Roman Ondák (b. 1966, Zilina, Slovakia) works in installation, photography, video, drawing and performance art, often involving people he has some relationship with, to investigate how societies can be organized through structures of inclusion and exclusion. Growing up under the communist regime of former Czechoslovakia, Ondák observed how these structures can fail, and explores the potential for alternative modes of social and political interaction. His work reflects the propagandistic alterations of image that he viewed during his adolescence, often giving the impression that reality has been readjusted. Through his practice, Ondák playfully interrogates the rituals and assumptions that govern everyday life.
Ondák lives and works in Bratislava. He has had solo exhibitions at Fundacio Tapies, Barcelona (2023); Slovak National Gallery, Bratislava (2020); Kunstforum Ostdeutsche Galerie, Regensburg (2018); The Arts Club of Chicago, Chicago (2017); Kunsten Museum of Modern Art, Aalborg (2017); South London Gallery, London (2016); Guangdong Times Museum, Guangzhou (2015); Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid (2013); Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Paris (2012); Deutsche Guggenheim, Berlin (2012); K21, Düsseldorf (2012); Kunsthaus Zürich (2011); Museo Tamayo Arte Contemporáneo, Mexico City (2011); Modern Art, Oxford (2011); Museum of Modern Art, New York (2009); Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich (2007); Tate Modern, London (2006); CCA, Kitakyushu, Japan (2004); and Kölnischer Kunstverein, Cologne (2004). He participated in the biennials including Aichi Triennale, Aichi (2022); 10. Gwangju Biennale, Gwangju (2014); dOCUMENTA (13), Kassel (2012); 54. Venice Biennale and 50. Venice Biennale, Venice (2011 and 2003); 6th Berlin Biennale, Berlin (2010); 27th Bienal São Paulo, São Paulo (2006) and Manifesta 3., Ljubljana and Manifesta 1., Rotterdam (2000 and 1996). In 2009 he presented the installation Loop in the pavilion of Slovak and Czech republics at the 53rd Venice Biennale.
Ondák's work is included in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Guggenheim Museum, New York; Tate, London; Centre Pompidou, Paris; Kunsthaus Zürich; Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich; MUDAM, Luxembourg; The Israel Museum, Jerusalem.
BIOGRAPHY
1966 Born in Zilina, Slovakia.
1988–1994 Academy of Fine Arts, Bratislava, Slovakia.
1993 Slippery Rock University, Pennsylvania.
Lives and works in Bratislava.
RESIDENCIES
1994–95 Artest BINZ '39, Zurich.
1999–2000 Collegium Helveticum, Zurich.
2004 CCA, Kitakyushu, Japan.
2007–08 DAAD, Berlin.
2010 Villa Arson, Nice, France.
AWARDS
2018 Lovis Corinth Prize, Kunstforum Ostdeutsche Galerie, Regensburg, Germany.
2012 Artist of the Year 2012, Deutsche Bank Prize, Berlin.
2010 Finalist for The Hugo Boss Prize, New York.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2024 The Gund, Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio. Measuring the Universe
(27 June 2024 – 1 June 2025)
Galerie Martin Janda, Vienna. Roman Ondák: Wish We Were Here
(11 April – 1 June 2024)
2023 Fundació Antoni Tàpies, Barcelona. Infinitum
(12 May – 23 November)
2022 Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich. Measuring the Universe
(3 June – 25 September)
2021 gb agency, Paris. Journey to Dystopia
(16 October – 20 November)
Zahorian & van Espen Gallery, Ružinov, Bratislava. Camouflage
(19 May – 15 July)
kurimanzutto gallery, New York. Announcement, TITAN Series
(22 March – 1 May)
Kunsthalle Bratislava, Slovakia. Roman Ondák: SK Parking
(27 January – 14 March)
2019 Esther Schipper Gallery, Berlin. Perfect Society
(13 September – 26 October)
Galerie Martin Janda, Vienna. Open End
(26 April – 1 June)
2018 mezzaterra 11, Belluno, Italy. #12 Roman Ondák
(26 October 2018 – 31 January 2019)
Kunstforum Ostdeutsche Galerie, Regensburg, Germany. Based on True Events
(19 May – 9 September)
BASE Progetti per l’arte Arte, Florence. Objects in the Mirror
(14 March – 21 May)
2017 gb agency, Paris. The Day Before Now
(14 October – 25 November)
The Arts Club of Chicago, Illinois. Man Walking toward a Fata Morgana
(12 September – 22 December)
Kunsten Museum of Modern Art, Aalborg, Denmark. History Repeats Itself
(25 March – 17 September)
2016 South London Gallery, UK. The Source of Art is in the Life of a People
(29 September 2016 – 8 January 2017)
2015 Johnen Galerie, Berlin. Roman Ondák
(1 May – 6 June)
Guangdong Times Museum, Guangzhou, China. Storyboard
(18 April – 20 June)
2014 gb agency, Paris. Ajar
(18 October 2014 – 17 January 2015)
kurimanzutto, Mexico City. Signature
(19 September – 1 November)
Kaldor Public Art Projects, Parramatta Town Hall, Sydney. Project 28: Roman Ondák
(25 January – 14 February)
Galerie Martin Janda, Vienna. Erased Wing Mirror
(22 January – 8 March)
2013 The Common Guild, Glasgow. Some Thing
(12 October – 14 December)
Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid. Escena
(19 September 2013 – 23 February 2014)
2012 Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, France. Roman Ondák
(28 September – 16 December)
PalaisPopulaire by Deutsche Bank, Berlin. Roman Ondák
(26 April – 18 June)
Deutsche Guggenheim, Berlin. do not walk outside this area
