Biography

Foreword

To understand and visualize the work of Théo Kerg, we need to remember the great events that marked the 20th century in which he lived. He was born and raised on the dividing line between French and German cultures, studied and worked in France and Germany. These two artistic influences clearly marked his work. These are episodes of a life full of twists and turns that constitute the artist’s path of Théo Kerg. They outline the small and large stages of his life and thus give a better understanding of his work and his artistic approach. The work of Théo Kerg certainly belongs to the national cultural heritage of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. 

Of these eighty-four years, he spent thirty-three in Luxembourg and fifty-one outside of his native country. It is therefore quite understandable that the life and work of Théo Kerg are not very well known in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. He has made one hundred and fifty-three solo exhibitions in Europe and the United States of America, participated in 361 group exhibitions around the world and two hundred and one fairs or biennales. Théo Kerg’s creativity translates into an annual average of more than two solo exhibitions and more than seven group exhibitions and fairs. A remarkable work for a painter who, during his lifetime, lived in twenty-eight different places in three European countries. 

Recent publications of the research of the historians of the University of Luxembourg have contributed to a more nuanced view of the history of the thirties and the events of the Second World War. The hitherto dominant view of the life of Théo Kerg during this period is called into question, and this calls for a re-examination of the criticisms and prejudices that had arisen in his native country. What will remain for future generations is his artistic approach and his work as a witness of his time. In the Thirties, the important events that marked his entire life and work were his studies in Düsseldorf with Paul Klee, and his adherence to the “Abstraction-Création” movement in Paris. Settling in Paris in the post-war period, he naturally became an artist of the Ecole de Paris. This period will last about ten years. The exhaustion of this movement in the second half of the fifties, as well as the entry of the world into space as a consequence of the arms race between America and Russia, will bring space to the fore in the artistic work of many artists. These will be “Tactilism” in the case of Theo Kerg, and in others “Matierism”. For Théo Kerg this period lasted about twenty years, twice that of the Ecole de Paris. The last fifteen years of the work of Théo Kerg are considered by the artist as his “fin de partie” or the “période de la communication détruite”. This is a period in which deconstruction predominated more specifically from 1978-1993. 

This biography, composed of chronological markers of the life of Théo Kerg, does not have the requirement to be complete. It is based on information found in the archives of Théo Kerg, in the press, in the National Archives of Luxembourg (ANLux), in the National Library (BNL), or on the internet.

Childhood and youth, 1909-1929

Théo Kerg was born on June 2, 1909 in Niederkorn, Luxembourg, when Grand Duke William IV of Nassau resewigned. Mr Paul Eyschen was Minister of State, President of the government and director-general for foreign affairs. Luxembourg was a member of the customs Union with Germany (Zollverein). Luxemburgish cyclist François Faber wins the Tour de France. The poet Jean Cocteau (1889-1962) published his first book of poems : The lamp of Aladdin. 

His father, Jean Kerg (1866-1937), was a teacher in Niederkorn and, in his spare time, a musician, inventor and even organist in the Church of Differdange. His mother, Marguerite Tresch (1878-1954), without a profession, was the sister of Mathias Tresch (1876-1942), a teacher in secondary education but best known for her activities as a journalist and writer which earned her many recognitions. Member of the Alliance Française, corresponding member of the Académie de Province, delegate of the Société des Ecrivains Ardennais, member of the Société des Gens de Lettres de France and Secretary of the APESS, he was honored with the 1st National Prize for literature of the country. It was thanks to Mathias Tresch that Marguerite met Jean Kerg. 

Théo Kerg, who had three sisters, Marie-Jeanne (1906-1942), kindergarten teacher, Catherine-Ernestine (1907-1908) prematurely deceased and Nathalie-Marguerite (1912-1999), primary school teacher, spent his childhood and youth in Niederkorn

Théo Kerg died in Chissey-en-Morvan, Burgundy, France, on March 4, 1993

The thirties 1929-1940

Some examples for the periods: 1929-1932 |1933-1935|1935-1939

The German occupation and the post – war period 1940-1947

 Some examples for the period:  1940-1946

The period of the Ecole de Paris 1947-1957

 Some examples for the period: Lithos| 1947-1950 | 1951-1953 | 1954-1957

The period of Tactilism 1957-1978

 Some examples for the period: 1957-1959 | 1960-1970 | 1971-1980

The “end-of-party” or perturbed communication period 1978-1993.

