Julije Knifer: Meanders without bounds

The Art Encounters Foundation is bringing for the first time in Romania the works of the iconic Croatian painter Julije Knifer a historical figure of the Eastern Avant-Garde.

Julije Knifer: Meanders without bounds, curated by Ami Barak, presents a comprehensive collection of Julije Knifer’s paintings and drawings, created throughout his life, and organised in partnership with the estate of the artist. 

The opening will take place on Thursday, September 5, 2024, at 6pm at the exhibition space of the Art Encounters Foundation in Timisoara. The exhibition can be visited until October 12, 2024, Tuesday to Saturday, between 12–6pm.

Born in 1924 at Osijek, Croatia, died in 2004 in Paris, France, Julije Knifer is recognized as one of the most important abstract artists of the 20th century. His works, focused on the use of simple lines and geometric forms, are characterised by repetitive meandering forms and explores concepts as time, space and repetition, emblematic for the minimalist movements and which significantly influenced contemporary art. 

He was one of the founding members of the Gorgona group, an avant-garde collective from Zagreb, active in 1960, which promoted a nonconformist and experimental form of art. 

Julije Knifer studied at the Academy of Fine Arts from Zagreb, where he began to develop his unique style based on the use of black and white geometric shapes. His artwork reflects a constant concern for visual structure and repetition, bringing a high-impact minimalist aesthetic to the forefront. These repetitive and minimalist meanders, through their extreme reduction of forms and content, express a deep concern for time representation issue, offering viewers a unique introspection and reflection experience. 

Knifer represented Croatia in the 2001 Venice Biennale, and in 2014 the Museum of Contemporary Art in Zagreb mounted a full retrospective of his work. He has exhibited at Centre Pompidou, Paris, MAMCO in Geneva and Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, and his works are in numerous private and public collections around the world, including the MoMA in New York, the Tate Modern, London, Le Centre Pompidou in Paris and the National Gallery in Berlin.

The Art Encounters Foundation is dedicated to promoting contemporary art and fostering cultural dialogue. By bringing Julije Knifer’s artworks to Romania for the first time, the Foundation reaffirms its commitment to giving the public access to significant pieces and highlighting overlooked or forgotten aspects of Eastern European avant-garde history. This exhibition offers a unique opportunity for art enthusiasts, critics, students, and the public to experience the work of an exceptional artist whose influence on abstract art remains significant today.

The exhibition benefited from the invaluable help of Ana Knifer, to whom we are extremely grateful.