine. The women are represented to the smallest detail, emphasizing their femininity, their complements, their hair and their clothes.
Demetz's works allow the viewer to understand the soul, the essence of the figure represented, which is what the sculptor wants to show. He captures innate but mundane moments during which the true nature of existence is contemplated. The figures are usually focused from behind, and there is no visual contact between the character and the viewer. That way, it seems that the figures are trapped in their own world, although they are aware that they are being observed.
1984–1990 Apprenticeship at Heinrich Demetz’s studio
1993 Achievement of the diploma maestro scultore
1995–2002 Teacher at Ortisei and Selva Gardena Schools. Subjects: drawing, history of art und sculpture
1997–2000 Chairman of the association „Artigianato Artistico Gardenese“ and of the UNIKA group
2002–2006 Leading teacher of the course on wood sculpture of the Westsächsische Hochschule Zwickau, Department of Applied Arts Schneeberg, at the Daetz-Centrum in Lichtenstein, German
2001–2017 Lectures and seminars on wood sculpture as well as courses on working with wood and clay, drawing, design and anatomy; among others, for the design centre of the company Swarovski in Wattens, the LKJ - Sachsen in Leipzig, the Daetz-Centrum in Lichtenstein
and the Academy of Fine Arts, Carrara
2018
Inside view, Lucía Mendoza Gallery, Madrid, Spain
Leratica, Artforum Contemporary Museum, Bolgna, Italy
The Perception, Della Trennale Museum, Milan, Italy
Presences, Liquid Art System Gallery, Positano, Italy
Fingere lo spazio per fermare il tempo, Civic Museum, Palazzo Elti, Gemona, Italy
2017
A Thousand Mornings, Glade Gallery, The Woodlands, Houston, Texas, USA
Contemporary Masters - Takashi Murakami e Peter Demetz, Lee Bae Gallery, Busan, South Korea
Legno - Lën - Holz, MART di Trento e Rovereto, Galleria Civica, Trento, Italy
#essenza, Palazzo Sant'Elia, Palermo, Sicily
2016
The Exhibition/Inner Outside, Liquid Art System Gallery, Bologna, Italy
Masters of Light, Jörg Heitsch Gallery, Munich, Germany
Peter Demetz / Without being watched, SODA Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey
2015
Peter Demetz, Maria Rizzi & Mathhias Ritter, Milan, Italy
Seeing now, 21c Museum Hotel, Durham, USA
Canone Inverso, Certosa di San Giacomo, curado por Marco Izzolino and Lucia Zappacosta, Capri, Italy
Biennale Italia – Cina, Turin, Italy
Visioni contemporanee – Italian Artist in China, SPSI Art Museum, Shanghai, China
Peter Demetz, Galleria Giorgio Ghelfi, Verona, Italy
Visioni contemporanee Esperienze di confine tra realtà e immaginazione, Spazioborgogno, Milan, Italy
Traversals, Galleria Artforum Contemporary, Bologna, Italy
2014
Peter Demetz – Reflections, Dream Factory Gallery, Milan, Italy
New masters, Heitsch Gallery, Munich, Germany
Kunst Zürich, Heitsch Gallery, Munich, Germany
Visoni Contemporanee alla Certosa, Certosa di San Giacomo, Capri, Italy
L’isola dell’arte, White Room Art System Gallery, Capri, Italy
Hyper Realities, Piretti Art Gallery, Knokke, Belgium
Ad Imaginem Suam, Museo Arte Contemporanea Sicilia, Catania, Italy
2013
Peter Demetz – Looking beyond, White Room Capri, Capri, Italy
Bildskulpturen/Seelenlandschaften with Peter Demetz and Bruno Raetsch, In der Badstube, Wangen, Germany
2012
Different similarities – somiglianze differenti, EPO Building, The Hague, The Netherlands
Peter Demtez – Reflections, Artforum Gallery, Bologne, Italy
2011
Palazzo Valentini, Rome, Italy
54th Venice Biennale, Palazzo Trentini, Trento, Italy
Hotel Alexander Museum, Pesaro, Italy
