Isa Melsheimer

Born 1968 in Neuss, Germany. Lives and works in Berlin.

2017 Im Mies Van Der Rohe Haus Berlin 02

Im Vermilion Sands And Other Stories From The Neon West 2010 8

Exhibition view: Isa Melsheimer, false ruins and lost innocence, Esther Schipper, Berlin, 2020. Photo © Andrea Rossetti

Introduction

Known for her engagement with the history of architectural styles—especially the legacy of Modernism and 1950s-70s examples of concrete architecture—Isa Melsheimer’s works are expressions of her intense research as well as formal investigations.

Full biography

Selected works

Gallery Exhibitions

Isa Melsheimer

Spring Program

The three projects presented under the heading The Window at Esther Schipper, Seoul—Ceal Floyer, Isa Melsheimer, and Karin Sander— each in their own way, create worlds for us to visit. But the direction of the gaze will go both ways:...

April 25—May 26, 2023

Esther Schipper, Seoul

Special presentation around Jeanne Tremsal's new book 'My father, mon père, mein Vater’

With works by Angela Bulloch, Isa Melsheimer, Christopher Roth and Benoît Tremsal

In the bookstore a special presentation around Jeanne Tremsal's new book 'My father, mon père, mein Vater' is on view. The book includes materials surrounding the 2021 exhibition 'My father, my neighbors, my friends and their friends' at the Fahrbereitschaft...

March 3—April 8, 2023

Esther Schipper Bookstore, Berlin

External Exhibitions

Modell und Wirklichkeit

With Isa Melsheimer

Die Möglichkeit einer Insel is a project space in a gutted prefabricated building in Mitte, which has been run by Stephanie Kloss as artistic director since 2019 and is currently funded by...

September 11—October 20, 2024

Die Möglichkeit einer Insel

High Spirits

With Martin Boyce, Etienne Chambaud, and Isa Melsheimer

Works by Martin Boyce, Etienne Chambaud, and Isa Melsheimer will be on view as part of Higher Spirits, a group exhibition curated by Dorothea von Hantelmann.

September 14—17, 2023

Monopol Berlin

K60

With Isa Melsheimer

A solo presentation by Isa Melsheimer at K60 will include large-scale ceramics, textile works, and gouaches.

September 10 – 18, 2022

Wilhelm Hallen, Kopenhagener Straße 60-72

Future – Into the Open – ROHKUNSTBAU XXVII

With Isa Melsheimer

This year's edition of ROHKUNSTBAU presents the works of 16 artists including Isa Melsheimer.

August 7—October 30, 2022

ROHKUNSTBAU, Schloß Altdöbern, Brandenburg

Concrete Bodies are Finite

Isa Melsheimer

Isa Melsheimer's solo exhibition Concrete Bodies are Finite at the Centre international d’art et du paysage, designed by Aldo Rossi and Xavier Fabre, explores the architectural and cultural legacies of postmodernism through...

March 27 – June 26, 2022

Centre international d'art et du paysage, Vassivière Island

Blancs de Blanc

With Ann Veronica Janssens, Isa Melsheimer and Karin Sander

A white book page as a new beginning, a white dove as a symbol of peace, Buddhist monks wearing white for mourning. Purity, innocence, infinity, perfection, silence, emptiness, coolness. Hardly any colour...

March 19—June 5, 2022

Villa Schöningen, Potsdam

Festival!

A Project by Esther Schipper and Mehdi Chouakri

Angela Bulloch | Gerwald Rockenschaub Isa Melsheimer | N. Dash Anri Sala | Saâdane Afif Ari Benjamin Meyers | Charlotte Posenenske Festival! begins with the friendship of artists and of their two...

June 12—August 6, 2020

Mehdi Chouakri, Mommsenstrasse 4

Der unerfreuliche Zustand der Textur (Predicament of Texture)

Isa Melsheimer

In her works, Isa Melsheimer deals with architectural and urban spaces, including their formal language, functional history, and social significance. Her materials are heterogeneous: heavy, hard, and resistant materials such as glass,...

March 22—July 5, 2020

KINDL – Centre for Contemporary Art, Berlin

Mein Vater, meine Nachbarn, meine Freunde und deren Freunde

with Angela Bulloch, Isa Melsheimer, and Christopher Roth

The exhibition Mein Vater, meine Nachbarn, meine Freunde und deren Freunde was curated by Jeanne Tremsal around the work of her father, Benoit. Their father-daughter relationship was always centered on art, and...