Some examples for the period: 1981-1993

In the painting by Théo Kerg, communication is disturbed, the flesh of the painting is consumed, tendons remain, outgrowths invade everything. On his canvases, there are injuries caused by pulling off the support. In its graphics one finds the footprints, the collages, the violence, the breaks, the wounds. Deconstruction becomes more through creation. “No creation is definitive” (Théo Kerg).

1978	Théo Kerg has six solo exhibitions: in Gütersloh (Kunstverein), in Kiel (Fischer Gallery), in Maulbronn (am Klostertor Gallery), in Bremen (Vilsen Gallery), in Schwetzingen (Kunstverein) and in Luxembourg (Galerie Paul Brück).
1978	Théo Kerg participates in five fairs and four group exhibitions, including the exhibition “abstraction-creation”, from April 2 to June 4, at the Westfälisches Landesmuseum in Münster and from June 15 to October 17, the Museum of Modern Art of the City of Paris. In view of its success, the latter was extended until 1 October at the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris.
1978	Montrouge: from April 26 to May 28, Théo Kerg participates in the exhibition “Contemporary Art” at the Salon de Montrouge. The guest of honor, is the work of Georges Braque (1882-1963). New York: French Cultural Services, 972 fifth Avenue, New York. From November 2 to November 21,with fifteen artists, Théo Kerg took part in an exhibition of lithographs.
1978	Dakar on November 21; the President of the Republic of Senegal, Léopold Sédar Senghor wrote a letter to the President of the Centre Georges Pompidou, Mr. John Thousand. In this letter he informs that the Minister of Cultural Affairs of Luxembourg would like a retrospective of the works of Théo Kerg to be organized at the Centre Georges Pompidou, at the end of 1979, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the signing of the franco-Luxembourgish cultural agreements.
1978	Paris: December; the president of the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, Mr Jean Millier, writes to Mr Léopold Sédar Senghor, President of the Republic of Senegal on the subject of Théo Kerg: “since the time when he belonged to the movement “Abstraction-Création”, Théo Kerg has indeed remained an important figure in contemporary artistic life in Paris and his work was again noticed during the travelling exhibition organized by the Museums of Rennes and Caen in 1975. Mr. Kerg has a special esteem in our house.”
1978	Mannheim: The “Bund Deutscher Architekten” with the “ Land Baden Württemberg” award the “Auszeichnung mit Plakette guter Bauten” at the morgue of the Mannheim cemetery where Théo Kerg created the facade. It is composed of 400 square meters of concrete elements made of Carrara marble and glass slabs.
1979	Gonderange / Luxembourg : chapel of the cemetery. Creation of a large concrete light wall and glass slabs by Theo Kerg in the cemetery morgue designed by Carlo Kerg.
1980	Paris: September 18; study and Conference trip to the USA until October 13,1980.
1981	Moutier / Switzerland : Musée des Beaux-Arts, retrospective Théo Kerg. “Birth and evolution of Tactilism”. Exhibition of 188 works from 1950-1981. In the works of 1950-1960 it is essentially a question of the abandonment of the existing form, and of the search for spaces defined by light screens superimposed and juxtaposed loaded with very colorful structures more and more marked. In works from 1960-1980, war, destruction, environments, Kafka, matter attacks and is attacked, destroyed ; Icarus grappling with the limits of his means, interrupted communications etc. through the “Tactilism” of the situations of our time appear in their negative context and with their positive possibilities.
1984	Basel: June 14-18, Art Basel; solo exhibition at the Tony Brechbühl gallery with tactilist works. The last works (1980-1984) could be called, according to Beckett : „the end of the game“. It is a question of the suffering of Man, of its slow destruction in parallel with the destruction of its environment.
1986	Luxembourg: October 23; Theo Kerg divorced his first wife, Catherine Vaccaroli. Remarriage is no longer an option.
1989	Schriesheim near Heidelberg: April 9; opening of the “Theo Kerg Museum” which is housed in a former barn “Zehntscheune” transformed, at no. 52 Talstrasse D-69198 Schriesheim. According to the museum’s catalogue, about 110 Works and objects by the artist are on display.
1989	Paris: serious health problems forced Théo Kerg to live in a wheelchair.
1990	Paris: March 31; Théo Kerg sells his studio apartment in a walk-up building at 203, rue St.- Honoré, third and fourth floor. He moved to the countryside in Chissey-en-Morvan, Burgundy.
1990	Schriesheim/Heidelberg : November 11 – December 31 ; exhibition at the Theo Kerg Museum, “ graphic design of the book, from Eluard to the present day “.
1991	Schriesheim / Heidelberg: Theo Kerg makesthe final exhibition of his life at the “Theo Kerg Museum”, with coloured drawings by brush and pencil.
1993	Chissey-en-Morvan/burgundy : 4 March; Théo Kerg dies in his workshop in Burgundy. He is buried in the Pétange Cemetery in Luxembourg, next to his parents and sisters. Vitrail de l’église St. Esprit Cents Luxembourg