(26 April – 18 June)
K21, Düsseldorf. Within Reach of Hand or Eye
(25 February – 28 May)
2011 Kunsthaus Zürich, Switzerland. Enter the Orbit
(10 June – 28 August)
Museo Tamayo, Mexico City. Roman Ondák: The Exhibition Vanished without a Trace
(9 April – 31 July)
Modern Art Oxford, UK. Roman Ondák: Time Capsule
(12 March – 20 May)
2010 Salzburger Kunstverein, Austria. Before Waiting Becomes Part of Your Life
(23 September – 28 November)
Villa Arson, Nice, France. Shaking Horizon
(2 July – 17 October)
Fondazione Morra Greco, Naples, Italy. Glimpse
(13 May – 8 October)
2009 Johnen Galerie, Berlin. Rear Room
(25 September – 16 November)
The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Measuring the Universe
(24 June – 14 September)
Czech and Slovak pavillion, Venice Biennale, Italy. Loop
(7 June – 22 November)
gb agency, Paris. Fluid Border
(25 April – 20 June)
2008 Galerie Martin Janda, Vienna. Across that Place
(17 September – 1 November)
CCA Wattis Institute, San Francisco. Path
(27 May – 28 June)
DAAD Gallery, Berlin. Measuring the Universe
(29 March – 30 April)
Frankfurter Kunstverein, Germany. Roman Ondák
(16 March – 16 April)
2007 Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich. My Summer Shoes Rest in Winter
(23 November 2007 – 17 February 2008)
BAK, Utrecht, the Netherlands. The Day After Yesterday
(11 March – 27 May)
Galerie im Taxispalais, Innsbruck, Austria. Roman Ondák
(19 January – 4 March)
2006 CAC Bretigny, Paris. Here or Elsewhere
(29 September – 16 December)
Tate Modern, London. It Will All Turn Out Right in the End
(29 July – 17 September)
gb agency, Paris. More Silent Than Ever
(8 June – 22 July)
2005 Galerie Martin Janda, Vienna. Roman Ondák
(3 June – 30 July)
2004 CCA, Kitakyushu, Japan. Passage
(20 December 2004 – 4 February 2005)
2003 Dům umění, Brno, Czech Republic. Another Day
(10 April – 11 May)
gb agency, Paris. Talker
(1 March – 19 April)
Gallery Display, Prague. Teenagers (with Július Koller)
(7 February – 23 February)
2002 Gallery Priestor, Bratislava. Pause for a Moment (with Josef Dabernig)
(30 November – 15 December)
Moderna Galerija, Zagreb. Guided Tour
(17 May – 15 June)
2000 MK Gallery, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Roman Ondák
(13 October – 12 November)
Kunsthof, Zurich. Room Extension
(30 March – 13 May)
1999 Ludwig Museum of Contemporary Art, Budapest. Through the Eye Lens
(14 September – 17 October)
1998 Ujazdowski Castle, Warsaw. Exposure
(8 December 1998 – 16 January 1999)
Gallery of the City of Prague, Czech Republic. I’ve Definitely Been Here Before
(19 November 1998 – 3 January 1999)
Spala Gallery, Prague. Discrepancies
(5 February – 1 March)
1997 MK Gallery, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Roman Ondák
(12 October – 9 November)
1996 Gallery Ruce, Prague. Roman Ondák
(4 January – 3 February)
1995 Artest BINZ '39, Zurich. Roman Ondák
(28 January – 16 February)
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2025 Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin. Border Crossings:
Contemporary Art from the Zirinsky Collection (10 January – 1 June)
2024 Peter Freeman, Inc., Paris. En travaux
(16–26 October)
Museion, Museo d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Bolzano, Italy.
AMONG THE INVISIBLE JOINS (28 September 2024 – 2 March 2025)
BY ART MATTERS, Hangzhou, China. Moments are Monuments
(15 August – 13 October)
2023 gb agency, Paris. Floating Worlds
(10 October – 14 November)
Galerie Martin Janda, Vienna. Between 58 and 131 infinitely
(12 September – 28 October)
Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, New Delhi. Very Small Feelings
(4 July – 20 September)
Lenbechhaus, Munich. Fragments of an Infinite Discourse
(28 June 2023 – ongoing)
Moderna galerija (MG+MSUM), Ljubljana, Slovenia. Don’t Dream Dreams: A Selection
from the Art Collection Telekom and Two Commissioned Works (23 May – 30 July)
Green On Red Gallery, Dublin. Clamour
(20 April – 21 May)
Dhaka Art Summit, Bangladesh. বন্যা/Bonna
(3–11 February)
2022 Kurimanzutto, New York. Todos Juntos
(11 November 2022 – 21 January 2023)
Galerie Martin Janda, Vienna. Le Dernier des 8 solitaires
(11 November – 22 December)
Galerie Martin Janda, Vienna. Reroute–Reorient
(9 September – 22 October)
Aichi Triennale, Japan. Still Alive
(30 July – 10 October)
gb agency, Paris. Before Waiting Becomes Part of Your Life
(14 May – 16 July)
gb agency, Paris. Yann Sérandour: Ce Devant Quoi
(26 March – 7 May)
2021 BY ART MATTERS, Hangzhou, China. A Show About Nothing
(25 December 2021 – 8 May 2022)
New Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. Manifold. Unity. Contemporary art of Europe.
Berlin. Moscow. Paris (23 November 2021 – 13 March 2022)
Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Rome. Ti con zero
(12 October 2021 – 27 February 2022)
gb agency, Paris. Here Or Elsewhere
(16 June – 31 July)
Flughafen Tempelhof, Berlin. Diversity United
(9 June – 10 October)
Fondation Boghossian, Brussels. Trees for memories
(4 June – 7 November)
Walker Arts Center, Minneapolis. The Paradox of Stillness: Art, Object, and Performance
(15 May – 8 August)
Museion, Museo d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Bolzano, Italy.
