Rita Ernst: 0,0,0
rita ernst: 0,0,0
serigraph on paper, hand signed, numbered and dated in pencil
published in 2025
by comptoir des arts franches montagnes (cafm)
saint-brais, switzerland
printed by SYMETRIA, saint-louis
edition of 250, 30 x 30 cm in a frame of 32 x 32 x 3.5 cm
including wooden shadow gap frame
0,0,0: a global snapshot of non-objective art in the digital age
commemorating the 110th anniversary of kazimir malevich’s groundbreaking 0,10 exhibition (petrograd, 1915), the 0,0,0 portfolio is a seminal contemporary project that explores the enduring legacy of geometric and non-representational art worldwide.
the title “0,0,0” references the pure state of the color black in programming code, symbolizing the core principle of maximum reduction and universal applicability—a direct conceptual bridge to malevich's revolutionary "zero form."
this limited-edition portfolio gathers 30 original works by international artists, showcasing the vibrant, transcultural evolution of constructivist principles across different generations and continents. it is a visual dialogue between the historical avant-garde and the logic of our networked, digital world.
born in 1956 in windisch, rita ernst does not merely paint geometric forms; she dissects the logic of space itself. dividing her life between zurich and trapani (sicily), her work is influenced by both the cool precision of swiss engineering and the intense light and structural complexity of southern europe. she is renowned for her analytical series based on the ground plans of iconic architectural masterpieces—from the modernist structures of mies van der rohe to the baroque churches of sicily.
her artistic path took a decisive turn in 1997. after an earthquake in umbria destroyed her home in bevagna, rita ernst found refuge in a small garden house in sicily. it was there, amidst orange trees and the mediterranean light, that her signature progetto siciliano began. she describes her studio practice with a powerful metaphor: "the studio is a space that charges and discharges like a battery." when the energy of one location is used up, she must move to the other. in zurich, she works in high concentration, often in isolation; in sicily, art is organically integrated into life—cycling to the sea, reading, and painting in a rhythm dictated by nature.
her contribution to the 0,0,0 portfolio is a direct result of this biographical duality. inspired by the ground plans of sicilian gardens and religious architecture, she translates the sensation of a place into a strict geometric code. in this serigraph, she strips away the walls of a sacred complex, leaving only a scattered rhythm of black rectangles on white. it resembles a musical score or a digital punch card, yet it is born from the "mood of the place." it is a work of absolute precision that captures the vibration of light and structure.
rita ernst has exhibited extensively across europe. her work has been the subject of major solo exhibitions at the haus konstruktiv in zurich and the museum ritter in waldenbuch. she stands as a guardian of the constructive method, proving that geometry is a language of infinite variation.