© Dora Beisinghoff: 2021 Barbara Beisinghoff, etching workshop
Barbara Beisinghoff is a prize-winning graphic artist, known for her big etchings and paper creations with watermarks and water jet drawings. These can only be seen when light touches paper. The artist gives light a form. The materiality of the paper begs to be touched and to engage all the senses. She plays with the double meaning of the German verb begreifen, which can mean both to touch and to grasp/understand. Her work brings different art forms and people into dialogue. Barbara Beisinghoff has carried out communicative art projects, star tents made of perforated copper over paths and a land register project with 250 children. She lets words of paper fiber couch onto beach trunks. In 2016, she created PoeTree and an Enchanted Forest in the US. She grows flax, observes and researches the processes and turns this into an artist's book. Besides of Europe, she exhibits in Canada, the US, Peru, Korea and China. Her works are in museums and public collections, including the National Museum Krakow, The Library of the Congress and Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington.
"Grow, Vaulted World" - Documentary by Eva Wal on Barbara Beisinghoff's work.
"A Visit to The Library Café" Interview Thomas Hill, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY, 2016
"On Penetrating Things" PodcastCreative in the forest with Verena Schneider (german)
1945* Hof Hiester, Celle district
1963 Etching with Walter Hofmann, Hanover
1964 – 1967 PH Hanover, art education with Prof. Klaus Kowalski
1967 - 1968 Werkkunstschule Hanover, free painting with Prof. Herbert Ribitzki
Art awards
2002 City Printer Prize Mainz
1999 Art Prize of Heitland Foundation Celle
1997 Culture Prize Dreieich
1991 International Senefelder Prize for Lithography, Offenbach
1990 Hameln-Pyrmont Art Prize
1988 Georg-Christoph Lichtenberg Prize for Fine Arts, Darmstadt-Dieburg
Residency awards
2020 Woman's Studio Workshop, Silk Screen Studio, Rosendale, New York
2016 PoeTree CAAD grant Vassar College New York, United States
2010 Guanlan Print Original Base, Shenzhen, China
2009 Woman's Studio Workshop, book art, Rosendale, New York, USA
2006 St. Michael's Printshop, Newfoundland, Canada
2006 Atelier Circulaire Montreal, mois de l'Art Imprime à Quebec, Canada
2003 Emma Ricklund Foundation, Ricklundgården, Saxnäs, Sweden
2002 Atelier de l'Île, Val-David, Quebec, Canada
2000, 2001 Lichtdruck-Kunst e.V. Leipzig
2000 Gmund paper manufactory and Paper Mill Homburg/Main
1996, 1997, 2000, 2001 Watermark projects with Natan Kaaren in Israel
1989 Kätelhön, Möhnesee, scholarship for lithography of the HMWK
1982 Quensen, Lamspringe, scholarship for lithography of the HMWK
1979 Rijkszentrum Frans Masereel, Belgium
1979 Lithography by Werner Otte, Summer Academy Salzburg
1978 Etching by Friedrich Meckseper, Summer Academy Salzburg
Public Art
2022 Diemelstadt Rhoden, copper reliefs for the city wall Children in the City
2020 World Heritage Messel and Forest Art Path Darmstadt, two Celestial Canopies
2015 Dunjiangyan Yu Lei Mountain, Forest Art China Flowing Inspiration Celestial Canopy
2012 Lustgarten Art Trail Diemelstadt Rhoden, Sternenzelt
2011 Forest Art Centre Darmstadt, Barbara Beisinghoff’s Canopy
2010 Mount Lushan, China, Poetic Forest Canopy for Li Bai
2005 Kunst vor Ort Dreieich Land register pages around the town hall, communicative project with the participation of 250 children
1998 Hospital JugenheimLichtzeichen
1986 Senior citizens' residence August-Wienand-Haus Dreieich, faïence wall Resumes
Solo exhibitions
2024 Museum Haus der Stadtgeschichte Offenbach, Erich Martin Raum Alabastertrace
2022 Art Driburg, Dringenberg Castle, ZeiTraum
2020 Womenswork.Art Poughkeepsie, NY, USA Blueprint
2016 Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, Vassar College, NY, USA
