Biography

Mihai Olos

Born 1940 in Arinis, Romania, died 2015 in Endingen, Germany. Lived and worked in Romania and Germany.

Solo Exhibitions

2018
Mihai Olos, Une saison roumaine, Centre Pompidou – Atelier Brancusi, Paris, FR

2016
The Ephemerist. A Mihai Olos Retrospective, The National Museum of Contemporary Art, Bucharest, RO
Olospolis, Plan B, Berlin, DE

2010
National Museum Brukenthal, Sibiu, RO

2000
City Art Gallery, Baia Mare, RO

1993
Close, Ignác Múzeum, Görög Templom Vác, HU

1993
Nijmeegs Museum Commanderie van Sint-Jan, NL

1989
Burgmannenhaus, Gießen, DE

1988
City Art Gallery, Baia Mare, RO

1983
Matraguna, Romanian Literature Museum, Bucharest, RO

1976
Maramures Museum, Sighet, RO

1969
Galleria La Felucca, Rome, IT

1968
Simeza Gallery, Bucharest, RO

1967
City Art Gallery, Baia Mare, RO

1965
Museum of Art Baia Mare, RO

Selected Group Exhibitions

2024
The Twist: Failing Empires, Triumphant Provinces, National Museum of Contemporary Art, MNAC Bucharest, Bucharest, RO

2023
The Picasso Effect, Museum of Recent Art (MARe), Bucharest, RO
The Twist. Five Provincial Stories from an Empire, Kunsthalle Bega, Timisoara, RO
Avangarda si Contemporaneitate, Muzeul Județean de Artă, Centrul Artistic Baia Mare, Baia Mare, RO
15, Take Ninagawa, Tokyo, JP
Lost in the Moment That Follows, Ways of Collecting: Ovidiu Șandor Collection, Kunsthalle Prague, Prague, CZ
Femeia – de la model la artista profesionistă, Muzeul Județean de Artă, Centrul Artistic Baia Mare, Baia Mare, RO

2022
Monumental and ephemeral. Sculpted Memory, ‘U’ Baracks, Timisoara, RO
Building and Dreaming, BY ART MATTERS, Hangzhou, CN

2021
Arta și Orașul 1974-2021, Museum of Recent Art, Bucharest, RO
Infinite Beings, Galeria Plan B, Berlin, DE
When in Doubt, Go to a Museum, City Museum of Ljubljana, SI

2020
Folklore, Centre Pompidou-Metz and Mucem, Marseille, FR
Sensul Sculpturii, Kunsthalle Bega, Timisoara, RO

2019
Perspectives, BOZAR Centre for Contemporary Art, Brussels, BE
SEEING HISTORY – 1947-2007. THE MNAC COLLECTION, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Bucharest, RO
Ex-East, past and recent stories of the Romanian Avant-Garde, Espace Niemeyer, Paris, FR

2018
TRICOLOR, MARe – Muzeul de Arta Recenta, Bucharest, RO

2015
Basic Research: D’où venons-nous? Que sommes-nous? Où allons-nous?, ArtEncounters Biennial, Timisoara, RO

2013
Annual Arts, Baia Mare, RO

2012
The Artist and the Power, The National Library, Bucharest, RO

2011
Spring Salon, Baia Mare, RO

2010
Annual Arts, Baia Mare, RO

2010
Kecskemét, HU

2009
Museum of Art, Baia Mare, RO

2002 – 2003
Convent Painting, Baia Mare, RO

2001
International Triennial of Small Sculpture, Murska Sobota Galerija, SI

1993
Künstlerhaus Schloß Wiepersdorf, DE

1993
Golden Tripod, Schaubühne, Berlin, DE

1983
Place – Facts and Metaphor, Village Museum, Bucharest, DE

1980
The 39th Venice Biennale, ”Space Capital 1970-1977” by Joseph Beuys, Venice, IT

1978
Studio, Bastion Gallery, Timisoara, RO

1977
Documenta VI, in the framework of the Free International University of Joseph Beuys, Kassel, DE

1974
Art and the City, New Gallery, Bucharest, RO

1973
Tapestry – Wood, Dalles Hall, Bucharest, RO

1968
Milan Triennial, Milan, IT

1967
13 Young artists, Constantin Brancusi Symposium, Bucharest, RO

Happenings – Performances

”Re-encounter with Beuys”, Düsseldorf, 26. 6. 1980, DE

”Against Pollution”, Baia Mare, RO, December 1979

”Romanian Thought for Germany (Homage to Rilke and Beuys)”, Gießen, spring 1978, DE
”Earth”, Cuhea, Maramures, RO, May 1973

