Biography Thomas Schütte

1954

Thomas Schütte is born in Oldenburg, north-west Germany.

1972

Visits Documenta V in Kassel, sees “Questioning Reality – Pictorial Worlds Today”, staged by Harald Szeemann, which is pivotal to Schütte’s decision to become an artist.

1973

Enrols at the Academy in Düsseldorf, where his teachers include Gerhard Richter.

1981

Graduates from the Academy. Invited by Kasper König to the exhibition Westkunst in Cologne.

1989

Solo exhibition in New York for the first time, at Marian Goodman Gallery.

1992

A breakthrough at Documenta IX, organised by Jan Hoet on the motto “From body to body to bodies”. Gets a scholarship and goes to Rome.

1998

Awarded the Kurt-Schwitters-Preis für Bildende Kunst der Niedersächsische Sparkassenstiftung.

2005

Awarded the Golden Lion for best artist at the Venice Biennale.

2007

Makes Model for a Hotel for the Fourth Plinth at Trafalgar Square in London.

2010

Starts designing and establishes his own foundation and sculpture hall.

2016

Skulpturenhalle near Düsseldorf opens.