2014 Museum Schloss Bad Arolsen The Law of the Star and the Formula of the Flower (catalogue)
2014 Art Driburg, Dringenberg Castle, Furchenwendig II
2013 Kunstgalerie VHS Essen Herzlicht
2013 Art Driburg, Dringenberg Town Hall, Furchenwendig I
2010 Kunstverein Eisenturm, Mainz PaperLandscape
2010 Centre d'exposition Lé-Ayotte, Shawinigan, Québec, Canada with Bärbel Rothhaar
2010 Atelier Haus Darmstadt
2010 Kellerklub Gallery Darmstadt
2010 Kunstverein Wunstorf Die glaeserne Libelle
2009 Forum Amalienpark, Berlin
2009 Women's Studio Workshop, Gallery, Rosendale, New York, USA
2008 Instituto Cultural Peruano ICPNA, Galeria Pardo Heeren, Lima, Peru Luz y Filigrana
2008 St. Stephan, Mainz, Installation Lichtzeichen
2007 Regionalgalerie Suedhessen, Darmstadt The Angel is my Watermark (catalogue)
2007 Goethe Museum Frankfurt Running through the colour circle with Goethe
2004 Herzog August Bibliothek, Wolfenbüttel, Artists’ Books, Getauchte Zeit
2004 Landestrost Castle, Hanover Region Partituren des Lichts
2003 Gutenberg Museum Mainz, The Glass Dragonfly (Catalogue)
2003 German Book and Type Museum of the German National Library Leipzig Room for a Clairvoyant (Catalogue)
2003 State and University Library Göttingen In Counterlight ​
2002 Commerzbank Frankfurt Scores of Light
2002 Technikum Lage Scores of Light
2002 Amueseum Saarburg Immersion and Creation (catalogue)
2002 Gutenberg Museum Mainz, City Printer Prize Exhibition
2002 Kunstverein Passau, St. Anna Chapel with Alfred Böschl
2001 Museum of Philistine Culture Ashdod, Israel, Throne for Ashdoda
2001 Galerie Contemporanea, Trier New etchings and watermarks
2001 Historique Water Reservoir Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt Installation Narcissus and Echo
2001 Papiermuehle Homburg/Main Installation Dream Cave
2000Fairy Tale Museum Bad OeynhausenWhen the beam of light touched him
2000 Gallery in the Tower, Offenbach Counterlight with Emilio Sdun
2000 Zitadelle Spandau, Berlin, Where light and watermark touch each other
1999 Art prize der Heitland Foundation Celle
1999 WasserwerkFrankfurt Diving in the Kelp Forest
1997 Galerie Arche, Hamelin The Blue of the Sky
1997 Museum im Schloss, Bad Pyrmont Watermarks (Catalog)
1996 Biebrich Palace, Wiesbaden Watermark in the paper garden
1995 Staedtische Galerie Dreieich Traces of Time (catalogue) with Laura Castagno and Vera Röhm
1995 Berchtold Villa, Salzburg Time Pressure with G. Fischbacher, Martin Gredler and Renate Wegenkittel
1993 Staedtische Galerie Zwickau The flash in everyday life
1993 Studio degli Alberici Carrara with Luciano Lattanzi (catalogue)
1992Gallery InterArt, Barbara Haubold Munich Augenlied
1990Gallery Barbara Cramer, Bonn Painting and colour etching
1990Dresdner Bank Frankfurt Painting and Etching
1989Kunstverein Biberach a. d. Riß Prints and paintings
1989 Scheunengalerie Ober-Ramstadt Georg-Christoph-Lichtenberg-Prize (catalogue)
1988 Gallery Libertas, Dreieichenhain Colour etching and painting
1988 Paderborn City Library Painting and colour etchings (catalogue)
1987Gallery arche, Hameln Arachne, A Metamorphosis
1987 Gallery Worpswede, Bonn Colour etchings - painting
1987 Galerie Meiborssen Steintor Verlag Weeds and Seeds or Cabbage and Turnips (catalogue)
1986Evangelische Akademie Hofgeismar Painting and Colour Etching (Catalogue)
1986 Schloß Heiligenberg, Seeheim/Bergstraße Painting and colour etching
1986 Studio Kunsthalle Darmstadt Painting and colour etching
1983Salzburger Kunstverein, Kunst im Traklhaus with H. Schubert and A. Eckert
Group exhibitions
2022 House of Paper, Berlin
2022 Museum Vluyn Flachsig and haarig
2021 Galerie Topographie de l'Art, Paris, Livres Uniks 4 / Livres d'artiste
2020 Gallery Art Alive, New Delhi, India; studios.gallery Kansas City
2020 Constellation Studios, Lincoln, travelling exhibition Inbetween
2020 St. Canisius, Berlin, curator/catalogue Ilse Zilch-Doepke Peace Grains
2019 Kunstbalkon Kassel Triad with Sabine Stange and Tara Sabharwal