”Gold – Wheat”, Herja Mine, Baia Mare, RO 14.11.1972

”25”, Baia Mare, RO 24.08.1969

”A Statue Is Haunting Europe”:
1988 Mount Olympus, Meteora, Acropolis, Canal of Corinth, GR
1982 Cappadocia, Gordion, TR
1981 Venezia, Vesuvius, IT
1980 Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, ES
1974 Ronchamps, FR

Awards

2010
The Romanian Artists Union’s Prize for Applied Arts

1985
Silver Medal, Fuji Museum, Tokyo

1985
First Award, Ceramics Symposium, Baia Mare

1984
Flacara Award, Romania

Bibliography

Exhibition Catalogues, Artist Books, Monographs

• 2022
  Galeria Plan B, Olos estate. Mihai Olos. Bielefeld: Kerber Verlag, 2022

  2015
  Olos, Ana. Fragmente de jurnal Mihai Olos. La povești în casa de paie, visând la orașul-sat universal. Timișoara: Interart, 2015.

  2013
  Cârneci, Magda. Artele plastice în România: 1945 – 1989. Cu o addenda 1990 – 2010. Bucharest: Polirom, 2013.

  2005
  Weibel, Peter. Beyond Art: A Third Culture. New York: Springer Wien, 2005.

  2002
  Prut, Constantin. Dictionary of Modern and Contemporary Art. Bucharest: Albatros, 2002.

  2000
  Pintilie, Ileana. Actionism in Romania during the Communist Era. Cluj: Editura Idea Design & Print, 2000.

  1983
  Titu, Alexandra. 13 Contemporary Romanian Painters. Bucharest: Meridiane, 1983.

  1980
  Bogdan, Ion; Olos, Mihai; Timiș, Nicoară. Calendarul Maramureșului. Baia Mare: Asociația folcloriștilor și etnografilor; Asociația tinerilor artiști, 1980.

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Articles and reviews

• 2017
  Blatton, Phoebe. ”The Ephemerist: A Mihai Olos Retrospective,” ArtReview, May, 2017.
  Vasiliu, Oana. ”Spring at the museum: what’s on at MNAC,” Business Review, April, 2017.
  ”New season’s exhibitions at the National Museum of Contemporary Art – MNAC Bucharest,” e-zeppelin.ro, 2017.
  ”The Ephemerist. A Mihai Olos Retrospective,” kunst aspekte.art, April, 2017.
  ”Artiști români reprezentați la cel mai important târg de artă din Spania,” dcnews.ro, February, 2017.
  ”Situations and Concepts – Artists: Horia Bernea, Pavel Ilie, Julian Mereuță, Paul Neagu, Mihai Olos, Decebal Scriba,” Vetró Baji.net, February, 2017.

  2016
  ”Mihai Olos at Galeria Plan B,” Art Viewer, July, 2016.
  Cashdan, Marina; Gottschalk, Molly. ”The 20 Best Booths at Art Basel,” artsy.com, June, 2016.
  Cioană, Ionuț. ”Nodurile,” scena9.ro, November, 2016.

  2015
  Igna, Ion. ”Mihai Olos, un artist din România,” Cultura.ro, February, 2015.
  Papuc, Ion. ”Mihai Olos (1940 – 2015),” convorbiri-literare.ro, April, 2015.

  2000
  Jurcă, Ștefan. ”Într-o după-amiază cu Mihai Olos,” Familia, No. 6, June, 2000.

Press

• Blatton, Phoebe. ”The Ephemerist: A Mihai Olos Retrospective,” ArtReview, 2017

• Cashdan, Marina; Gottschalk, Molly. ”The 20 Best Booths at Art Basel,” artsy.net, 2016