Otto Künzli

1948  Born 22 July in Zurich, Switzerland

1965-1970 Schule für Gestaltung Zürich, Metals class (Max Fröhlich, Fritz Loosli)
1970   Final apprenticeship  exam as goldsmith  
1970-1972  Work in different workshops in Zurich (Günther Wyss), Bern (Othmar Zschaler) and Munich (Prof. Hermann Jünger)
1972    Marriage to the goldsmith Therese Hilbert
1972    Move to Ingelsberg in Bavaria
1972-1978  Akademie der Bildenden Künste München,  class for goldsmiths' ar t with Prof. Hermann Jünger
1974   Participation in the international symposium Schmuck aus Stahl in Austria Since 1975  Workshop and residence in Munich
1976   Participation  at the jeweller y and culinar y symposium of Galerie  Alberstraße, Graz
1976   Birth of daughter Miriam
1978   Diploma at the Akademie der Bildenden Künste München
1981   Publication of the manifesto «Gerd Rothmann sagt: / Otto Künzli sagt:» in the November issue of gold + silber / uhren + schmuck
1984   Selection and organisation of the German contribution to the exhibition Cross Currents, Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, The Crafts Board of the Australia Council
1991   Appointment as professor at the Akademie der Bildenden Künste München, chair in goldsmiths' ar t
1992   Honorary fellow of Bezalel Academy, Jerusalem, Israel
1992   Jury member for the Françoise  van den Bosch Prize 1992,  's-Her togenbosch, the Netherlands
1993   Conception and implementation of the exhibition and catalogue Schmuck: Die Sammlung der Danner-Stiftung with Dr Michael Koch (Bayerisches Nationalmuseum) for the Galerie für angewandte Kunst, Bayerischer Kunstgewerbe-Verein, Munich
1993   Jury member for the Danner Prize 1993, Bamberg
1994-2015  Member of the purchasing  commission for the Jeweller y Collection of the Danner-Stiftung, Munich
2000   Visiting  fellow and ar tist in residence  at the Cur tin University  of Technology, Perth, Australia
2001   Member of the Peer Review of the Fachhochschulen  der Schweiz
2001   Idee and realisation of the international exhibition Mikromegas with 219 decorative pins from 219 ar tists from 25 countries. Locations: Galerie für angewandte Kunst, Munich, Germany; Museum of Ar ts and Design, New York, USA; Musée de l'horlogerie et de l'émaillerie, Geneva, Switzerland; Galler y YU, Tokyo, Japan;  Powerhouse  Museum,  Sydney; John Curtin Gallery, Perth, Australia; Oratorio di San Rocco, Padua, Italy
2002   OZGold. The lonely only Award Judge, Sydney, Australia
2004   With Prof. Hermann Jünger, design for the opening presentation of the Jewellery Room of the Danner Rotunda, Die Neue Sammlung - The International Design Museum Munich  in the Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich
2008   Conception for the exhibition and publication Des Wahnsinns fette Beute in Die Neue Sammlung - The International Design Museum Munich
2008-2012  Visiting  professor  at the Royal College of Ar t, London, Department for Goldsmithing, Silversmithing, Metalwork & Jeweller y
2010   Ar tist in Residence, Konstfack, Stockholm, Sweden
2010   Conception for the exhibition Copy and Paste as the contribution of the Akademie der Bildenden Künste München to the international project The Power of Copying in the Xuzhou Museum of Art, China.
2014   Danner Rotunde. Neu. New conception of the jewellery room of the Danner Rotunda, Die Neue Sammlung - The International Design Museum Munich in the Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich, Germany
2014   Professor emeritus, Akademie der Bildenden Künste München, Germany
2014   Visiting Artist at the CERN (the European Organisation for Nuclear Research) in Geneva, Switzerland         
(...)


