Tomas Libertiny

TOMÁŠ GABZDIL LIBERTÍNY (1979)

Currently living and working in Rotterdam, through his art, Tomáš Libertíny continually explores the beauty and intelligence of nature as well as probing into the existential questions of the human mind.

Born in Slovakia, son of an architect and a historian, he studied at the Technical University Košice in Slovakia focusing on engineering and design. He was awarded George Soros’s Open Society Institute Scholarship to study at The University of Washington in Seattle, where he focused on painting and sculpture. He continued his study at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava in painting and conceptual design. After receiving the prestigious Huygens Scholarship, he enrolled in the Masters program at the Design Academy Eindhoven where he received his MFA in 2006.

WORK

Libertiny’s fascination with the beauty and intelligence of nature fuels his work with timeless yet relatable emotions. The relationship between Man & Nature, both psychological and physical, serves as a constant source of inspiration.

While embracing today’s advanced methods of design and latest technology to explore and realise his art the works are still marked by the hand of the artist. His use of industrial precision is merely ‘”a means to an end” which enables him to set-up conditions for controlled randomness. His awareness of patterns and repetitions that surround us as well as mesmerising imperfections in nature are at the formal core of his drawings, paintings and sculptural work. Between the lines, he seeks to offer a hint of an answer to the probing existencial questions.

COLLECTIONS

• MoMA, New York
• Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
• Cincinnati Art Museum
• MUDAC, Lausanne
• Henraux Foundation
• Berengo Foundation
• Corning Museum of Glass
• Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

EXHIBITIONS (SELECTION)

2017
• Twelve Paintings (December/February 2018), Rotterdam / Solo exhibition
• Melancholia (September/December 2017), Rotterdam / Solo exhibition
• National Design Prize (September/November 2017), Bratislava, Slovakia
• Earth Matters (June/September 2017), Textiel Museum, Tilburg
• Work Exhibition (Pracovná výstava) (June/July 2017), Nová Synagóga, Žilina, Slovakia
• Chronosophia (May/September 2017), Spazio Nobile, Brussels / Solo exhibition
• Rotterdam Contemporary (February 2017), Rotterdam / Solo presentation

2016
• Slowtime (September/December 2016), Rotterdam / Solo exhibition
• Progressland (May/September 2016), Chamber, NYC
• Glassfever 2016 (May/November 2016), Dordyart, Dordrecht, The Netherlands

2015
• Glasstress 2015 Gotika (May/November 2015), Palazzo Franchetti, The Venice Biennale, Italy
• FAD – Foment de les Arts i del Disseny (June/October 2015), Barcelona, Spain
• Beeldentuin Ravesteyn (May 2015), Netherlands
• Making a difference / A difference in making (April/June 2015), Bozar Centre for Fine Arts, Brussels
• Wallpaper Handmade (April 2015), Milano, Italy
• Living Glass II (March/November 2015), MUDAC Lausanne, Switzerland
• Earth Matters (February/May 2015), Artipelag, Sweden

2014
• Lausanne Jardins (June/October 2014), Lausanne, Switzerland
• MAK Design Laboratory (May/open 2014), Museum für angewandte Kunst, Vienna, Austria
• Hit the future – Design beyond borders (February/March 2014), Munich, Germany

2013
• Rotterdam Centraal (November/December 2013), Vivid Gallery, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
• The Universal Addressability of Dumb Things (July/October 2013), De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill-on-sea, UK
• The Universal Addressability of Dumb Things (April/June 2013), Nottingham Contemporary, UK
• The Universal Addressability of Dumb Things (February/April 2013), the Bluecoat, Liverpool, UK
• Glasstress 2013 (June/November 2013), The Venice Biennale, Italy
• En Vie, Espace Fondation EDF (April/August 2013), Paris, France
• Museo Bagatti Valsecchi w/Rossana Orlandi (8th-14th of April, 2013), Milano, Italy
• Applied Design (March 2013 / January 2014), MoMA, New York, USA
• Nourritures Premieres / Maison&Objet (January 2013), Paris, France

2012

• The Exhibition Road Show / public art installation (July/August 2012), The Exhibition Road, London, UK
• The Etende Mens (July 2012/January 2013), Designhuis, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
• Glasstress Beirut (July/September 2012), Beirut Exhibition Center, Lebanon
• Glasstress New York (February/June 2012), Museum of Art and Design, New York, USA

2011
• New Energy In Design and Art (October/February 2011/2012), Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, The Netherlands
• Now/The Experience of Time (September/November 2011), MARTa Herford, Germany
• Mistakes (September/October 2011), Vivid Gallery, The Netherlands
• Glasstress Riga 2011 (August/December 2011), Latvian National Museum of Art, Latvia
• Glasstress 2011 (June/November 2011), The Venice Biennale, Italy
• Post Fossil (January/April 2011), Holon Design Museum, Israel

2010
• Action!Design Over Time (February 2010/ January 2011), MoMA, USA
• Post Fossil (April/June 2010), 21_21 Design Sight, Tokyo, Japan
• Design by Performance (March/May 2010), Z33 art center, Belgium
• Le Fabuleux Destin Du Quotidien (February/May 2010), MAC’s Grand Hornu, Belgium

2009 
• Moss Gallery, Design Miami, Miami, USA, 2009
• Slash : Paper under the Knife, Museum of Arts and Design (October 2009), NYC, USA
• Cheongju International Craft Biennale (September 2009), Cheongju, Korea
• Telling Tales, Victoria & Albert Museum (June 2009), London, UK
• Designer of the Future Award (June 2009), Design Miami/Basel, Switzerland
• Craft Punk (April 2009), Spazio FENDI, Milano, Italy
• Over Design Over (March/April 2009), Rocca Paolina Perugia, Italy
• Archeology of the Future (January/March 2009), The Institut Néderlandais, Paris, France

2008 
• Tomas Libertiny (February 2008), VIVID, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
• Object Rotterdam (February 2008), Las Palmas, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
• Casa Rotterdam (November 2008), Torino, Italy
• Graduation Gallery, Villa del Grumello (October 2008), Como, Italy
• Dutch Design Port (October 2008), Antwerpen, Belgium
• Design Miami/Basel (June 2008), Basel, Switzerland
• Moss (May 2008), NYC, USA
• Spazio Rossana Orlandi (April 2008) Milan, Italy
• Design And The Elastic Mind (February 2008) MoMA, USA
• Small Show Huge Talent (January 2008), London, UK
• Family of Form (January 2008), Designhuis, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

2007 
• Design Miami (December 2007), Miami, USA
• This side up (September 2007), Valencia, Spain
• Smart Deco 2 (April 2007), Droog Design, Milan, Italy

2006
• Lichting 2006, Kunstpaviljoen, Nieuw Roden, The Netherlands
• Graduation Galleries 2006, The Design Academy Eindhoven

• “Master Pieces 2006” (July-August 2006) DROOG gallery, The Netherlands