Chimera (II), 1975

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Archive number

GPO-0314

English title

Chimaera (II)

Technique

Pencil on reversed canvas, primed canvases

Dimensions

80 x 160 cm (two parts 80 x 80 cm each)

Inscriptions by the artist

Signed and titled on the verso of the second canvas, upper centre: “Giulio Paolini / Chimera (II)”

Collection

FER Collection

Description

Two reversed canvases placed one right next to the other feature the perspectival drawing of a room with two primed canvases viewed from the recto, so that these optically appear to be situated on the rear wall of the virtual room.
The work is part of a group of three variants on the same theme made during the same year (GPO-0313, GPO-0314, GPO-0315).

Exhibitions

1975	Bologna, Studio G7, Giulio Paolini, from 15 November.
1977	Mannheim, Mannheimer Kunstverein, Giulio Paolini, 31 July - 28 August, repr. p. 53, commentary by P. Maenz p. 52.
1980	Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum, Giulio Paolini, 10 April - 26 May, touring to: Oxford, The Museum of Modern Art, 8 June - 20 July, cited in the checklist of exhibited works and repr. p. 50, referred to in the text by H. Szeemann pp. 2-3.
1983-84	Essen, Museum Folkwang, Werke aus der Sammlung FER, 9 December 1983 - 22 May 1984, repr. p. 119, commentary by P. Maenz (catalogue published as Die Sammlung FER – The FER Collection).
1986	Stuttgart, Staatsgalerie Stuttgart, Giulio Paolini, 20 September - 2 November, cited in the checklist of exhibited works vol. 4 no. 21 p. 52, repr. vol. 1 p. 48.
1999	Karlsruhe, Museum für neue Kunst, Werke aus den Sammlungen FER, Froehlich, Grässlin, Weishaupt, from 4 December, no catalogue.
2002	Karlsruhe, ZKM Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie, Iconoclash. Jenseits der Bilderkriege in Wissenschaft, Religion und Kunst, 4 May - 4 August, cited in the checklist of exhibited works p. 693, col. repr. p. 596.

Artist’ writings

•	G. Paolini in Giulio Paolini, vol. Images/Index (Villeurbanne: Le Nouveau Musée, 1984), p. 102.

Bibliography

•	M. Fagiolo, “Glossario”, in Giulio Paolini (Parma: Università di Parma, Centro Studi e Archivio della Comunicazione, 1976), p. 24, not repr.
•	T. Trini, “Come l’immaginario si ribella all’immaginazione”, in Data 20 (Milan), March-April, 1976, repr. p. 89.
•	Kunstforum International 39, monographic issue Italienische Kunst heute edited by M. Grüterich (Mainz), March, 1980, repr. p. 77.
•	D.A. Williams, “The eye of power. The works of Giulio Paolini”, in ZG 1 (London), 1980, n. pag., repr.
•	M. Wechsler, in Giulio Paolini. Werke und Schriften 1960-1980 (Lucerne: Kunstmuseum Luzern, 1981), n. pag., repr. no. 5.
•	H. Szeemann, “Dossier G.P.”, in Id., Museum der Obsessionen (Berlin: Merve Verlag, 1981), pp. 40-41, not repr.; taken from Giulio Paolini, exhibition catalogue, Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum, 1980; republished in Der Traum des Orpheus. Mythologie in der italienischen Gegenwartskunst 1967 bis 1984, exhibition catalogue, Munich, Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, 1984, p. 76, not repr.
•	Die Sammlung FER – The FER Collection, edited by P. Maenz (Cologne: Verlag Gerd de Vries, 1983), repr. p. 119 (incompletely titled “Chimera”), commentary by P. Maenz (taken from the catalogue of the solo exhibition in Mannheim 1977), cited in the list of works from the collection p. 185.
•	G. Paolini, Suspense. Breve storia del vuoto in tredici stanze (Florence: Hopeful Monster editore, 1988), repr. p. 175.
•	G. Celant, Giulio Paolini. Tra Telaio e Paolini (Turin: Gruppo GFT, 1988), repr. p. 7.
•	F. Poli, Giulio Paolini (Turin: Lindau, 1990), repr. no. 26.
•	Giulio Paolini. Von heute bis gestern / Da oggi a ieri, exhibition catalogue, Graz, Neue Galerie im Landesmuseum Joanneum (Ostfildern-Ruit: Cantz Verlag, 1998), repr. p. 20.
•	A. Rorimer, New Art in the 60s and 70s. Redefining Reality (London: Thames & Hudson, 2001), p. 68, not repr.
•	M. Disch, Giulio Paolini. Catalogo ragionato 1960-1999, vol. 1 (Milan: Skira editore, 2008), cat. no. 314 p. 323, col. repr.
•	Sammlung FER Collection, exhibition catalogue, Ulm, Stadtregal, 2009, repr. (loose entry, incompletely titled “Chimera”), commentary by P. Maenz (taken from the catalogue of the solo exhibition in Mannheim 1977).
•	P. Weibel, Politik und Medien. Von den Medien der Macht zur Macht der Medien (Berlin: Hatje Cantz Verlag, 2023), col. repr. p. 153 (incompletely titled “Chimera”).

Entry by Maddalena Disch, 07/05/2026