Teilen
090215 : Dommuseum: Johanna Kandl – Close to the Text
domMuseum
Johanna Kandl – Close to the Text
09.10.2014 – 31.03.2015
At the intersection of cultures
by Roland Schöny
The printed portrait of Duke Rudolph IV which appears in hundreds of brochures, prospects, books and posters is probably far better known than the location in where it can actually be seen. It is the most prominent exhibit in the domMuseum of the archdiocese of Vienna. Not only are every possible historico-culturally relevant treasures portending to Europe's colonization through the power of the Roman Catholic church the to be found there, but also the die Otto Mauer collection with around 3,000 works of the Austrian post-war avant-garde, as well as numerous works of conceptual contemporary art.
With outstanding geniality, Johanna Kandl has succeeded in drawing a bridge between the 14th century and the present time with an intervention in the public room. At first glance, the temporarily set-up work appears like unreadable Arabian graffiti to our Latin encoded perception. Then it comes to light that it's a painting directly on a building partition – 2.5 metres high and approximately 20 metres long. Painted wafer board. And for this, Johanna Kandl transferred characters from Rudolph IV's shroud onto the building partition.
The circle leading to the present closes as soon as one thinks about what Rudolph – who died an early death in 1365 – stood for. He's also called »the benefactor«: as founder of the Vienna University and as initiator of the building of St. Stephen's Cathedral. Implementing the sciences and setting a landmark.
Johanna Kandl could scarcely better establish connections by such means as such a logically effective concept of painting, or by such a plausible and adequate location. First and foremost, it is lines between the origin of our history and the Central European present. After all, pillars of our culture rest on scientific knowledge and handed down myths from the Arabian region. Added to that is the fact that the portrait of the innovative Rudolph, which, when framed, measures just about 45 x 30 cm, has almost a pop-like character. It is deemed to be the first portrait painted in the occident.
Charisma upon charisma and meaning upon meaning! But what should one do?! That's the way it is. From this point, it's understandable why such a shroud with such enigmatic Arabian characters can appear so lucent. But let's talk, instead, about the present. Nothing shimmers here. Instead, it is as it is so often with Johanna Kandl: as soon as something has been realised it appears exactly as if this is the only plausible possibility. What particularly distinguishes Johanna Kandl; however, is that she sticks consistently to the path towards implementation. A work has been created that is equally effective in its unpretentious magnitude as if it had always belonged exactly here.
domMuseum
1010 Vienna, Stephansplatz 6
Tel: +43 1 515 52 3689
Fax: +43 1 515 52 3599
email: dommuseum@edw.or.at
http://www.dommuseum.at/
Opening hours: Tue 10.00 - 20.00, Wed-Sat 10.00 - 18.00 h
Mehr Texte von translated and summarized by: Liz Wollner-Grandville
 |
|
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
090215
Dom Museum
1010 Wien, Stephansplatz 6
Tel: +43 1 515 52 3300, Fax: +43 1 515 52 2599
Email: info@dommuseum.at
http://www.dommuseum.at/
Öffnungszeiten: Mi, Fr, Sa, So 10-18, Do 10-20 h
Dom Museum
1010 Wien, Stephansplatz 6
Tel: +43 1 515 52 3300, Fax: +43 1 515 52 2599
Email: info@dommuseum.at
http://www.dommuseum.at/
Öffnungszeiten: Mi, Fr, Sa, So 10-18, Do 10-20 h
