translated and summarized by: Liz Wollner-Grandville,
090209: Kunstraum Niederösterreich: New Folk
Kunstraum Niederösterreich: New Folks
Multicoloured scarcity value
Esther Strauß attempts to climb a tree and fails grandiosely. Three artists – Clemens Denk, Philipp Hanich, Thomas Weinberger are eating scoops of multicoloured ice cream from a colour palette. Ursula Maria Probst, alias female obsession and artmagazine-author, destroys a wall with a jackhammer, on which the words “everyone says I love you” is written in cursive handwriting.
The exhibit at the Kunstraum Niederösterreich is definitely not boring. Its colourfulness corresponds with the basic undertone of this exuberant show, for which the artist and curator, Ursula Hübner, gathered some of her students from the University of Arts in Linz, as well as renowned colleagues, whose works clearly show an “urgent, optimistic movement, not allowing for any stagnation or chic cynicism."
But it would be amiss to think that this exhibition is excessively cheerful –accounting for the multi-tasking of some participants, the title “New Folks” refers to the respective music style. While many of the works appear to be rather zappy – like Marlene Haderer’s neon-coloured paintings, Andrea Lüth’s drawings, or Andreas Karner’s ornamental excesses, it soon becomes clear that this is not the carnival section. The trio, mentioned above, which performs under the name “Kraftmalerei” (power painting) installed a kind of wonder chamber for art application at the entrance to the show, in which one can find bottles of sparkling wine under the brand name “Michelangelo”, or the cover of a porn movie called “The quick brushes”. On the other hand, the artwork by these three, who also work individually, comes across as rather serious, nearly old masterly. And even Birgit Petri’s fine etchings, a real discovery, play with the relationship between text and painting.
Thematic exhibitions, which are not only well done, but also offer a statement, a position, are rare. “New Folks” is definitely one of them.
By Nina Schedlmayer
Kunstraum Niederösterreich
1010 Vienna, Herrengasse 13, until 21. 02.09
www.kunstraum.net
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090209
Kunstraum Niederoesterreich
1010 Wien, Herrengasse 13
Tel: +43 1 90 42 111, Fax: +43 1 90 42 112
Email: office@kunstraum.net
http://www.kunstraum.net/de
Öffnungszeiten: Di-Fr 11-19, Sa 11-15 h
Kunstraum Niederoesterreich
1010 Wien, Herrengasse 13
Tel: +43 1 90 42 111, Fax: +43 1 90 42 112
Email: office@kunstraum.net
http://www.kunstraum.net/de
Öffnungszeiten: Di-Fr 11-19, Sa 11-15 h