2019 WSW Rosendale, NY, USA, Inbetween, curator Tana Kellner
2018 Exhibition space Eulengasse Frankfurt Inbetween with Tana Kellner, Tara Sabharwal and Roger Rigorth
2018 International Print Center New York Paper/Print: American Hand Papermaking, 1960s to Today
2018 Gallery B. Paderborn, TWINSet with Renate Ortner
2017 Gallery Forum Amalienpark Berlin Images to Words by Christa Wolf
2016 Rheinsberg Castle Literature Museum Images to Words by Christa Wolf (catalogue)
2011 Jagdschloss Kranichstein, Darmstadt Hunters and Collectors curated by Ute Ritschel
2011 Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Egypt Agenda 21
2010 ACT Writers Centre Braddon/Canberra, Australia, The Story is the Thing, Artist's Books
2009 Gallery Forum Amalienpark, Berlin
2009 HSE Darmstadt, Hesse Design Mathildenhöhe (catalogue) Birth
2009 Korean Embassy Berlin Sounds of Awakening Water (catalogue) curated by Nham Hee Voelkel-Song
2009 Kunsthaus Moehnesee, Wamel, Mammon (catalogue) curated by Klaus Juedes
2008 Seoul Art Gallery, Seoul, Korea, Sounds of Awakening Water with Workshop
2008 Meerkunstraum Steinhude Isle of Wilhelmstein Views, Installation Seconds and Waterdrops
2008 Kultur Buero Bremen Nord, International Paper Art Watermarks (Catalogue) ​
2008 Kulturwerkstatt Haus 10, Fürstenfeld Monastery, Fürstenfeldbruck Time Window
2007 Ziegelhütte Darmstadt with Manuel Lau and Guy Langevin Print Art without Borders
2007 Vogelfrei, Winter Gardens Darmstadt, Lunaria (catalogue)
2006 Mainz Bischofsheim, 3.Gangart - Esras Raum
2006 Vogelfrei Darmstadt Paradise - Canopy (catalogue)
2005 Günther Grass House Lübeck Fairy Tales
2004 2nd international forest art trail Darmstadt Expeditions - Woertersee (catalogue)
2001 Art Cellar Annaberg e. V. Hommage à Carlfriedrich Claus
2001 Art Station Kleinsassen 2nd International Biennial New Watercolour
2000 Deutsche Buecherei Leipzig not bound to the word (catalogue)
2000 Kreissparkasse Koethen Visual Poetry (Catalogue)
2000 Kunsthalle Darmstadt Heitland-Foundation - 20 years (catalogue)
1999 24th Grafikboerse, Alte Handelsboerse Leipzig and Kunstverein Coburg (catalogue)
1998 Kurhaus Wiesbaden MEWA Art Prize, 2nd prize
1997 Germering City Library and Hartgalerie 1st Germering Art Book Axis
1996 Bibliotheca Civica Moncalieri, Italy Libra Donne d'Arte e di Carta (catalogue)
1994 Gallery Brigitte Reichle Biberach Printmaking
1993 Schloss Bevern Prints Triennale
1993 Tax Office Marburg Works by Hessian Women Artists
1992 Gallery Barbara Cramer Bonn
1992 Kreissparkasse Alfeld Fairy Tales and Legends
1991 Ivano Frankivsk, Ukraine 2nd Biennial Impreza
1991 Büsing Palais, Offenbach Senefelder Prize
1989 Great Munich Art Exhibition (catalogue)
1989 Kunstkreis Holzminden Original Prints from Lower Saxony
1988 Great Munich Art Exhibition (catalogue)
1988 Museum Schloss Bad Pyrmont Artists see the Weserbergland
1987 Kunstverein Offenbach Four artists of the Artothek
1986 Leinwandhaus Frankfurt, Artists' Books (catalogue)
1985 Gallery 13, Langen Erhard Witzel
1984 Art market at the Kunstverein Hanover, Gallery Rudolf Jüdes
since 1984 Exhibition participation at the arche Hameln
International print and paper exhibitions and artist's book fairs
2022 HPM Buch- und Druckkunst Messe Frauenfeld, Switzerland; Hot Printing, Klingspor Museum Offenbach and Paper Positions Berlin, Haus des Papiers Berlin. Booklyn, A(rtists) B(ooks) - Z(ines) ​Fair 2020, February 21-23, New York City. Artbook. Berlin since 2012. Turn-the-page artists book fair Norwich Forum 2017. BuchDruckkunst Hamburg since 2017. BuchKunst Biennale Weimar since 2015. 2010 ACT Writers Centre Braddon/Canberra, Australia, The Story is the Thing Artist's Books. 2009 Monumental Ideas in Miniature Books Travelling exhibition, Chicago. 17th Art Fair Women's Museum Bonn 2007. International Artist's Book Triennial Vilnius (catalogues) since 2001. Book Fair Leipzig since 2007. Mainzer Minipressenmesse since 2005. Book Fair Frankfurt since 2005; 12th International Print Biennial Seoul 2002. Fredrikstadt 1999, 1995. Frechen 1999, 1996, 1993, 1990. IG Metall Berlin and Frankfurt Where we are and where we will be. Cairo 1996. Maastricht 1993. Krakow 1988. Berlin 1984. Bradford 1984