Here to Stay, new arrivals to the collection (26 March – 8 August)
Weserburg Museum für Moderne Kunst, Bremen, Germany. The Way We Are 3.0
(20 March 2021 – 21 August 2022)
2020 gb agency, Paris. Activity of Matter
(19 December 2020 – 31 March 2021)
Ludwig Forum, Aachen, Germany. Bon Voyage!
(13 November 2020 – 16 May 2021)
Galerie Martin Janda, Vienna. Galerie Martin Janda satellite IV
in Hochhaus Herrengasse – On Sculpture (2–28 October)
Bratislava City Gallery, Bratislava. Snívaj!?
(24 September – 29 November)
Ludwig Museum of Contemporary Art, Budapest. Keeping the Balance:
Works from the Art Collection Telekom (8 September – 22 November)
Printemps de l’Art Contemporain, Marseille, France. La saison dure
(28 August – 17 October)
Kunsten Museum of Modern Art, Aalborg, Denmark. Landscape
(26 June 2020 – 31 January 2021)
Esther Schipper, Berlin. PS81E
(16 June – 25 July)
Deutsche Bank Collection, PalaisPopulaire, Berlin. Time Present
(10 June 2020 – 8 February 2021)
The Israel Museum, Jerusalem. Shutters and Stairs: Elements of Modern Architecture
in Contemporary Art (21 February 2020 – 22 May 2021)
2019 Galerie Martin Janda at Hochhaus Herrengasse, Vienna.
(7 December 2019 – 11 January 2020)
Ludwig Museum of Contemporary Art, Budapest. Signal –
The Story of (Post-)Conceptual Art in Slovakia (19 April – 23 June)
Fundació Antoni Tàpies, Barcelona. Someone Walking Around
(5 April – 30 June)
r/e projects, Madrid. Between the lines
(1 March – 24 May)
Kunsthalle Darmstadt, Germany. What Are We Made Of?
(26 January – 28 April)
2018 r/e projects, Madrid. Ubu asks, “Tell me, what is the difference between
actuality and potentiality?” (14 September 2018 – 14 February 2019)
Georg Kargl, Vienna. Vienna Transit
(14 September – 3 November)
National Gallery of Victoria, Australia. MoMA at NGV
(9 June – 8 October)
Tai Kwun, Hong Kong. Dismantling the Scaffold
(9 June – 19 August)
Kasteel Wijlre, the Netherlands. Je marche, j’ouvre une porte, je ferme une porte
(8 March – 10 June)
Zahorian & Van Espen, Ružinov, Bratislava. Roman Ondák & Štefan Papčo: Sky Gravity
(19 February – 16 March)
Museum Morsbroich, Leverkusen, Germany. Against the Current
(28 January – 29 April)
Muzej suvremene umjetnosti, Zagreb. I Am The Mouth
(19 January – 18 March)
2017 Madre Museum, Naples, Italy. Pompei@Madre, Materia Archeologica
(19 November 2017 – 30 April 2018)
Centrale for Contemporary Art, Brussels. Private Choices
(9 November 2017 – 27 May 2018)
Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris. Being Modern. MoMA in Paris
(11 October 2017 – 5 March 2018)
Sequences Performance Festival, Reykjavik. Sequences VIII, Elastic Hours
(6–15 October)
Timisoara Art Encounters, Romania. Life, A User's Manual
(30 September – 5 November)
CA2M, Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo, Madrid. A Choreographed Exhibition
(16 September – 15 October)
Galerie Martin Janda, Vienna. Mistaking the Moon for a Ball
(15 September – 14 October)
Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Buenos Aires. Take me (I’m Yours)
(13 September – 5 November)
Xawery Dunikowski Museum of Sculpture, Królikarna Palace, Warsaw. Half-Truth
(10 September – 22 October)
Eesti Kunstimuuseum, Tallinn, Estonia. The Travellers
(25 August 2017 – 28 January 2018)
Centre International d'Art & du Paysage, Vassivière, France. Transhumance
(24 June – 5 November)
Vila Tugendhat, Brno, Czech Republic. Tugendhat 1
(1 May – 8 May)
The Israel Museum, Jerusalem. No Place Like Home
(25 February – 19 August)
Fundación Cultural Banco Santander, Madrid. Punto de Partida, Coppel Collection
(21 February – 11 June)
High Line, New York. The High Line Plinth. Shortlisted projects
(21 February – 30 April)
Hamburger Kunsthalle, Germany. Waiting. Between Power and Possibility
(17 February – 18 June)
KÖNIG GALERIE – St. Agnes, Berlin. Three Positions. Six Directions:
Chapter II: Door to the Future, Window to the Past (17 February – 26 March)
Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst, Ghent. The String Traveller
(28 January – 16 April)
2016 Tate Liverpool, UK. Constellations
(25 November 2016 – July 2019)
Hamburger Kunsthalle, Germany. Drawing Rooms II: Trends in Contemporary Graphic Art
(25 November 2016 – 21 May 2017)
r/e projects, Madrid. Lotería
(15 September 2016 – 17 February 2017)
Kunstinstituut Melly, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Rotterdam Cultural Histories #9:
Manifesta 1 revisited (9 September – 31 December)
Kunsthalle Mainz, Germany. Detail is all
(24 June – 16 October)
Tate Modern, London. BMW TATE LIVE: Roman Ondák Good Feelings in Good Times
(17 June – 3 July)
13th Triennial of Small-scale sculpture, Fellbach, Germany. Food–Ecologies of the Everyday
(11 June – 2 October)
