Fünf Räume
Fünf Räume presents new, site-specific works by emerging Austrian artists, each transforming one of five distinct gallery spaces in the Austrian Cultural Forum New York. All participants, despite their success and renown in Europe and elsewhere, have for the most part not yet been shown in the United States. Thus, Fünf Räume (German for ‘Five Rooms’) allows viewers to experience something unique and original while at the same time providing a glimpse into each artist’s pluridisciplinary practice, primarily within painting, sculpture, and installation.
Starting, as it were, at square one, the artists’ installations relate strongly to their previous bodies of work, exploring space, site-specificity, and the third dimension. Additionally, the installations will present the intricate architecture of the Austrian Cultural Forum New York’s gallery space from a fresh perspective and will thus allow viewers to experience it in a new light.
Each artist brings something radically different to the table – be it subject matter or their use of material – resulting in a visual representation of the dialogue and zeitgeist surrounding contemporary art-making in Austria. At first glance, the artists appear to employ the visual language of Minimalism. However, upon further investigation, each piece reveals itself to exist within the historical rubric of Austrian artistic practice, touching on many of its universal themes, including an engagement with technology, politics, and spirituality.
Role: Curator
Date: May—September 2011
Location: Austrian Cultural Forum New York, NY
Artists: Daniel Domig, Clemens Hollerer, Zenita Komad & Michael Kienzer, Valentin Ruhry, and Esther Stocker
Photography by David Plakke