The period after his final departure 1994-2019

1996	from April 24 to May 24, exhibition of the donation of the 114 graphic works by Théo Kerg at the Bibliothèque nationale in Luxembourg.
1998	Autun: Musée Rolin, from June 6 to September 14 ; large and last retrospective exhibition of Theo Kerg, “artist’s path”, organized by his companion Nini Krist.
2002	Luxembourg : November 11; First website of Théo Kerg, www.theokerg.com is created and put into service by his son Carlo Kerg.
2010	Luxembourg : October 7; the newspaper “Luxemburger Wort” publishes in its cultural section “Die Warte” an article of three pages “ under the roof of Paris. Spotlight on Theo Kerg “ by journalist Marc Jeck. « Il y a 80 ans, l’artiste luxembourgeois fait une apparition fulgurante dans la vie culturelle parisienne ».
2011	November 21 composer Claude Lenners composes a musical piece “Closed Eyes” in hommage to the work Théo Kerg. Since July 2012 this piece is on youtube.
2011	December 12, 2011 Minister of Culture Octavie Modert writes to Carlo Kerg, son of Théo Kerg , “ the National Museum of history and Art and the Luxembourg Agency for Cultural Action have agreed to make a retrospective exhibition in 2013. This exhibition will make it possible to present the work of the Luxembourg painter Théo Kerg to the general public “.
2012	In the September publication of the thesis of Catherine Lorent, the “Kliomediaverlag Trier” : “Die Nationalsozialistische Kunst-und Kulturpolitik im Großherzogtum Luxemburg 1934-1944”. The name of Théo Kerg appears on at least 22 pages.
2013	Luxembourg : February 28; on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the death of Théo Kerg, the writer Félix Molitor publishes an article on “the meaning in the work of Théo Kerg” in today’s cultural paper “Die Warte” of the newspaper “ Luxembourger Wort “. The article is published in three parts, on February 28, March 7 and March 14.
2013	Luxembourg : March 4 ; twenty years ago Théo Kerg died in Chissey-en-Morvan in Burgundy. The director of the MNHA in Luxembourg, Mr. Michel Polfer, writes to the son of the painter that on the occasion of the twentieth year of the death of the Luxembourg artist Théo Kerg, the National Museum of history and art, in collaboration with the Cercle Cité Luxembourg, organizes the first museum exhibition of the artist in Luxembourg. The exhibition will be accompanied by a largely Illustrated and commented catalogue… thus, by loans coming from European museums, private collections as well as the estate of the artist, the years 1946 to 1968 will be represented in order to visualize the position of Théo Kerg in the history of art of this period.
2013	Luxembourg: December13; opening of the two exhibitions by Théo Kerg. One at the MNHA, December 14, 2013, at March 4, 2014 regrouping some twenty works from the period of the Ecole de Paris ; another at the Cercle-Cité on December 14, 2013 at February 23, 2014, a group of twenty works of the period “ Tactiliste “. A third pillar of this trilogy of exhibitions is the Church in Cents, Luxembourg, with stained glass, the altar, the tabernacle and the furniture for worship.
	“So wird meine Malerei eine Befreiung des Geistes, der Konzepte und der Konzeptionen. Sie ist permanent ‘offen’. Sie ist eine Entdeckungsreise ohne Ende, ohne Grenzen “Indem man mit meinen Bildern lebt, kann man mit ihnen meditieren” (Theo Kerg 1959).
2013	Luxembourg : December 17 ; the newspaper “The Daily” has published a folder on the exhibitions Théo Kerg. On the front page this file is announced with the title: “condemned for collaboration, Theo Kerg, from the shadows to the light. On the second page an article by journalist Jean Rhein is entitled: “A controversial artist. “” The personality and work are inseparable. The reconsideration of the artist’s work deserves to extend to a complex personality, without false complacency. On the third page an article by journalist Gregory Cimatti is entitled: “Let There Be Light ! “For the twentieth anniversary of Théo Kerg, the MNHA and the Cercle-Cité are making up for lost time and unveiling the abstract work of an artist who has gradually freed himself from the support of the canvas. »
