translated and summarized by: Liz Wollner-Grandville,
English summaries September 1 - 15
Zacherlfabrik
Zacherlfabrik 2013: Elisabeth Altenburg, Carola Dertnig, Roland Kollnitz and Heike Schäfer
07.06.2013 – 30.09.2013
By Nina Schedlmayer
Several centimetres in length, made of white cloth, accumulated in a cloud – this is the way the insects, originally created to advertise their own destruction, hang in the room. Elisabeth Altenburg’s installation in the Zacherlfabrik – an orientalised 19th century building in which pesticides were once produced – point to the former business of the factory, which today is among one of the most beautiful art locations in Vienna. Behind its façade with its delicate mosaics there is a large garden with huge trees; in its midst the hall with its ruinous charm. A venue with a “unique aura and magic”, said Gustav Schörghofer, who curates an exhibition there every year since 2006.
The selection of artists is rather heterogeneous. Not only Altenburg, but also Carola Dertnig refers to the history of the venue with her slide show about the wife of the factory owner, Anna Zacherl. The other two positions deal with the room itself: Roland Kollnitz’s installation was created by using materials such as fibreglass and steel and Heike Schäfer’s wooden gangplanks appear almost massive - they lead to hitherto unknown openings and end in front of large mirrors.
A common theme does not exist - but that doesn't matter because its more about tracing a location than a conceptual setting. Yet one day this venue will be so thoroughly occupied with art that a new concept will have to be found - otherwise it runs the risk of disenchantment.
Zacherlfabrik
1190 Vienna, Nusswaldgasse 14
email: office@zacherlfabrik.at
www.zacherlfabrik.at
Opening hours: Wed – Sat 15 – 19 hours
Österreichisches Papiermuseum
Silvia Schreiber / Reinhard Wöllmer – Schneiden, Walzen, Formen
23.06.2013 – 21.09.2013
By Verena Nussbaumer
The Galerie Papierwelten, located on the upper floor of the Steyrermühl Paper Museum, is currently presenting the exhibition “schneiden, walzen, formen” (cut, role, form) with works by Silvia Schreiber and Reinhard Wöllmer. The exhibition was curated by the Ulrike Hrobsky Gallery in Vienna.
Reinhard Wöllmer’s works predominantly include circular paper objects created with dyed paper-mâché. The objects consist of hollow parts in which the artist had cut holes. Mounted on the wall, they appear heavy but by touching their coarse surface, the lightness of paper becomes perceptible. The interplay of colour, light and space let the objects look as if they were illuminated and the corresponding light and shadow seems to transform them.
Silvia Schreiber’s paper works are also characterized by their lightness. Entering the room with her works feels as if one was part of a gigantic mobile. The larger than life predominantly human, figures move gently as they hang from the ceiling. Every draught of air sets the paper sculptures in motion.
Österreichisches Papiermuseum
4662 Steyrermühl, Museumsplatz 1
Tel: +43 (0) 7315 – 3951
Fax: + 43 (0) 7613 – 8834
Email: papier.druck@aon.at
www.papiermuseum.at
Opening hours: Tue – Sun: 10 – 16 hours
Christine König Galerie
Gabriele Fulterer / Christine Scherrer
04.09.2013 – 28.09.2013
By Susanne Rohringer
Christine König opened Vienna’s fall season with works by the artist duo Gabriele Fulterer and Christine Scherrer. They have been working together since 2007 and are known for their large drawings depicting female bodies in public space (Fluc, Blechturmgasse).
In Christine König’s gallery, the artists designed the rooms with depictions of women’s bodies on linen and canvas, mirrored on the walls in oversize. Sometimes a doubling of the female bodies is discernible. The artists employ neon colours and hip-hop music, thereby referring to the graffiti scene. These references are extremely important to Fulterer and Scherrer.
In their works, Fulterer and Scherer focus on female identities, traditional techniques as well as their ascriptions.
Chrstine König Galerie
1040 Vienna, Schleifmühlgase 1a
Tel: +43 1 585 74 74
Fax: +43 1 585 74 74 – 24
Email: office@christinekoeniggalerie.at
www.christinekoeniggalerie.at
Opening hours: Tue – Fri 11 – 19 hours, Sat: 11 – 15 hours
Kunsthalle Krems
Kiki Kogelnik – Retrospective
14.07.2013 – 06.10.2013
By Margareta Sandhofer
Her Murano glass heads, produced since 1994, made her famous. At the same time, the acknowledgment of her multifaceted creations were too dominated by her eagerness to experiment, thereby overshadowing the more meaningful aspects of her oeuvre.
Kiki Kogelnik (1935 – 1997) was one of the few female artists that was respected in Vienna’s post-war avant-garde, which was domineered by males. As of 1955, Msgr. Otto Mauer involved her in exhibitions and, In 1961, devoted a solo exhibition to her in the Galerie nächst St. Stephan.
From about 1962 she enjoyed and developed her irrepressibility in New York’s liberal atmosphere. New York’s liveliness and urbanity, the pop art scene involving Lichtenstein, Oldenburg and Warhol, in which she was quickly integrated and of which she became an active part, suited her character to a far greater extent than the claustrophobic Vienna. The positive atmosphere in the USA towards technological innovations and modern achievements gave Kiki Kogelnik the inspiration to create independent variations of pop art. Her fascination of space travel is clearly apparent in her “Space Art” works. Examples of her work also include “Loverboy” (1965), which she made of transparent food packaging, as well as “Space Angel” (1965), and “Bombs in Love” (1962).
The amusing outer appearance of her works often involves inner contextual cruelty. Among others, this is evident in her self-portraits that usually lack facial features, e.g. in “The Painter” (1975) – a black shadow figure with an aggressive posture, blotted with colour, holding a brush in hand as if it was a weapon. In “Self Portrait” (1964) she depicts herself with a torn body, somebody else’s hands attempting to grasp her and the margin is ornamented with skull heads. “Falling in Love again” (1962) resembles a disastrous collapse. The “Skeleton with glasses” (around 1963) is grinning under its sunglasses that are shaped like hearts.
Kiki Kogelnik’s humour is consequent and merciless. Even if it is subtle, it penetrates every type of artificial embellishment and induces eeriness and discomfort, which, at the same time, is what’s so fascinating about her work. Brigitte Borchhaardt-Bierbaumer and Hans-Peter Wipplinger curated the exhibition in chronological order in a respectful and restrained manner, allowing the relevance of Kiki Kogelnik’s art to unfold masterfully. The retrospective is comprehensive and at the same time not exhausting. One would wish to see more.
Kunsthalle Krems
3500 Krems, Franz-Heller-Platz 3
Tel: +43 2732 90 80 10
Fax: +43 2731 90 80 11
Email: office@kunsthalle.at
www.kunsthalle.at
Opening hours: daily 10 – 18 hours