Hans Jörg Glattfelder

Hans Jörg Glattfelder (born July 10, 1939, in Zurich) is a prominent figure in European concrete and constructivist art. He studied law, art history, and archaeology at the University of Zurich from 1958 to 1961 but left before completing his degree. In 1961, he moved to Italy, spending time in Rome and then settling in Florence (1963–1969), where he began creating works based on strict geometric principles.

His first solo exhibition took place in 1966 at the Galleria Numero in Milan. During the late 1960s, he developed his series of “pyramid reliefs,” characterized by industrially produced geometric forms.

In 1970, Glattfelder moved to Milan, where he interacted with artists such as Mario Ballocco, Antonio Calderara, Gianni Colombo, and Luigi Veronesi. These connections deepened his interest in geometry and visual perception. In 1977, he launched his series of “non-Euclidean metaphors,” moving away from classical geometry to explore spatial concepts inspired by modern physics.

Alongside his artistic work, Glattfelder developed a theoretical framework with philosopher H. H. Holz, coining the ideas of “meta-rationalism” and “methodical constructivism,” which link art and science in a novel cognitive context.

In 1987, he received the Camille Graeser Prize. In 1990, a fellowship allowed him to spend time in New York, and since 1998 he has lived and worked in Paris. He has exhibited widely, including at the Venice Biennale in 1986, and in 2016 was awarded the Peter C. Ruppert Prize for Concrete Art in Europe. His works, characterized by geometric forms and unconventional perspectives, are held in major public collections in Switzerland and Germany.