2013	Luxembourg : December 20 ; the newspaper “Woxx” publishes, under the pen of the journalist Luc Caregari, an article of a page and a half: “L’éclipse totale du collabo. “……. “The exhibition by Théo Kerg at the National Museum of history and art (MNHA) at the Cercle Cité and in the Church in Cents , Luxembourg, has stirred people’s minds because of the artist’s past under occupation. The discussion demonstrates in treatment of the past, Luxembourg remains profoundly immature. »
2014	Luxembourg : January 10 ; the historian Henri Wehenkel publishes a remarkable article from a page in the “Land” with the title : “Theo Kerg, the man who upset. “and as a subtitle:” The Perfect suspect, the artist-spy, the Nazi-communist. »
2014	Luxembourg : January 28; in the wake of the exhibitions Théo Kerg, the management of the AU MNHA and of the Cercle-Cité, organized a round table in the auditorium of the city on the subject : “cultural milieux under the German occupation. »
2014	Saisseval/ Picardie: February 1st; death of Pierre Garnier (1928-2014), poet, writer, critic, translator, friend of Théo Kerg since 1949.
2014	Saarbrück : February; art critic Eva-Maria Reuther publishes an article in the cultural magazine “Opus” about the two exhibitions Théo Kerg in Luxembourg. The article is entitled : “Meine Malerei ist Befreiung des Geistes “.
2014	Luxembourg : March 13 ; at the national Museum of history and art (MNHA), Marché-aux-poissons in Luxembourg, held a conference in French by the historian of Italian art, Professor Philippe Daverio. The subject of his lecture: “from Lucio Fontana to Théo Kerg” deals with the arts in Italy after the Second World War. The conference is organised by the Instituto Italiano di Cultura, in collaboration with the MNHA.
2014	Luxembourg: May 10; Denis Scuto, historian and professor-researcher at the University of Luxembourg publishes a 4-page analysis in the newspaper “Tageblatt” entitled: “the Luxembourg authorities and the persecution of the Jews in the Grand Duchy in 1940.”The different chapters of the analysis are:” 1. The myth of the resisting nation, a story of the legitimation of the elites in power in 1945. 2. The collaboration of the Luxembourg State in the census of the Jews. 4. Luxembourg’s collaboration in other areas of anti-Semitic policy. 4. No protest against unconstitutional measures. 4. A policy of identifying anti-semitic. Questions around the role of the government in exile. » This article is a deconstruction of the myth of the resistance nation from the beginning of the German occupation of Luxembourg. Denis Scuto noted that the ministers in exile would wait until September 1942 to declare themselves in a state of war with Germany. This new historical vision of the Luxembourg State as a collaborator under the German occupation raises many questions about the post-war “purging” period and the role of the special court, known as the “summary court”, established by the law of April 6, 1946.
2014	Luxembourg: May 18,; Christian Steinbach makes his work on memory public, done at the University of Aix-Marseille, France, entitled: “El impacto sociocultural de la Guerra Civil espanola in Lussemburgo”. The name of Theo Kerg appears on the pages: 17, 35, 37, 38, 56, 57. Works by Théo Kerg are on pages: 36, 62, 63. The text can be found on the website www.theokerg.com in: Media/ books / 2014.