Palazzo Fortuny, Venice. Quand fondra la neige, où ira le blanc
(5 June – 25 September)
Contemporary Art Center Parc Saint Léger, Pougues-les-Eaux, France. Tension Economy
(29 May – 28 August)
Zachęta, National Gallery of Art, Warsaw. The Travelers
(14 May – 21 August)
Friche La Belle de Mai, Marseille, France. Les Possédés
(5 May – 31 July)
The High Line, New York. Wanderlust
(21 April 2016 – 31 March 2017)
The Israel Museum, Jerusalem. The Distance of a Day: New in Contemporary Art
(20 April – 29 October)
Muzeul national de arta contemporana, Bucharest, Romania. Shape of Time –
Future of Nostalgia (20 April – 9 October)
Pulitzer Arts Foundation, St. Louis. Ellipsis
(15 April – 2 July)
Haus der Kunst, Munich. A History: Contemporary Art from the Centre Pompidou
(25 March – 4 September)
Musée des beaux arts, Dole, France. La Collection mise à nue par ses artistes, meme
(19 February – 1 May)
Silvia Cintra Gallery, Rio de Janeiro. Not Knowing When the Dawn Will Come
(18 February – 19 March)
National Gallery, Prague. Generosity. On the Art of Giving
(4 February – 2 July)
Jessica Silverman Gallery, San Francisco. From Here to There
(12 January – 5 March)
2015 Aspen Art Museum, Colorado. A Fragile but Marvelous Life
(20 November 2015 – 7 February 2016)
Luis Adelantado, Valencia. A Certain State of Mind
(20 November 2015 – 14 January 2016)
Long Museum, Shanghai. 15 Rooms
(25 September – 8 November)
La Monnaie de Paris, France. Take Me (I’m Yours)
(16 September – 8 November)
Fondation Nicola Trussardi, Palazzo Reale, Milan. La Grande Madre
(26 August – 15 November)
Johnen Galerie, Berlin. Sommer Kino
(27 June – 25 July)
Hamburger Kunsthalle, Germany. When There Is Hope:
Triennial of Photography Hamburg (19 June – 13 September)
The Kosovo Art Gallery, Pristina. Thirty One
(17 June – 21 July)
Bicycle Factory, Bienal de La Habana, Cuba. Mountains with a Broken Edge
(22 May – 22 June)
Madre-Museo d'arte contemporanea Donnaregina, Naples, Italy. Performing a collection #4
(May 2015)
Lulu, Mexico City. The Lulennial: A Slight Gestuary Part three
(18 April – 14 May)
Museion, Museo d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Bolzano, Italy.
Collecting for Tomorrow. New works at Museion (21 March 2015 – 10 January 2016)
Fundación Malba, Buenos Aires. Programación 2015 – Infinite Experience
(20 March – 8 June)
Wrocław Contemporary Museum, Poland. Soft codes, Conceptual tendencies in Slovak art
(20 March – 18 May)
2014 Ludwig Museum of Contemporary Art, Budapest. LUDWIG 25: The Contemporary Collection
(14 November 2014 – 31 December 2015)
Musée d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean, Luxembourg. Art & Me
(8 November 2014 – 15 February 2015)
me Collectors Room Berlin/Olbricht Foundation, Berlin. Fragile Sense of Hope
(10 October – 23 November)
Museion, Museo d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Bolzano, Italy. Soleil politique.
The museum between light and shadow (27 September 2014 – 11 January 2015)
Museo de Arte de Zapopan, Mexico. Estudio abierto 4: Máquina del tiempo
(12 September 2014 – 1 February 2015)
Gwangju Biennale, South Korea. Burning Down the House
(5 September – 9 November)
Centre Pompidou, Paris. A HISTORY (art achitecture design, from the 80s to now)
(2 July 2014 – 2 March 2016)
Fondation Beyeler/Art Basel/Theater Basel, Switzerland. 14 Rooms
(14 June – 23 June)
Prison Sainte Anne, Avignon, France. The Disappearance of the fireflies
(18 May – 25 November)
Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona, Spain. Lo real invocable
(9 April – 31 August)
Flux Factory Inc., New York. within a tournament of value
(1–15 April)
Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo, Madrid. PER/FORM, How to do things with[out] words
(22 March – 21 September)
Museum van Hedendaagse Kunst Antwerpen, Belgium. El Hotel Eléctrico
(21 February – 11 May)
Museo de Arte de Sonora, Hermosillo, Mexico. The Eye on Time, Adrastus collection
(13 February – 4 June)
Palais de Tokyo, Paris. Des choses en moins, des choses en plus
(13 February – 1 March)
Clark House Initiative, Mumbai. And I laid Traps for the Troubadours
who get killed before they reached Bombay (7 February – 27 April)
Museo Civico Archeologico, Bologna, Italy. Empty Pedestal
(24 January – 16 March)
Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, Salt Lake City. do it
(17 January – 31 May)
2013 Freies Museum, Berlin. Zero Years, Noughties
(7 December 2013 – 31 January 2014)
Museo de Arte Carrillo Gil, Mexico City. El ojo en el tiempo: obras de la Colección Adrastus
(4 October 2013 – 12 January 2014)
Moscow Biennale, Russia. 0 Performance–The Fragile Beauty of Crisis
(19 September – 20 October)
Musée de l'abbaye Sainte-Croix, Les Sables d'Olonne, France.