Motorenhalle, Dresden, Germany
Festival La Milanesiana, Milan, Italy
Peter Demetz, Kunstforum Unterland, Egna, Italy
Presence, City Museum of Chiusa, Chiusa, Italy
Peter Demetz – Willy Verginer – Bruno Walpoth, Galleria dell’Incisione, Brescia, Italy
Temet nosce, Chiesa del Pio Suffragio, Bagnacavallo, Italy
2010
Intime Stanze, Artforum Gallery, Bologna, Italy
Mirrored stories, III Trienala Ladina, Museo Ladin, San Martino in Badia, Italy
Contemplazioni, Museo Civico di Salemi, Salemi, Italy
Materica, Artforum Gallery, Bologna, Italy
Palazzo Pianciani, Spoleto, Italy
2009
Wooden Sculptures, Andrea Baumgartl Gallery, Munich, Germany
Legno parlante, Artforum Gallery, Bologna, Italy
2008
Segni di confine, Il Mitreo-Arte Contemporanea, Rome, Italy
Nebenräume-gli spazi dell’io, Castello della Rocca, Ferrara, Italy
2019
First Art Fair, Van Loon Galleries, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Art London, Liquid Art System Gallery, London, United Kingdom
Art Marbella, Lucía Mendoza Gallery, Marbella, Spain
2018
Art Marbella, Lucía Mendoza Gallery, Marbella, Spain
CI Contemporary Istanbul, Liquid Art System Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey
Kiaf Art Seoul, LEE & BAE Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
Art Verona, Artforum Contemporary Gallery, Bologna, Italy
Estampa, Lucia Mendoza Gallery, Madrid, Spain
Art Miami, Liquid Art System Gallery, Miami, USA
Grandart, Artforum Contemporary Gallery, Milan, Italy
2017
Context Art Miami, Liquid Art System Gallery, Miami, EEUU
Kiaf Art Seoul, Seoul, South Korea
Estampa Contemporary Art Fair, Lucía Mendoza Gallery, Madrid, Spain
2016
Context Art Miami, Liquid Art System Gallery, Miami, USA
CI Contemporary Istanbul, SODA Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey
Scope Art Show Basel, Jörg Heitsch, Basel, Switzerland
Art New York, Liquid Art System Gallery, New York, USA
Artefiera, Galleria Artforum Contemporary, Bologna, Italy
2015
Context Art Miami, Liquid Art System Gallery, Miami, USA
CI Contemporary Istanbul, Liquid Art System Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey
Scope Art Show Basel, Jörg Heitsch Gallery, Basel, Switzerland
Art New York, Liquid Art System, New York, USA
Artefiera, Galleria Artforum Contemporary, Bologna, Italy
2014
Context Art Miami, Special Project The Exhibition, White Room Gallery, Miami, USA
Context Art Miami, White Room Art System Gallery, Miami, USA
CI Contemporary Istanbul, Artforum Contemporary Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey
Scope Art Show New York, White Room Liquid Art System, New York, USA
Artefiera, Artforum Contemporary Gallery, Bologna, Italy
2013
Context Art Miami, White Room Art System, Miami, USA
CI Contemporary Istanbul, Artforum Contemporary Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey
CI Contemporary Istanbul, White Room Art System Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey
Art Verona, Artforum Contemporary Gallery, Verona, Italy
Artefiera, Artforum Contemporary, Bologna, Italy
Scope Art Show New York, White Room Art System, New York, USA
2012
Context Art Miami, White Room Art System, Miami, USA
Scope Miami, White Room Art System, Miami, USA
2014 First Prize Pio Alferano, Castellabate, Italy
2010 First Prize XXXVII Premio Sulmona, Sulmona, Italy
First Prize Arciere, Sant’ Antioco, Sardinia, Italy
III Trienala Ladina, Museo Ladin, San Martino in Badia, Italy
2009 Honour Award “Eroism – inier, ncuei, duman” Contest, Bolzano, Italy
2008 Honour Award Premio Arte, Magazine Arte
2007 First Prize 60th Anniversary of the Bolzano Fair, Bolzano, Italy
Honour Award Nova Contest, Bolzano, Italy