Works in museums and artist’s book collections
Klingspor Museum, Offenbach. Gutenberg Museum, Mainz. Sprengel Museum, Hanover. Herzog August Library, Wolfenbüttel. National Museum Krakow. Museum of Contemporary Art, Ivano-Frankivk Ukraine. Lower Saxony State Library, Hanover. Bavarian State Library, Munich. German National Library Frankfurt/Main. German Book and Script Museum of the German National Library Leipzig. Hessian State Museum Darmstadt. Fairytale Museum Bad Oeynhausen. Württemberg State Library Stuttgart. German Literature Archive Marbach. Duchess Anna Amalia Library Weimar. National Museum of Women in the Arts and Library of the Congress in Washington. Rochester Institute of Technology. University of Delaware, Indiana University (Bloomington). Virginia Commonwealth University. Vassar College. Yale University. Florida State University, The Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute. Collection of Artists' books, Library of Art Queensland, Australia. Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Egypt. University of Miami at Coral Gables. Harvard University. University of Miami. Swarthmore College (Pennsylvania). John Hopkins University (Baltimore). Wallace Memorial Library-RIT. Claremont Colleges. Smith College, University of Michigan. Savannah College of Art & Design. University of Connecticut (Storrs). Bucknell University. Bainbridge Island Museum of Art (BIMA), WA
Works in public collections
State of Hesse; State of Rhineland-Palatinate; Hessian Ministry of Finance; Frankfurt offices and head office of Dresdner Bank AG, Frankfurt and Offenbach offices and head office of Commerzbank AG; head office and offices of Eurohypo AG and DEKA-DESPA, Frankfurt; Aareal Bank, Wiesbaden; Kreissparkasse Alfeld; City and District of Offenbach; City of Darmstadt; District of Darmstadt Dieburg; the Cities of Kassel (Grimm Collection), Frankfurt; Holzminden, Soest, Paderborn, Hanover, Burghausen, Dreieich, Bischofsheim and Montier-en-Der, France; Atelier de l'Île Val-David Québec, Canada; St. Michael's Printshop Studio, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada, Goethe Institute, ICPNA and German Embassy Lima, Peru; Woman's Studio Workshop, Rosendale, New York State, USA
Bibliography
Barbara Beisinghoff, Se battre avec la matière, in Livres Uniks Quatre, Galerie Topographie de l'Art, Paris, 2021; On Motives in Barbara Beisinghoff's Art in Matter of Heart, Memorial - Unforgettable Encounters, Gerhard Wolf, Aufbau Verlag, Berlin, 2020; Where Art goes tot he People, 15 Jahre Neue Galerie, Stadt Essen 2019; A Milky Way full of ideas, 40 Jahre Georg-Christoph-Lichtenberg-Preis, Darmstadt-Dieburg 2019; Global Nomadic Art Project 2019; Barbara Beisinghoff, The Song of Paper, A subjective Abecedarium of Paper Art, in Marginalien, Zeitschrift für Buchkunst, Pirckheimer-Gesellschaft 2019; L'art du livre tactile, Catherine Liégeois, 2017 Éditions Alternatives; Schwarze, Dirk, 100 artists and one, An ABC of Artists in Post-War Modernism 2016, B&S Siebenhaar Verlag; Eckert, Katharina, Printing Now! 2016, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main; Children in the land register of the city of Dreieich, in Catalogue for the exhibition Malorte, Darmstadt 2014, ed. Archiv Kinderkunst Darmstadt; Hannelore Schneiderheinze, An enigmatic cosmos of images and signs, 22nd Annual Journal for Artists' Books and Hand Press Prints 2013; Heiko Schimmelpfeng, September 2011, Watermarks under print, Kulturmagazin No 173; Barbara Beisinghoff Tale of Nettles, 2010, Hand Papermaking, Magazine, Volume 25, No 1, Summer 2010; Uwe