Projections. Vers d'autres monde (September 2013)
Villa Merkel - Galerien der Stadt Esslingen, Germany. Goldrausch
(6 August – 22 October)
Musée d'Art Contemporain, Marseille, France. Le Pont
(25 May – 20 October)
The Israeli Center for Digital Art, Holon. Time / Resistance
(11 May – 31 August)
Fundación / Colección Jumex, Mexico City. The Hunter and the Factory
(12 April – 28 July)
Kaldor Art Projects, Sydney. 13 Rooms
(11–21 April)
La Centrale for contemporary art, Brussels. L’Origine des choses
(7 March – 9 June)
Museum of Contemporary Art, Detroit. When Attitudes Became Form Become Attitudes
(1 February – 31 March)
Henry Art Gallery, Seattle. Now Here is also Nowhere: Part II
(26 January – 5 May)
gb agency, Paris. Inventing a Future
(26 January – 16 March)
2012 Kunsthalle Nürnberg, Germany. Gold Rush
(18 October 2012 – 13 January 2013)
The David Roberts Art Foundation, London. A House of Leaves. Third Movement
(21 September 2012 – 23 February 2013)
CCA Wattis Institute, San Francisco. When Attitudes Became Form Become Attitudes
(13 September – 1 December)
Galeria Nara Roesler, São Paulo. Roesler Hotel # 20 - Lo bueno y lo malo
(1 September – 3 November)
Museum Folkwang, Essen, Germany. 12 Rooms
(17 August – 26 August)
Hayward Gallery, London. Invisible: Art about the Unseen, 1957-2012
(12 June – 5 August)
Various venues, Kassel, Germany. dOCUMENTA (13)
(9 June – 16 September)
Centre for Contemporary Art, Derry, Northern Ireland. You Are Now Entering
(2 June – 29 June)
Jewish Museum, Vienna. Foreigners everywhere
(24 May – 7 October)
Murray Guy Gallery, New York. From an object's point of view
(11 May – 30 June)
Hamburger Bahnhof - Museum für Gegenwart, Berlin. Architektonika 2
(5 April 2012 – 13 January 2013)
Art Gallery of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. Rearview Mirror
(27 January – 29 April)
2011 Kölnischer Kunstverein, Germany. Editions 2011
(25 November – 18 December)
Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne. Power to the People
(22 October – 20 November)
Muzeum Sztuki, Łódź, Poland. Eyes Looping for a Head to Inhabit
(30 September – 11 December)
MoMA PS1, New York. September 11
(11 September 2011 – 9 January 2012)
Galerie Jocelyn Wolff, Paris. Honoring Jan Mancuska
(9 September – 23 October)
Moscow Museum of Modern Art, Russia. Impossible Community
(8 September – 6 November)
Green On Red Gallery, Dublin. O
(1 September – 1 October)
New Museum, New York. Ostalgia
(14 July – 15 September)
Manchester Art Gallery, UK. 11 Rooms
(9–17 July)
The Power Plant, Toronto. Rearview Mirror
(1 July – 5 September)
54th International La Biennale di Venezia, Italy. ILLUMInations
(4 June – 27 November)
Centre d'Art Contemporain, Fribourg, Switzerland. Paysages avec objets absents
(28 May – 21 August)
Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Turin. Un’Espressione Geografica
(16 May 2011 – 8 January 2012)
Tate, St Ives, UK. Summer Exhibition
(14 May – 25 September)
HangarBicocca, Milan. Terre Vulnerabili
(6 May – 17 July)
Pirelli HangarBicocca, Milan. Terre Vulnerabili 3: A Growing Exhibition
(11 March – 5 May)
WIELS Contemporary Art Centre, Brussels. The Other Tradition
(26 February – 1 May)
Kadist Foundation, Paris. Confer1: Macaronistes
(25 January – 18 March)
National Museum of Contemporary Art, Bucharest, Romania.
Architecture Dessins Utopies (24 January – 20 April)
2010 Künstlerhaus Bremen, Germany. The ideal place to talk with freedom in private
(4 December 2010 – 20 February 2011)
Pirelli HangarBicocca, Milan. Terre Vulnerabili: True Solutions come from the Bottom Up
(22 October 2010 – 29 May 2011)
Kadist Foundation, Paris. L’Exposition Lunatique
(2 October – 14 November)
Galería Elba Benítez, Madrid. Huis Clos
(September – December)
Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam. Taking Place
(28 August 2010 – 9 January 2011)
The David Roberts Art Foundation, London. The Moon is an Arrant Thief
(23 June – 18 September)
Museo de Arte de Culiacán, Mexico. Arte y Politica: Conflictos y Disyuntivas
(18 June – 13 September)
6th Berlin Biennale, Germany. What is waiting out there, 6th Berlin Biennale
(11 June – 8 August)
Galleria Civica d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Turin. Permanent Mimesis:
An Exhibition on Realism and Simulation (10 June – 26 September)
CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts, San Francisco.
We have as much time as it takes (6 May – 31 July)
KAI10, Düsseldorf. The Fate of Irony
(24 April – 10 July)
De Appel, Amsterdam. I’m not here. An exhibition without Francis Alÿs
(17 April – 6 June)
Centre Pompidou, Paris. The Promises of the Past, 1950-2010
(14 April – 19 July)
Museion, Museo d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Bolzano, Italy. Che cosa sono le nuvole ?
(19 March – 18 September)
Johnen Galerie, Berlin. Conversation Pieces: A Chamber Play Act II
(13 February – 13 March)
Kunsthalle Bonn, Germany. Neugierig? Kunst des 21. Jahrhunderts. Private Sammlungen
(29 January – 2 May)
2009 David Roberts Art Foundation, London. The Object of the Attack
(15–19 December)
Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio, Modena, Italy. History Memory Identity
(13 December 2009 – 14 March 2010)
Gallery Francesca Kaufmann, Milan. The Rustle of Language
(19 November 2009 – 25 January 2010)
MoMA P.S.1, New York. 100 Years
(1 November 2009 – 3 May 2010)
Musée d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean, Luxembourg. Go East II
(10 October 2009 – 10 January 2010)
Sculpture International, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. When the Lightness of Poetry
(19 September – 27 September)
Kunsthalle Bern, Switzerland. Voids, Eine Retrospektive
(13 September – 11 October)
Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin. Die Kunst ist super!
