Rico Weber

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Rico Weber (born October 7, 1942 in Hinwil ; † October 8, 2004 in Bern ) was a Swiss artist.

Weber spent his childhood and youth in Hinwil until he began a 4-year apprenticeship as an upholsterer decorator in Zurich in 1959. He then traveled through Europe and met Jean Tinguely and Niki de Saint Phalle in Stockholm in 1966 while building the joint project Hon at the Moderna Museet . He was the first assistant to both artists and has since worked for them as well as for Daniel Spoerri , Per Olof Ultvedt , Bernhard Luginbühl and Samuel Buri. Until 1978 he directed their exhibitions. In 1972 Weber bought a house in Frohmatt (St. Ursen parish), where he had lived and worked since 1979. Since 1978 he has exhibited his personal works. These are u. a. realistic plaster casts in self-portrayal, window boxes illuminated from behind, so-called energy still lifes (anthracite-colored relief wall cutouts) and zap TVs. Rico died of cancer on October 8, 2004.

Movie

  • Rico Weber - Searching for traces in the magical cabinet , by Stefan Hugentobler, CIP-Productions, 2006 (DV, Doc, de / fr, 59 min)

The artist Rico Weber was first known as an assistant to Jean Tinguely and Niki de Saint Phalle . Since 1978, however, he has also exhibited his own works, and his “Energy Still Life” has garnered attention at home and abroad. Filmmaker Stefan Hugentobler dedicates his documentary to the life and work of the Swiss artist. The result is not only a courageous portrait , but also an informative testimony to the heyday of the “Nouveau Realisme”. In addition to specially researched images, the film also features numerous previously unpublished film documents and photos of the "Bande des Suisses" from the period between 1970 and 2000.

Since the death of Rico Weber in October 2004, Stefan Hugentobler has watched several dozen hours of archive films from Weber's stock, shot around 30 hours of new film material and, accompanied by his camera, toured the most important stations of his work in Switzerland, France and Italy. On behalf of MAHF , Stefan Hugentobler documented Weber's house in St. Ursen and the art treasures in it by video shortly after Weber's death - a journey through the magical cabinet of an extraordinary artist and globetrotter who kept everything that came between his hands throughout his life. A box containing the artist's video tapes was also found in Weber's house. These contained car interviews that were recorded by him about six months before his death. It is harrowing evidence of the struggle for survival against his cancer. Rico Weber also comments on his artistic intentions, which were aimed at the subtle tension between reality and illusion.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ "Rico Weber. Energie Magie Souvenir “Kunsthalle Burgdorf, 1995
personal data
SURNAME Weber, Rico
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss artist
DATE OF BIRTH October 7, 1942
PLACE OF BIRTH Hinwil
DATE OF DEATH October 8, 2004
Place of death Bern