2015	Luxembourg: January 10; the historian Denis Scuto, publishes in the newspaper “Tageblatt”, an article entitled: “about the war memories of Jean Hamilius”. On January 8, 2015, he spoke on Radio 100.7 on the program “den Zeithistoriker”. In the article in question, he comments on the war memories of Jean Hamilius, a liberal politician and businessman from Luxembourg. In November 2014, he published them in a book entitled “Luxemburg im Wandel der Zeiten”. Denis Scuto thinks that: “the passages devoted to war, in The Memoirs of Jean Hamilius, show above all to what extent the national myth (of the resistant nation) to be overcome remains alive among the older generations. A myth which the Luxembourg elites forged at the end of the war and which the minister of State, Pierre Dupong, summed up in April 1945 before the consultative Assembly:” the people of Luxembourg have resisted almost in their entirety“. In his analysis of the origins of this resistance myth, Denis Scuto notes that “two registers are permanently confused, that of action and that of opinion.”It is this shift from opinion to action, or vice versa, that suggests, wrongly, that the people of Luxembourg have mainly participated actively in the Resistance, or have accepted Occupation or Collaboration. As far as Collaboration is concerned, there are, on the one hand, “those convinced of Nazi or fascist ideology,” and on the other, “actors who collaborate for other reasons with the occupier, on the political, economic and cultural level and adapt, accommodate, « as Vincent Artuso writes ». The latter cites as an example : the administrative Commission, the Chamber of Deputies, the Council of State, enterprises, traders, civil servants, artists, writers and journalists who each had a different reason to collaborate. As far as Theo Kerg is concerned, Denis Scuto writes:” the debate around the exhibition devoted to the painter Theo Kerg, imprisoned for collaboration after « Liberation », showed that it is not easy to take into account this complexity” (of Collaboration).”After the war, a judicial purge, often expeditious and arbitrary, condemned some, while excluding whole sections such as administrative and economic collaboration from prosecution.” At the end of his article Denis Scuto writes:” that historians are neither interested in minimizing acts of resistance, nor in exaggerating phenomena of collaboration, but try to depict historical reality, in its disconcerting diversity and complexity, knowing that this picture will necessarily be incomplete. And that, as historians, they rejoice to complete this picture through debate and exchanges with witnesses like Jean Hamilius”.
2015	Luxembourg: February 4; complete redesign of the website: www.theokerg.com this second site by Théo Kerg is also created and directed by Carlo Kerg. On the first site, online from November 11 2002 to February 4, 2015 were counted 58,258 visitors.
2015	Luxembourg: March 19; the national Museum of history and art; re-opening of the wing Wiltheim also houses the exhibition “art in Luxembourg”. Theo Kerg is represented with a “Tactilist” work of the late 1960s, about 46 x 38 cm. What strikes the visitor of the museum is the small size of this work compared to the large dimensions of the other canvas surrounding it.
2015	Luxembourg: March 28; Museum of the history of the city of Luxembourg; in the exhibition “Musée chez soi”, that lasted from March 28, 2015 to January 3, 2016, Théo Kerg is represented by two works from 1961.
2015	Sorèze / Tarn: April 10; opening of the Dom Robert Museum and the tapestry of the 20th century at the Abbey-School of Sorèze in the Tarn. On 350 m2, presentation of the collection of tapestries of the abbey of En Calcat, with 60 tapestries of Dom Robert and 35 other artists of the 20th century, such as Lurçat, Gromaire, Tourlière, Prassinos and Théo Kerg, coming from the legacy of Suzanne Goubely (1907-1997) of Aubusson
2015	Schriesheim: April 26; the Museum Théo Kerg, opening of the exhibition of Catherine Lorent, artist, musician and historian of art In 2013, she represented Luxembourg at the Venice Biennale. The exhibition runs from April 26 to June 7, 2015.