(5 September 2009 – 14 February 2010)
Le Quartier, Quimper, France. Wake up, please
(3 July – 25 October)
Casa Encendida Art Centre, Madrid. Just around the corner
(30 June – 30 August)
gb agency, Paris. Nord, Nord Ouest
(25 June – 25 July)
Wien Museum, Austria. Fifty Fifty
(14 May – 11 October)
De Appel, Amsterdam. Take the Money and Run
(3 May – 12 May)
Walker Art Center, Minneapolis. The Quick and the Dead
(24 April – 27 September)
Salzburger Kunstverein, Austria. Performing the East
(22 April – 23 June)
Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt am Main. Playing the City
(19 April – 6 May)
One Day Sculpture/public project. Wellington, New Zealand. Camouflaged Building
(27 March 2009)
Tri Postal, Lille, France. Liquid Frontiers
(14 March – 12 July)
Centre Pompidou, Paris. Voids, A Retrospective
(25 February – 23 March)
Tent, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Aspect Ratio
(22 January – 8 March)
2008 Gallery Luisa Strina, São Paulo. This is Not a Void
(25 October 2008 – 22 January 2009)
Gallery Johnen+Schöttle, Cologne. Don’t come in, be merciful
(25 October – 29 November)
Badischer Kunstverein, Karlsruhe, Germany. Why there is always somewhere else
(3 October – 30 November)
Gallery Johnen+Schöttle, Cologne. I am never at home
(25 September – 17 October)
5th Liverpool Biennial, UK. Made Up
(20 September – 30 November)
Bétonsalon, Paris. Playtime
(16 September – 24 October)
Gallery One One One, London. All the Best
(12 September – 15 November)
Museum of Contemporary Art, Panama City. 8th Panama Art Biennial
(10 September – 21 October)
7th Shanghai Biennale, China. Translocalmotion
(9 September – 16 November)
Copenhagen, Denmark. U-TURN Quadrennial
(5 September – 9 November)
Johnen Galerie, Berlin. I am never at home
(5 September – 18 October)
de Appel, Amsterdam. No More Reality
(5 July – 7 September)
Museo de Arte Contemporáneo, Vigo, Spain. Museum as Medium
(20 June – 21 September)
Centre d’Art Contemporain La Tôlerie, Clermont-Ferrand, France. Crowd (0- infinity)
(7 May – 25 July)
Galerie Martin Janda, Vienna. Participation
(26 April – 7 June)
Proyectos Monclova, Mexico City. Huis Clos
(April)
Museo d’Arte Contemporanea Sannio, Benevento, Italy. Italia Italie Italien Italy
(20 March – 31 August)
Musée d'art contemporain de la Haute-Vienne, Rochechouart, France.
News from Mount Analogue (1 March – 18 May)
Wellington, New Zealand. New Zealand International Art Festival 08
(22 February – 16 March)
Art Sheffield 08, UK. Yes, No & Other Options
(16 February – 30 March)
Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston. The World as a Stage
(1 February – 27 April)
FRAC Champagne-Ardenne, Reims, France. Le dernier qui parle
(18 January – 30 March)
2007 Art Basel Miami Beach, Florida. Art Perform
(6 December – 9 December)
Kunsthalle St. Gallen, Switzerland. A Choreographed Exhibition
(1 December 2007 – 13 January 2008)
Wallspace, New York. From a Distance
(29 November 2007 – 5 January 2008)
Galerie Martin Janda, Vienna. Do You Remember Where They Are From?
(14 November – 22 December)
STUK, Leuven, Belgium. Playground
(3 November – 10 November)
Tate Modern, London. The World as a Stage
(24 October 2007 – 1 January 2008)
Mac/Val, Paris. Stardust
(5 October 2007 – 13 January 2008)
Cristina Guerra Contemporary Art, Lisbon. For Sale
(20 September – 20 October)
CCA Wattis Institute, San Francisco. Passengers
(4 September 2007 – 29 August 2008)
Prague Biennial, Czech Republic. Der Process
(24 May – 16 September)
Institute of Contemporary Art, London. Memorial to the Iraq War
(23 May – 27 June)
Vianuova per l’arte contemporanea, Florence. Geografie
(9 May – 30 July)
Kunsthaus Baselland, Switzerland. The Art of Failure
(4 May – 30 June)
Halle für Kunst, Lueneburg, Germany. Alles wird gut
(28 March – 15 April)
Argos, Brussels. Anachronism
(27 March – 26 May)
NoguerasBlanchard Gallery, Barcelona. Extraordinary Rendition
(22 March – 19 May)
Le Plateau, Paris. Société Anonyme
(15 March – 13 May)
Tate Modern, London. Saturday Live Actions and Interruptions
(10 March)
Ludwig Museum of Contemporary Art, Budapest. Crossing Frontiers
(22 February – 15 April)
Victoria Miro Gallery, London. Absent Without Leave
(17 February – 17 March)
tranzitdisplay gallery, Prague. All dressed up with nowhere to go
2006 Frankfurter Kunstverein, Germany. Auditorium, Stage, Backstage
(13 December 2006 – 4 March 2007)
Galleria civica di arte contemporanea, Trento, Italy. Il teatro della vita
(17 November 2006 – 25 February 2007)
27th Bienal São Paulo, Brazil. How to live together
(7 October – 17 December)
Kadist Foundation, Paris. The Show Will Be Open When The Show Will Be Closed
(7–29 October)
Kunsthaus Graz, Austria. Protections
(23 September – 22 October)
Kunstforum Ostdeutsche Galerie, Regensburg, Germany. Grenzgänger
(22 September – 26 November)
Wiener Secession, Austria. I (Ich) / Performative Ontology
(22 September – 12 November)
Muzej moderne i suvremene umjetnosti, Rijeka, Croatia. L’usage du Monde
(15 September – 6 October)
Santiago de Compostela, Spain. La ciudad interpretada
(13 September – 31 December)
Domaine de Kerguéhennec - Centre d'Art Contemporain, Bignan, France. Chers amis
(1 July – 1 October)
Museum Moderner Kunst, Vienna. Why Pictures Now? and Kontakt
(9 June – 1 October)
Gallery Medium, Bratislava. Heroes and Anti-Monuments
(May – June)
Gallery Priestor, Bratislava. Runaway
(May)
Klosterfelde Gallery, Berlin. Wrong
(25 March – 19 June)
Studios Micadanses, Cite des Arts, Paris. La Monnaie Vivante
(20–22 January)
2005 Martin Gropius Bau, Berlin. After the Fact
(24 September – 14 November)
Barents Art Triennial, Kirkenes, Norway. Next Door
(29 August – 30 September)
Casino Luxembourg, Luxembourg. En attente
(16 July – 18 September)
Museum Moderner Kunst, Vienna. Nach Rokytnik and Definition of Everyday
(3 July – 18 September)
Frankfurter Kunstverein, Germany, and Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam. Populism
(30 April – 27 August)
Institute of Contemporary Art, Sofia, Bulgaria. Red Riviera Revisited
(28 April – 21 May)
Midway Contemporary Art, Minneapolis. Post Notes
(15 April – 30 April)
The Museum of Contemporary Art, Oslo. Populism
(8 April – 8 June)
Royal College of Art, London. Do Not Interrupt Your Activities
(8 April – 1 May)
Ludwig Museum of Contemporary Art, Budapest. Works on the Edge
(15 March – 31 December)
Platform Garanti Contemporary Art Center, Istanbul. Normalization
(10 March – 23 April)
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Illinois. Universal Experience:
Art, Life and the Tourist's Eye (12 February – 5 June). Exhibition travelled:
Hayward Gallery, London (6 October – 11 December); Museo d’Arte Moderna e
Contemporanea di Trento e Roverto, Italy (10 February – 14 May 2006). Catalogue.
