Rhythm And Movement – ​​a Constructed Relief – Hans Richter

Hans Richter (1888–1976)

"Dymo Variation"
Sculptural work, circa 1970.
Dimensions: support H 80.5 cm – W 119 cm; constructed element H 59 cm – W 97 cm.

Materials: main support

• mill-scale steel
• shapes – aluminum alloys (raw finish), copper alloys (varnished), brass, painted aluminum (black and white), and metal (pigmented linseed oil).

Insight into the work ®

This wall sculpture marks a major turning point in the artist's career starting in 1960. From that time on, Hans Richter devoted himself exclusively to visual art, developing a geometric abstraction characterized by a stripped-back graphic style.

"Dymo Variation" belongs to his series of "constructed reliefs," alongside his explorations in the "Pro Contrat" ​​or "Cohésion" series.
It stands out due to several fundamental aspects

• The search for rhythm: The work is not a static composition. It is linked to the unifying thread of Richter’s entire life: the quest for movement. Here, the form repeats and sequences itself to create a genuine visual kineticism

• The constructed relief: Unlike the artist’s flat works (such as the *Vibra* or *Labyrinth* series), the relief allows rhythm to be anchored in physicality. The rhythm arises from the arrangement of the elements and the very nature of the materials used

• Economy of means: True to his mature period, Richter strips away the superfluous to retain only the essential—a "formulation" of relief in which structure becomes the work's sole subject.

Public collections

Hans Richter’s work enjoys worldwide institutional recognition, testifying to his role as an undisputed pioneer. His works are held in the most prestigious international collections

• in the United States, MoMA (New York), the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and the Art Institute of Chicago

• in Europe, the Centre Pompidou (Paris), Tate Modern (London), and the Kunsthaus Zürich, as well as numerous museums in Germany (Berlin, Frankfurt).