Before turning to a career in the visual arts, Zipp performed in a punk band and was inclined to pursue a medical degree, experiences that continue to influence his artistic practice to this day significantly. His interdisciplinary approach connects a myriad of themes, including science, psychology, psychiatry, politics, pharmaceutics, medicine, religion, and art history. His fascination with neuroscience and pharmaceutics, alongside his admiration for Dadaism, seamlessly integrates into his work, producing multilayered pieces that translate complex theoretical, aesthetic, and philosophical matters into compelling visual language. Zipp’s fascination with the human psyche and stages of consciousness drives his almost surreal and dream-like compositions, resulting in works that are often bizarre and uncanny, with underlying satirical and humorous elements.
Among Zipp’s distinctive contributions is his creation of “multi-part installations,” where individual works converge to form comprehensive, site or space-specific installations under overarching narratives. These pieces often resemble stage sets, meticulously composed to immerse viewers in scenarios that, while devoid of people, are rich with objects conveying deep meaning. This interactive approach transforms exhibitions into immersive experiences, inviting viewers to interact with and become participants in Zipp’s artistic experiments. For his participation in the 2013 Venice Biennial, Zipp turned the Palazzo Rossini into a psychiatric hospital, creating a captivating Gesamtkunstwerk. In addition, he has been renowned for his many other installations and performances worldwide, establishing him as one of the most influential German artists of his generation. His works are thought-provoking and captivating, resonating with viewers on a personal level and reflecting both individual and collective human experiences.
Thomas Zipp was part of the 55th Venice Biennale (Venice, Italy, 2013), the 4th Berlin Biennale (Berlin, Germany, 2006), the 4th Mediations Biennale (Poznan, Poland, 2014), and the Biennale de l’Art Africain Contemporain (Dakar, Senegal, 2014). He has held solo exhibitions at diverse institutions, including the Kunsthalle Fridericianum (Kassel, Germany, 2010), Kunstraum Innsbruck (Innsbruck, Austria, 2011), Sammlung Goetz (Munich, Germany, 2009), Kunsthalle Gießen (Gießen, Germany, 2018), Overbeck Gesellschaft & St. Petri Kuratorium (Lübeck, Germany, 2017), Cc Foundation & Art Space (Shanghai, China, 2016), Oldenburger Kunstverein (Oldenburg, Germany, 2012), Kunstverein Heppenheim (Heppenheim, Germany, 2009), Museum Dhondt-Daehnens (Deurle, Belgium, 2008), and Kunsthaus Essen (Essen, Germany, 2001). He has also participated in multiple group shows at the Bundeskunsthalle (Bonn, Germany, 2022), Kunsthalle Wilhelmshaven (Wilhelmshaven, Germany, 2021), Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg (Wolfsburg, Germany, 2019), Den Frie Centre of Contemporary Art (Copenhagen, Denmark, 2018), Sammlung Zander (Bönnigheim, Germany, 2017), CENTRALE for contemporary art (Brussels, Belgium, 2016), Kunsthalle Düsseldorf (Düsseldorf, Germany, 2015), Visual Arts Centre – Galerie McClure (Montreal, Canada, 2015), Deichtorhallen Hamburg (Hamburg, Germany, 2015), Goa Centre for the Arts (Panjim, India, 2015), Belvedere Museum (Vienna, Austria, 2014), Irish Museum of Modern Art (Dublin, Ireland, 2013), Fundación Banco Santander (Madrid, Spain, 2012), Museu de Arte de São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand (São Paulo, Brazil, 2010), Museum of Modern Art (Warsaw, Poland, 2010), Kestnergesellschaft (Hannover, Germany, 2008), Museum of Contemporary Art (Chicago, USA, 2007), Auckland Art Gallery (Auckland, New Zealand, 2007), MoMA PS1 (New York, USA, 2006), Migros museum für gegenwartskunst (Zurich, Switzerland, 2005), and the Tate Modern (London, UK, 2006). His works belong to various collections, such as the Rubell Family Collection (Miami, USA), the MOCA Los Angeles (Los Angeles, USA), the Saatchi Collection (London, UK), La Colección Jumex (Mexico City, Mexico), the Fondazione Morra (Naples, Italy), Sammlung Boros (Berlin, Germany), Sammlung Goetz (Munich, Germany), KAI 10|ARTHENA FOUNDATION (Düsseldorf, Germany), Taschen (Cologne, Germany), and the Mülheim an der Ruhr Museum of Art (Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany), among others.
Between 1992 and 1998, Thomas Zipp attended the Staatliche Hochschule für Bildende Künste – Städelschule in Frankfurt am Main and the Slade School of Fine Art in London, then he was a guest professor at Hochschule der Bildenden Künste in Karlsruhe from 2006 to 2007. He lives and works in Berlin, Germany, where he has held a professorship at the Universität der Künste since 2008.
