Biography

Gérard Gartner, also known as Mutsa (Romanes for cat), was born in Paris in 1935. In his chequered life, he was a successful boxer, political activist and, among other things, bodyguard to the French Minister of Culture André Malraux. Gartner is a writer, anarchist, curator and artist. He was a companion of the most important author of the French Manouche, Mateo Maximoff, who entrusted him with his personal notes, making him his biographer. Gartner is a co-founder of the Tzigane initiative, an important self-organisation of the French Manouche. Gérard Gartner became an artist as a result of his encounter with Alberto Giacometti. Between 1985 and 2015, he created an extensive oeuvre of powerful and delicate abstract sculptures made from melted plastic industrial waste. The works are labelled and numbered as D.I.R. (Déchets Industriels Recyclés), i.e. recycled industrial waste.In 1985, together with the poet Sandra Jayat, he curated the "1st World Exhibition of Roma Art" at the Conciergerie in Paris, organised by the Tzigane initiative, of which he was president at the time. Gartner can therefore be described as a pioneer of contemporary art by Sinti and Roma. His works were exhibited worldwide until Gartner destroyed his entire oeuvre after the Ultima Verba exhibition at the Kai Dikhas Gallery on 16 January 2016, marking the 50th anniversary of the death of his friend Alberto Giacometti. After he sent the material for plastic recycling as granulate.

CV

Gérard Gartner. Solo and group exhibitions (selection)

2024
Ultima Verba, Gérard Gartner & Jeannette Gregori, Stiftung Kai Dikhas, Berlin (DE)
2015
Ultima Verba à la Galerie Kai Dikhas, Berlin (GER)
2013
Festival de Cinéma de Douarnenez 2014 Exposition des Sculptures, (FR)
 
Remise du Prix Romanes à Manitas de Plata mai 2013 aux Saintes-Marie-de-la-mer (FR)
 
Exposition le 17 janvier 2013 au Centre culturel Le vingt sept à Rouillac
2011
La Bateliere, Puy L’Eveque (FR)
 
Forum des Langues Du Monde, Amassada Rromani Transversale, Toulouse (FR)
2010
Festival de L’Insolite, Puy L’Eveque (FR)
 
Festival Culture Tsigane, Montricoux (FR)
 
Meeting Poetic, Montreuil (FR)
 
Balkan Trafik, Brüssel (BE)
2009
Galerie Carre d’Art Cahors
 
Cave des Vignerons, Puy L’Eveque (FR)
 
Palais des congrès, Saintes-Marines-de-la-Mer, (FR)
2008
L’Eden, Charleroi (BE)
 
Palais des congrès, Lourdes (FR)
 
La Roseraie, Brüssel (BE)
2007
Etnica, Monte Porzio Catone, Rome (IT)
 
Centre cuturel, Sablé-sur-Sarthe (FR)
 
Eglise de la MAdelaine, Paris 8ème (FR)
2006
Siège de l’Unesco, Paris (FR)
2004
Galerie Art et Miss, Paris (FR)
 
Institut de France, Aachen (GER)
2003
Musée Edgar Melick, Cabries-Callas (FR)
2001
Biennale européenne des Arts tsiganes, Aachen (GER)
2000
Salon Curnonsky, Angers (FR)
 
FIAP Jean Monnet, Paris 14éme (FR)
1999
Journée du patrimoine, dans le château –Château-Thierry (FR)
 
Salon d’Art Contemporain, Paris (FR)
1997
Salon d’Art Contemporain, Chelles (FR)
1996
Marché d’Art contemporain, Bastille – Paris (FR)
1995
Galerie Allias, Paris (FR)
 
Marché d’Art contemporain, Boulogne (FR)
1994
Galerie Equipax, Newport (USA)
 
Jardin des sculptures – Melbourne, Québec (CAN)
1993
Expoplast – Montréal (CAN)
 
Mouvement pour la paix, Moskau (RU)
1992
25ème anniversaire, Ecole d’Art No3 – Moskau (RU)
 
Galerie Maurice Ravel, CISP, Paris (FR)
 
Centre cuturel – Sainte Camille Québec (CAN)
 
Salon international de la sculpture contemporaine, Paris (FR)
1991
Le Musée Miniature, Galerie Pixi et Cie, Paris (FR)
 
Giacometti aurait eu 90 ans, Couvent des Récollets, Paris (FR)
1990
Salon de Artistes, Grand Palais, Paris (FR)
 
Salon international de la sculpture contemporaine, Galerie Maurice Ravel, Paris (FR)
 
Salon de Artistes, Grand Palais, Paris (FR)
1989
Salon de l’Etoile d’Or. Les Lilas (FR)
 
Biennale franco-italiene, Institut de France, Florenz (IT)
 
Symposium de sculpture, Oyonnax (FR)
1986
Foire internationale, Barcelona (ES)
1985
1. Mondiale d’Art tzizange, Conciergerie de Paris (FR)