Baumann in Journal for Printmaking and Visual Culture Um:Druck, No 15, July 2010, Vienna; Mammon, catalogue for the exhibition Mammon of Kunsthaus Moehnesee, ed. Klaus Jüdes; Watermarks, 2008, catalogue International Paper Art, Kultur Büro Bremen Nord; The Angel is my Watermark, 2007, catalogue, Regionalgalerie Südhessen, Regierungspräsidium; Hans Sachsse, 2007, Barbara Beisinghoff - Haurire et creare, Film, 45 min, German and Spanish; Dr. Juliane Bardt, 2006, Paper Art, Georg Olms Verlag; Verena Manek, 2005, Passionate projects, Magazine Papiermacher, No 9; Dr. Eva Hanebutt-Benz, 2003, In unknown strangeness Stefan Soltek, A navigation tool, catalogue Die gläserne Libelle, Gutenberg Museum; Hannelore Schneiderheinze, 2003, Hidden and transparent at the same time, Dr. Frieder Schmidt, The Emancipation of Watermarks; Paul Ballard, Becoming a watermark, Stefan Soltek, Being a Membrane, catalogue Room for a Clairvoyant, Deutsches Buch- und Schriftmuseum, Leipzig, 2003; Immersion and Creation - Immersion in Fairy Tales, 2002, catalogue, VHS Saarburg; Dr. Christa Lichtenstern, 2000, foreword to the graphics portfolio How the Beam of Light touched him; Christian Scheffler, 1999, Traces Hannelore Schneiderheinze, Crossing the Plant bed by the furrow; Dr. Dietrich Mahlow, Art is the garden of the human mind, is its nature; Klaus Jüdes, An Adventure, catalogue Patterned Plant Beds, Heitland Foundation Celle; Dr. Dietrich Mahlow, 1997, catalogue Watermarks, Museum Bad Pyrmont Castle; Dr. Dietrich Mahlow, 1995, Time states, catalogue Time traces, Städtische Galerie Dreieich; Dr. Dietrich Mahlow, 1995, Observation time, catalogue Einprägungen, Städtische Galerie Dreieich; Hanne F. Juritz, 1992, Im Kreis, im Umkreis, catalogue, Kreis Offenbach; Hanne F. Juritz, 1992, Fruit core; Klaus Jüdes, Dialogue with the etching Fruit core , Grafikmappe Edition Brau und Brunnen; Rudolf Jüdes, 1991, Painting as a representation of the interweaving of life circumstances from feeling and off the cuff; Klaus Jüdes, Two Temperaments, catalogue Luciano Lattanzi/Barbara Beisinghoff, Städtische Galerie Dreieich; Hanne F. Juritz, 1990, Portrait of an experimental etcher, Graphische Kunst Heft 34, ed. Curt Visel, Memmingen; Dr. Eva Hanebutt-Benz, 1990, With a Dimension of Depth in a Double Sense, magazine Anstöße, ev. Akademie Hofgeismar; Dr. Eva Hanebutt-Benz, 1989, Laudatio, catalogue Georg-Christoph-Lichtenberg-Preis 1988, ed. Kreis Darmstadt-Dieburg; Dr. Eva Hanebutt-Benz, 1989, Foreword to the graphics portfolio Guidance for a walk through the labyrinth (poem by Sibylle Knauss), ed. Monika Beck; Henner Kätelhön, 1988, Catalogue Barbara Beisinghoff, Paderborn City Library; Kunstverein Offenbach Artists of the Artothek 1987; Rudolf Jüdes, 1987, From letters by the artist; Klaus Jüdes, A day of printing with Barbara Beisinghoff, Catalogue Weeds and Seeds or Cabbage and Turnips, Meistersuite Europäischer Grafik, Steintor Verlag; Karl Krolow, 1986, Age in imagination, graphic portfolio, descriptions of the etchings; Rudolf Jüdes, 1986, Studio visit at Barbara Beisinghoff; Klaus Jüdes, On the printing technique of the colour etchings of Barbara Beisinghoff, Barbara Beisinghoff Notes about my work, catalogue, ev. Akademie Hofgeismar; Christian Scheffler, 1984, Foreword to the graphic portfolio Der Faulpelz (The Lazybones)
Initiatives and workshops
2006 Founding of Printing art without borders at the Printing Museum HLM Darmstadt with the Ziegelhütte
2008 Watermarks Charlas y Tallers PUCP, Facultad de Arte; Escuela de Bellas Artes del Peru, Lima; Escuelas de Bellas Artes en Ayacucho y Cusco; Watermark Workshop in Seoul Art Gallery, Seoul, Korea
2012 - 2019 sixteen printmaking artists worked as artists in residence during July and August – each of them for a month – in the Atelierhaus Beisinghoff in Diemelstadt Rhoden. These residencies were juried by Woman's Studio Workshop NY.