Hermann Goepfert

His early monochrome “white pictures”; his “reflectors,” polished, haptic, kinetic works made from silvery sheet metal and mounted on the wall; or his light-sound machines called “optophones”—these are the works one associates with Hermann Goepfert. The ZERO artist (1926–1982), who was primarily active in Frankfurt am Main, was the one who most vigorously represented the integration of art and architecture within the ZERO movement and at the same time was a markedly active figure in the postwar art scene: he was intimate with Piero Manzoni, Jef Verheyen, and Lucio Fontana; he was involved in major exhibitions of works by the ZERO artists. Goepfert participated at documenta III; his works were presented in the famous “Light and Movement” section, which provided a platform for pioneering new currents in art. The extensive catalogue raisonné by Beate Kemfert reappraises the art-historical relevance of Hermann Goepfert’s multifaceted oeuvre.