Dennis Oppenheim
Dennis Oppenheim is one of America's finest and most creative conceptual and performance artists. He has received international attention for a body of conceptual work that includes performance, sculpture, and photographs. He first gained acclaim in the 1960s, as a pioneer in conceptual, earthworks, body art, video and sculpture. Today, he is able to make the rare claim of being a key figure in three major art movements: Earth Art, Body Art and Conceptual Art. Over the past four decades, Dennis Oppenheim has constantly reinvented his artistic practice, creating a body of work that includes earthworks, body art, performance, sculpture, videos, and photographs.
An influential figure in international contemporary art, he stands today as one of the foremost figures working in the field of public sculpture with his work in the permanent collection of most of the world’s major museums. His sculptures decorate the of city centers in Australia, America, France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Spain, and Olympic Park in Seoul, South Korea.
In 2008 he became one of 19 international artists selected to create monumental sculpture for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and of the 19 artists, only Oppenheim was awarded 2 commissions. This served as a testament to his international acclaim and influence within the contemporary art world.
He was recently recognized for Lifetime Achievement at the 2007 Vancouver Sculpture Biennale and in 2006, Dennis Oppenheim collaborated with Olga Dvorakova to exhibit his Aerial Water Closets in Wenceslas Square as a part of Sculpture Grande in Prague—a public art project dedicated to the innovative reinvention of art in public spaces.