Astrup Fearnley Museet for Moderne Kunst, Oslo. Water Event
(22 January – 8 May)
2004 Villa Manin Centro d'Arte Contemporanea, Passariano, Italy. Instant Europe
(12 December 2004 – 1 May 2005)
Galerie für Zeitgenössische Kunst, Leipzig, Germany. The Future is not what it used to be
(28 November 2004 – 16 January 2005)
BAK, basis voor actuele kunst, Utrecht, the Netherlands. Cordially Invited
(31 October – 31 December)
Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam. Time and Again
(22 October 2004 – 29 January 2005)
Frieze Art Fair, London. Frieze Art Fair Projects
(15–18 October)
Galerie für Zeitgenössische Kunst, Leipzig, Germany. Unbalanced Allocation of Space
(2 July – 29 August)
Gallery Display, Prague. Czech Made
(16 June – 4 July)
Herning Kunstmuseum, Denmark. Socle du Monde 04
(4 June – 15 August)
École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris. Densité ±O
(2 May – 20 June)
Fri-Art Kunsthalle, Fribourg, Switzerland. Densité ±O
(1 May – 20 June)
Bawag Foundation, Vienna. Eintritt frei
(17 March – 19 June)
Limerick City Gallery of Art, Ireland. ev+a 2004 ‘Imagine Limerick’
(13 March – 23 May)
Domaine de Kerguéhennec, Bignan, France. Le Proche et le lointain
(31 January – 21 March)
Generali Foundation, Vienna. That bodies speak has been known for a long time
(22 January – 25 April)
2003 Centre d'Art Contemporain, Brétigny, France. Phalanstère
(12 October – 20 December)
Haus der Kunst, Munich. Utopia Station Poster Project
(21 September – 7 December)
gb agency, Paris. Links
(13 September – 8 November)
Prague Biennial, Czech Republic. Beautiful Banners
(26 June – 24 August)
50th International La Biennale di Venezia, Italy. Utopia Station
(15 June – 2 November)
Slovak National Museum, Bratislava. Czechoslovakia
(4–30 June)
Rotor, Graz, Austria. Real Utopia
(24 May – 26 October)
Kunstverein Cologne, Germany. Wir müssen heute noch…
(10 May – 22 June)
Austrian Triennial on Photography, Graz, Austria. Sight.Seen
(10 January – 28 February)
City Gallery, Bratislava. Spheres of Valency
2002 Kunsthalle Zürich, Switzerland. Durchzug/Draft
(9 November 2002 – 12 January 2003)
UKS gallery, Oslo. Mental Shift
(11 October – 24 November)
Gallery Gradska Loza, Zadar, Croatia. Inter Muros
(16 August – 24 August)
Ludwig Museum, Cologne. I promise it’s political
(21 June – 8 September)
Public spaces in Erlauf, Austria. Erlauf erinnert sich
(June – October)
Spala Gallery, Prague. In Prague
(4–28 April)
Royal College, London. Fair
(19 March – 24 March)
Kunstihoone, Tallin, Estonia. An Artist who doesn’t speak English
(22 February – 23 March)
2001 Wiener Secession, Austria. Ausgeträumt…
(29 November 2001 – 3 February 2002)
Museum Moderner Kunst, Passau, Germany. Slowakische Träume
(6 October – 2 December)
Museum Morsbroich, Leverkusen, Germany. Central
(23 September 2001 – 13 January 2002)
Slavonski Brod, Croatia. Suspense
(22 September – 20 October)
Fellbach, Germany. 8.Triennial of smallscale sculpture
(21 July – 21 October)
Begane Grond, Utrecht, the Netherlands. Common Ground
(14 June – 8 July)
Museumsquartier, Vienna. Central
(7 June – 15 July)
Galerie Jeleni, Prague. Glued Intimity
(5 June – 22 June)
Gallery &: gb agency, Paris. Hors-Jeu
(17 February – 6 March)
Museum moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien, Austria. Die Sammlung
2000 Apex Art C.P., New York. Chinese Whispers
(11 October – 11 November)
Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin. After the Wall
(1 October 2000 – 4 February 2001)
Moderna Galerija, Ljubljana. Manifesta 3
(23 June – 24 September)
Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo per l’ Arte, Torino, Italy. Guarene Arte
(10 June – 10 September)
Trade Fair Palace, Prague. Changes of Order
1999 Museum Moderner Kunst, Vienna. Aspects-Positions 1949-1999
(18 December 1999 – 27 February 2000)
Moderna Museet, Stockholm. After the Wall: Art and Culture in Post-Communist Europe
(16 October 1999 – 16 January 2000). Exhibition travelled:
Ludwig Museum of Contemporary Art, Budapest (15 June – 27 August 2000). Catalogue.