Solo Exhibitions:

1979  Schmuckmuseum im Reuchlinhaus, Pforzheim, Germany; Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus, Hanau, Germany; and Galerie Alberstrasse, Graz, Austria (trav. exh. until 1980; with Therese Hilbert)
1980  Schmuckhaus, Darmstadt-Eberstadt, Germany (with Therese Hilbert)
1981  Galerie Ra, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
1981  Galerie Academia, Salzburg, Austria (with Therese Hilbert)
1982  Körperkultur. Otto Künzli, Gerd Rothmann. Galerie am Graben, Vienna, Austria; and Landesmuseum für Kunst- und Kulturgeschichte, Oldenburg, Germany (trav. exh.)
1982  Tapetenbroschen. Schaufenster Nr. 34, Munich, Germany
1983  Das Schweizer Gold – Die Deutsche Mark. Künstlerwerkstatt Lothringerstrasse 13, Munich, Germany
1983  Kollektion Künzli 1983. Tapetenbroschen von Otto Künzli. Deutsches Tapetenmuseum Kassel, Germany
1984  Kunstmanifestatie ’84. Galerie Ra / De Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdam, the Netherlands (with Willem Honing)
1984  Broschen aus Tapete. Galerie Mattar, Cologne, Germany
1985  Moderner Schmuck. Galerie Hermanns, Munich, Germany (with Gijs Bakker and Manfred Nisslmüller)
1986  Fragments. Therese Hilbert – Otto Künzli. Jewellery 1976-1986. Helen Drutt Gallery, Philadelphia, USA
1986  Fragmenten. Galerie Ra, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
1987  3 / Otto Künzli – Schmuck. VITRINE, Maximilianstra.e 30, Munich, Germany
1989  Everything Goes to Pieces. Rezac Gallery, Chicago, USA
1989   Otto Künzli / Gijs Bakker. Galerie Ra, KunstRai, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
1990   Otto Künzli. Françoise van den Bosch Prijs 1990. Museum Fodor, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
1991   Augenblick. Galerie Wittenbrink, Munich, Germany
1991  Het derde oog. Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
1991  Das dritte Auge. Museum Bellerive, Zurich, Switzerland
1992   The Third Eye. Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow, UK
1992   Oh, say! Ezra and Cecilie Zilkha Gallery, Center for the Arts, Wesleyan University, Middletown, USA
1993   Good Morning America. Galerie Wittenbrink, Munich, Germany
1993   Coraçao & Co. Galeria Contacto Directo, Lisbon, Portugal
1993   We 3. Galler y YU, Tokyo, Japan (with Joke Brakman and Kazuhiro Itoh)
1995   Het Ding. Galerie Ra, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
1996   Drei Birken im Schnee – Tre Bjerk i Sne. RAM Galleri, Oslo, Norway
1997  The Jewellery Case. Gallery Funaki, Melbourne, Australia
1998   Cozticteocuitlatl 1995-1998 B.M. Galerie Wittenbrink, Munich, Germany; Galerie Sofie Lachaert, Antwerp, Belgium; Galerie Ra, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; and Kunstforum, Kirchberg/Bern, Switzerland (trav. exh.)
1998   Freunde. Galerie Ra, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
1998   Förgätmigej. Galleri hnoss, Gothenburg, Sweden
2000   Australian Diary. John Curtin Gallery, Perth, Australia
2002   O sole mio. Galerie Wittenbrink, Munich, Germany
2002   Who Nose? Happening. Gallery YU, Tokyo, Japan
2003   A Red Heart Can’t Be Wrong. Gallery Funaki, Melbourne, Australia
2003   Who Nose? Happening. Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, Australia; Gallery Funaki, Melbourne, Australia; Gully Lounge, Auckland, Australia; and Pataka Museum, Wellington, New Zealand
2004   Schmuck aus 37 Ländern. Galerie Wittenbrink, Munich, Germany
2004   Otto Künzli. La Chaufferie, Strasbourg, France
2006   Change – Schmuck aus 38 Ländern. Galerie S O, Solothurn, Switzerland
2007    Wie Du Mir – So Ich Dir. Therese Hilbert, Otto Künzli – ein Intermezzo. Ecke Galerie, Augsburg, Germany
2008    Personale. Galleria Maurer Zilioli Contemporary Arts, Brescia, Italy
2009    Otto Künzli – π. Galerie Wittenbrink, Munich, Germany
2009    Orbit. Galerie Marzee, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
2010    Leonids and Fumerols. Gallery Funaki, Melbourne, Australia (with Therese Hilbert)
2011    Presentation at the award of the Golden Ring of Honor of the Association of Goldsmiths’ Art, Hanau, Germany
2013    Otto Künzli. Die Ausstellung. Die Neue Sammlung – The International Design Museum ½ Pinakothek der Moderne München, Germany
2013    Otto Künzli. For Sale. Gallerie Wittenbrink, München, Germany
2014    Otto Künzli. L’exposition. Bijou de 1967 à 2012. mudac, Musée de design et d’arts appliqués contemporains, Lausanne, Switzerland
2015    Otto Künzli. The Exhibition. Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan


Work in public Collections:
 
Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Gemeentelijk van Reekummuseum, Apeldoorn, the Netherlands
Auckland Museum, Auckland, New Zealand
Kunstgewerbemuseum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Germany
Bundesamt für Kultur, Bern, Switzerland
Kantonale Sammlung angewandte Kunst, Kornhausforum, Bern, Switzerland
Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft, Bern, Switzerland
Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery, Booragul, NSW, Australia
Museum of Fine Arts, The Farago Collection, Boston, USA
Collection de la Ville de Cagnes-sur-Mer, France
Canberra Institute of the Arts, Canberra, Australia
National Gallery of Canberra, Australien
Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, USA
The Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, USA
Museum für Angewandte Kunst, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Kelvingrove Museum and Art Galler y, Glasgow, UK
Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg, Germany
Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus, Hanau, Germany
Designmuseo, Helsinki, Finland
SM’s – Stedelijk Museum, ’s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands
The Museum of Fine Arts, The Helen Williams Drutt Collection, Houston, USA
Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel
Deutsches Tapetenmuseum, Kassel, Germany
The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, Japan
mudac – Musée de design et d’arts appliqués contemporains, Lausanne, Switzerland
Spencer Museum of Art, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
Grassi Museum für angewandte Kunst, Leipzig, Deutschland
Conran Foundation Collection, Design Museum, London, UK
The Royal College of Art Collection, London, UK
Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK
LACMA, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, USA
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
Cleveland Crafts Centre, Cleveland County Collection, Middlesbrough, UK
mima – Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art, Middlesbrough, UK
Die Neue Sammlung – The International Design Museum Munich, Germany
Die Neue Sammlung – The International Design Museum Munich, Dauerleihgabe der Danner-Stiftung, Munich, Germany
Münchner Stadtmuseum, Munich, Germany
Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich, Germany
Museum of Arts and Design, New York, USA
Museum of Arts and Design, The Donna Schneier Collection, New York, USA
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Donna Schneier Collection, New York, USA
Le Ministère de la Culture, Centre National des Arts, Paris, France
Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, France
Schmuckmuseum im Reuchlinhaus, Pforzheim, Germany
Schmuckmuseum im Reuchlinhaus, Pforzheim, Dauerleihgabe des Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen, Stuttgart, Germany
Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, Australia
The Hiko Mizuno Collection, Tokyo, Japan
The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan
Nordenfjeldske Kunstindustrimuseum, Trondheim, Norway
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, New Zealand
Schweizerisches Landesmuseum, Zurich, Switzerland


Awards and Prizes:
 
1972  Stipend of the Federal Depar tment of Home Affairs, Bern, Switzerland
1975  1st Prize in the Design-Wettbewerb Music Award, Deutsche Phono-Akademie, Hamburg, Germany
1976  Achievement Award of the Schule für Gestaltung Zürich, Switzerland
1977  Herber t Hofmann Memorial Award, Internationale Handwerksmesse, Munich, Germany
1978  Stipend from the Federal Depar tment of Home Affairs, Bern, Switzerland
1980  Stipend for Fine Ar ts of the State Capital Munich, Germany
1981  Stipend from the Federal Depar tment of Home Affairs, Bern, Switzerland
1986  Sponsorship Award from the Prinzregent-Luitpold-Stiftung, Munich, Germany
1987  Sponsorship Award for the Applied Ar ts of the State Capital Munich, Germany
1990  Françoise van den Bosch Prize, the Netherlands
2008  Red Dot Award Communication Design for the exhibition design Des Wahnsinns fette Beute. Schmuck an der Akademie der Bildenden Künste München: Die Klasse Künzli. Die Neue Sammlung – The International Design Museum Munich, Germany
2008  Winner of the 2nd Galler y Funaki International Jeweller y Award, Melbourne, Australia
2010  German  Design  Award, Silver, for the exhibition Des Wahnsinns  fette Beute. Schmuck an der Akademie der Bildenden Künste München:  Die Klasse Künzli. Die Neue Sammlung – The International Design  Museum Munich, Germany
2010  Grand Prix Design of the Swiss Confederation, Federal Office for Culture, Bern, Switzerland
2011  Ring of Honor from the Association for Goldsmiths’ Ar t, Hanau, Germany
2014  Entry in the Golden Book oft he City of Hanau, Germany