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Heinz Gappmayr (1925, Innsbruck, Austria – 2010, Innsbruck, Austria) was an Austrian artist celebrated for his innovative contributions to visual poetry, a genre that fuses language and visual art to explore the relationship between words and their visual form. Born in Innsbruck, Austria, Gappmayr was largely self-taught and began exploring the connection between language and visual representation in the late 1950s. This interest laid the foundation for his work in visual poetry, where he began manipulating letters, numbers, and punctuation marks, removing them from their usual contexts and arranging them to highlight their graphic qualities. Through this, he sought to explore the symbolic meanings embedded in everyday language and challenge viewers' perceptions of the words and phrases they encounter regularly. In the 1960s, Gappmayr’s work shifted from two-dimensional pieces on paper and canvas to three-dimensional installations and public artworks. His approach included the use of materials like adhesive letters, tape, and wooden components covered with canvas, creating what he called "text pictures" that gave each word a spatial presence. During the 1990s, he began incorporating color into his pieces, enhancing the visual impact of his textual arrangements. Gappmayr's work was exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions across Austria, Germany, Italy, and other countries, with notable exhibitions at institutions such as the Museumsquartier in Vienna and the Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig. His contributions to the art world were recognized with awards, including the Tiroler Landespreis für Kunst in 1995. Through his exploration of language as a visual medium, Heinz Gappmayr made a lasting impact on contemporary art. By transforming words into visual forms, he expanded the possibilities of poetic expression, urging viewers to engage with language in a deeply new and meaningful way.