2015	Esch-sur – Alzette: May 10; Mr. John Turmes, Professor of German, e. r. the GEP writing to the son of Théo Kerg: “ “Den Théo Kerg hunn ech kennegeléiert als Elève vun de IIe latine am Dikkerecher Kolléisch. An de Joeren 1940-41, war en do verübergehend eng Zäitlaang mat Kurse betraut, an där Zäit och mäin Zeecheproff. Den Théo Kerg bleift mir als Pädagog a beschter Erennerung. Mat senge frou begréissten Initiativen a Neierungen huet en aus engem Zeechen-unterrecht e Cours d’éducation artistique gemach an zugläich dem eenzelne Schüler d’Chance ginn, säin Talent kreativ enner Beweis ze stellen.“
2015	Schriesheim: June 2, the 106th anniversary of Theo Kerg; at the Theo Kerg Museum, starting at 7 p.m., There is a “surprise evening “ with the artist Catherine Lorent and the musicologist Marc Jeck. This event is organized in collaboration with the Luxembourg City Tourist Office, on the occasion of the exhibition of Catherine Lorent at the Theo Kerg Museum.
2016	in July, the University of Luxembourg publishes the first volume of the “Luxemburger Musikerlexikon” which lists Luxembourg composers and performers from 1915 to 1950. On pages 480 and 481 we find a biography of Jean Kerg, father of Théo Kerg, and the list of works he created.
2016	Saint Denis: Museum of art and history; the book’ worthy of life ‘ by Paul Eluard of 1947, illustrated with twenty woodcuts engraved by Théo Kerg, takes part in the exhibition: around the poem Liberté. Paul Eluard and Fernand Léger in dialogue. Duration of the exhibition : 18 November 2016-27 February 2017.
2017	Luxembourg : February 16: works by Théo Kerg are participating in the exhibition : Landmarks, state of the art public in Luxembourg, LUCA (Luxembourg Center for Architecture) from February 17 to April 15, 2017.
2017	New York: from May 8 to June 12, 1955, a work by Théo Kerg, multiple movements, oil on canvas, 65×100 cm, 40M, from the DePaul Art Museum collection, Chicago, participates in the exhibition: European Art at the Time of the Treaty of Rome Informel, Abstraction, Zero, around 1957, Italian Cultural Institute, New York, NY.
2018	Mersch, Centre national de littérature (CNL), from June26, 2018 to April5, 2019; Théo Kerg participates in the exhibition Texte & Image-Dialog / UES-Schrift & Bild. In the exhibition catalogue, Myriam Sünnen, a visiting professor at the CNL, publishes a remarkable 50-page text entitled Théo Kerg et les poètes français. She describes the relationship and friendship of Théo Kerg with French poets and writers such as Pierre Garnier and Jean Bouhier.
2018	Luxembourg: at the Galerie Frédéric Hessler, works by Théo Kerg take part in the exhibition Save the date from November9, 2018 to December 22, 2018.
2018	Luxembourg: Villa Vauban, Musée d’art de la Ville de Luxembourg; from June 2, 2018 to March 31, 2019, works on paper by Théo Kerg, take part in an exhibition entitled non-figurative Art, with artists Bertemes, Kerg, Probst, Wercollier, Wolff.
2019	Bayreuth: Kunstmuseum; from March 10, 2019 to May 19, 2019 silkscreens by Theo Kerg take part in the exhibition Platons Erben.
2019	Schriesheim / Heidelberg; October 20, 2019; the Theo Kerg Museum celebrates its 30th anniversary. It is also the last day of the exhibition of the artist Anna Recker in this museum.
2019	Luxembourg: November-December ; at the stand of the Frédéric Hessler Gallery, works by Théo Kerg take part in the exhibition of the Lux Art Week from November 7, 2019 to November 10, 2019, then at the gallery itself until December 21, 2019.
	20.3.1973 Théo Kerg, metallic Relief, ø 50 cm with the initials TK of the Prägeanstalt Karl Eckert GmbH, Schwetzingen.

Editor

Carlo Kerg  – 27.11.2019

Reproduction in whole or in part of the foregoing text requires the permission of the author Carlo Kerg (kergcarl@pt.lu). This biography of Théo Kerg does not have the requirement to be complete. It is sketching big and small stages in his life. For a more complete biography, please see the book ‘Théo Kerg, 1909-1993, life and work, a chronology‘, available at the national Library of Luxembourg, edition 2017, as well as the Library of the City of Luxembourg.