THE OPTICAL MASTER OF THE DIGITAL AGE, PETER KOGLER, PRESENTS HIS RETROSPECTIVE AT SEVIL DOLMACI GALLERY
Sevil Dolmacı Istanbul is set to host “40 Years: A Retrospective” by Peter Kogler, one of the most innovative figures in contemporary art, opening on September 15.
Organized as a parallel event to the 18th Istanbul Biennial, the exhibition brings together four decades of Kogler’s artistic journey, from his early computer-based works of the 1980s to the psychedelic video projections of the 2000s and his latest productions.
Today, Kogler’s works are included in the collections of some of the world’s most prestigious institutions such as MoMA (New York), Centre Pompidou (Paris), Mamco (Geneva), the Museum of Contemporary Art Zagreb, and the ING Art Center (Brussels). Recognized as one of the pioneers of computer-based art, Kogler is acclaimed as a master of optical illusion and as an artist who redefines the complexities of the digital age, individual and collective memory, and the perceptual boundaries of space.
Born in Innsbruck in 1959, Kogler has placed the computer at the center of his artistic practice since the 1980s. By establishing bridges between graphics, architecture, and new media, he has transformed technology into not just a tool but a language of artistic production.
Recurring motifs are central to his practice: ants, brain convolutions, veins, and tubes. These images function as strong metaphors representing the individual’s role within social networks, the complex structure of mental processes, and the invisible flows of data in the modern world. Through his installations, Kogler transforms architectural spaces, shifting the viewer from a passive position into an active participant invited to question perception itself.
Influenced by American Minimalism, Kogler gained international recognition with his computer-assisted work “Untitled I”, which won the Prix Ars Electronica Award. Since then, he has continued to transform optical illusions, repetition, and rhythm into powerful modes of expression, producing works across both two- and three-dimensional forms and within different disciplines.
In recent years, Kogler’s projects have once again been highlighted through exhibitions that explore the aesthetics of the digital age and the perception of space. His recent exhibitions include Diriyah Art Futures, Riyadh (2024–2025); Galerie Mitterrand, Paris (2024); Kunstraum St. Virgil, Salzburg (2025); and the Lehmbruck Museum, Duisburg (2025). These presentations reaffirm that Kogler’s artistic practice, spanning more than forty years, remains as innovative and influential as ever.