March 2—April 4, 2020

haubrok foundation, Fahrbereitschaft, Berlin

Metaboliten

Isa Melsheimer

December 22, 2018—January 20, 2019

Kunstverein Heppenheim

NGORONGORO II

with Isa Melsheimer and Anri Sala

Opening Reception April 26, 10am – midnight For the period of Berlin gallery weekend 2018 and the second time in its history, the 6000 square meter studio spaces of Lehderstrasse 34 will...

April 26—29, 2018

Artistweekend, Berlin

Fortsetzung Folgt!

with Isa Melsheimer

Isa Melsheimer participates in Fortsetzung Folgt! Part 4, curated by Claudia Beelitz. The artist presents her work Lorenz Attractor, 2015 and Gebäude (Sockel), 2011. Learn more about the exhibition here

December 1, 2017—April 2, 2018

VdBK 1897 e.V., Galerie Alte Kaserne, Zitadelle Spandau

DER TOTE PALAST ZITTERTE – ZITTERTE!

Isa Melsheimer

July 1—September 24, 2017

Mies van der Rohe Haus, Berlin

Kontrastbedürfnis

Isa Melsheimer

July 12—October 4, 2015

Ernst Barlach Haus, Hamburg, 2015

Ausstellung zum Marianne-Werefkin-Preis

Isa Melsheimer

June 26—August 9, 2015

Haus am Kleistpark, Berlin

Le Fil Rouge

with Isa Melsheimer

February 6—May 3, 2015

Espace Louis Vuitton, Paris

Synapsen

Isa Melsheimer

December 7, 2014—February 15, 2015

IKOB Museum of Contemporary Art, Eupen

Vermilion Sands and Other Stories from the Neon West

Isa Melsheimer

Isa Melsheimer’s Vermilion Sands and Other Stories from the Neon West at the Santa Monica Museum of Art was a never-before-seen installation that explored Hollywood’s cinematic heyday and its motion picture icons,...

April 14—July 7, 2012

Santa Monica Museum of Art

30 Künstler / 30 Räume

with Isa Melsheimer

March 17—June 17, 2012

Neues Museum Nürnberg

Mittelland

Isa Melsheimer

September 2—October 31, 2010

Kunsthalle Langenthal

Featured stories

MAMAC, Nice

Isa Melsheimer — COMPOST

Isa Melsheimer's practice spans across painting, embroidery, and sculpture, as well as the plant world. Her work questions the complex and evolving relationship between humans and their environment, addressing topical issues such...

November 20, 2021 – February 27, 2022

News

Spotlight: Isa Melsheimer

This week for our Spotlight we present Isa Melsheimer's false ruins and lost innocence 1, 2020.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ The large-scale ceramic takes as point of departure the so-called Cuckoo Coffee House in Da...

haubrok foundation, Fahrbereitschaft, Berlin

All Access

All Access is a new series of online visits to exhibitions that are currently closed to the public. As museums and galleries around the world remain closed, the series takes us into...

Instagram Live

Online Tour with Isa Melsheimer

Online Tour of Isa Melsheimer's false ruins and lost innocence with Isa Melsheimer and Jan Kage Saturday December 12, 2020, 12 noon The tour will be held in German Join the tour...

Saturday December 12, 2020, 12 noon

ZKR–Center for Art and Public Space, Schloss Biesdorf Berlin

Talk with Isa Melsheimer: Fading Architectures

August 10, 2017, 6:30 PM

ZKR Schloss Biesdorf, Berlin

Zwischen Räumen, with Isa Melsheimer and Tomás Saraceno

April 28 – October 8, 2017

Films

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false ruins and lost innocence

Isa Melsheimer

Join Isa Melsheimer on a tour through false ruins and lost innocence at Esther Schipper, Berlin.

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L'Invitation au voyage

Group Exhibition

In this short film we take you on a room-by-room tour of L’Invitation au voyage, introducing the work of the thirteen participating artists.

L’Invitation au voyage included works by Sarah Buckner, Cui Jie, Cordula Ditz, Almut Heise, Hannah Höch, Leiko Ikemura, Tala Madani, Isa Melsheimer, Sojourner Truth Parsons, Paula Rego, Shahzia Sikander, Tsai Yi-ting, and Yeesookyung.