Trade Fair Palace, Prague. Distant Resemblance
(13 October 1999 – 9 January 2000)
Slovak Pavillion, 48th International La Biennale di Venezia, Italy. Slovak Art for Free
(12 June – 7 November)
Ludwig Museum of Contemporary Art, Budapest. Rondo
(26 March – 16 May)
1998 Unikum, Klagenfurt, Austria. Zimmer frei
(9–18 October)
Knoll gallery, Vienna.
(3 June – 1 August)
1997 Knoll gallery, Budapest. D-signed in SK
(29 November 1997 – 1 August 1998)
Former Photostudio Rembrandt, Bratislava. 60/90
(23 October – 22 November)
FRAC Alsace, Sélestat, France. Selest Art
(14 September – 12 October)
Reed College, Portland, Oregon. Samizdat
(6 February – 16 March)
1996 Cosmos, Bratislava. Interior vs Exterior
(27 September – 31 October)
Natural History Museum, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Manifesta 1
(9 June – 19 August)
MK Expositieruimte, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
(7 June – 18 August)
Spala Gallery, Prague. Triple Possibility
(7 March – 31 March)
1995 Mattress Factory, Pittsburgh. Artists of Central and Eastern Europe
(29 October 1995 – 28 April 1996)
1994 Heiligenkreuzhof, Vienna. Fragments
(18 November – 17 December)
1992 Le Magasin, Grenoble, France. Germination 7
(20 December 1992 – 24 January 1993)
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
2021 Ondák, Roman, and Filip Vanco, eds. Roman Ondák: Fail to Fall (Photoport: Slovart, 2021).
2018 Ondák, Roman. Roman Ondák: New Observations
(Cologne: Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König, 2018).
2017 Toft, Stinna, Gitte Ørskou, and Roman Ondák, eds. Roman Ondák: History Repeats Itself
(Cologne: Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König, 2017).
2013 Heynen, Julian, ed. Roman Ondák: Time Capsule
(Cologne: Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König, 2013).
2012 Ondák, Roman. Roman Ondák: Notebook (Berlin: Hatje Cantz, 2012).
Ondák, Roman. Roman Ondák: Observations
(Cologne: Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König, 2012).
2011 Carmine, Giovanni, et al. Roman Ondák: LOOP
(Köln: Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König, 2011). Exhibition catalogue.
Mangion, Eric, Hemma Schmutz, and Andrea Viliani, eds. Roman Ondák: Guide
(Milan: Mousse Publishing, 2011).
2009 Schwenk, Bernhart, et al. Roman Ondák: Measuring the Universe
(Zurich: JRP|Ringier, 2009). Exhibition catalogue.
2007 Eiblmayr, Silvia, ed. Roman Ondák (Innsbruck, Austria: Galerie im Taxispalais, 2007).
2006 Ondák, Roman, ed. Roman Ondák: Passage
(Kitakyushu: Center for Contemporary Art, CCA Kitakyushu, 2006).
2004 Obrist, Hans Ulrich, ed. Roman Ondák
(Cologne: Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König, 2004). Exhibition catalogue.
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto
The Arts Club of Chicago, Illinois
Bratislava City Gallery, Slovakia
The Central Slovakian Gallery, Banska Bystrica
Centre Pompidou, Paris
Fonds National d’Art Contemporain, Rochechouart, France
FRAC Alsace, Sélestat, France
FRAC des Pays de la Loire, France
FRAC Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
FRAC Grand Large – Hauts-de-France, Dunkerque
FRAC Ile de France, Paris
The Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow, Scotland
Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart, Berlin
The Israel Museum, Jerusalem
Jan Koniarek Gallery, Trnava, Slovakia
Kunsten Museum of Modern Art, Aalborg, Denmark
Kunsthaus Zürich, Switzerland
Landesmuseum Niederösterreich, St. Pölten, Austria
Lenbachhaus, Munich
Ludwig Museum, Cologne
Ludwig Museum of Contemporary Art, Budapest
Musée d'Art de la Province du Hainaut, Charleroi, Belgium
Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, France
Musée d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean, Luxembourg
Museion, Museo d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Bolzano, Italy
Museum moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien, Austria
The Museum of Modern Art, New York
Muzeum Sztuki Łódź, Poland
Muzeum Współczesne, Wrocław, Poland
Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich
Povazska Gallery, Zilina, Slovakia
Slovak National Gallery, Bratislava
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York
Stiftung Deutsches Historisches Museum, Berlin
Tate, London
PRIVATE COLLECTIONS & FOUNDATIONS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
20/21 espacio de arte, La Palma, Spain
Adrastus Collection, Arevalo, Spain
Art Collection, Telekom, Bonn
Boros Collection, Berlin
BY ART MATTERS, Li Lin Collection, Hangzhou, China
Coppel Collection, Culiacan, Mexico
David Roberts Foundation, London
Deutsche Bank collection, Frankfurt am Main
Emdash Foundation, Munich
Fondazione Cassa Di Risparmio di Modena, Italy
Fondazione Morra Greco, Naples
Giuliani Foundation, Rome
Igal Ahouvi Art Collection, Tel Aviv
Ishikawa Foundation, Okayama, Japan
Jumex Collection, Mexico City
Kadist Art Foundation, Paris
Kontakt, Erste Bank Collection, Vienna
Kunsthalle Prague / Pudil Family Collection, Czech Republic
Nomas Foundation, Rome
RC Culture and Arts Foundation, Taiwan
Rennie Collection, Vancouver