CastYourArt - Watch Art Now

Kunsthalle Krems Director Florian Steininger about Axel Hütte What is behind the horizon ? How does the picture continue left and right of the edge ? What else is there ? Axel Hütte’s pictures awaken the desire in the viewer to be able to recognize more. Axel Hütte (born 1951 in Essen, Germany) is one of the leading protagonists of contemporary landsacape photography. Accdording to the curator of the exhibition, Florian Steininger, he contributed essentially to the self confidence of photography as a medium in visual arts after the 1970ies. Axel Hütte was a student of Bernd and Hilla Becher, founders of the Düsseldorf school of Photography. The school had a profound influence on international photography, eminent representatives were colleagues of Hütte, like Andreas Gursky, Candida Höfer, Thomas Ruff and Thomas Struth. Hütte’s work is exhibited in museums and galleries around the world since 1979. Kunsthalle Krems now presents the first comprehensive solo exhibition of Axel Hütte’s oeuvre in Austria. The show displays a dialogue between older work cycles and newer groups of photographs. A series of works was especially created for the Kunsthalle Krems exhibition - photographs of imperial rooms and buildings in Austria: Stift Melk, Stift Admont, Stift Altenburg, the Belvedere, Prince Eugene’s winter palais, and the Hotel Sacher. There are also two recent video works by the artist in the show, as well a portrait photographs, among them of artists like Jeff Koons, Albert Oehlen, or Katharina Fritsch. Ever since his first series of landscapes, Hütte’s work revolves around the broad lines of an autonomous esthetic. Landscape is a relatively unusual genre in contemporary art, his evidently pictorial style defines his work, over time it has become his trademark. Like the great landscape masters, Axel Hütte takes the landscapes out of their context, he structured the image section in several levels and in clearly structured fields. The feeling of an absence of limits and the fragility of material boundaries are characteristical of Hütte’s landscape images which avoid all loud visual sensations. In his photographs, Hütte tries to capture the unattainable in nature. His enormous formats of formal perfection and unusual detail renounce to any human presence, deconstructing reality to an almost abstract vision. In his work, the traits of nature border the abstract, in these humanless, peaceful landscapes there are still traces of something reminding of a northern romanticism. Hütte claims not to be a romantic, even if he plays with the elements of Romantic painting – clouds and fog. He wants to capture „what never has been captured“, capture the reality that is only readable between the lines. At times Hütte travels thousand of kilometers with his heavy camera equipment in order to capture his motifs. Some of the sceneries with their dense atmospheres and unusual perspectives remind of landscape paintings of the Far East. When viewing these works, those who want could even speculate about references to art history, trying to find similarities to masters of European landscape painting, like William Turner or Caspar David Friedrich In these landscapes as heavy as lead, without any presence besides the vague outlines of the natural environment, Hütte nevertheless tries to « avoid abstraction », in his own words, and even though he gets very close to it, according to him photographs should not be a complete documentation but an exploration of the unreachable. For Axel Hütte, photography is like a language in which many things a´remain unspeakable, but the gaps and blank spaces are filled by the imagination, heightening the viewer’s awareness. The exhibition is open until the 10th of June 2018. (written by Cem Angeli) Kunsthalle Krems | www.kunsthalle.at A CastYourArt Production | www.castyourart.com

Kunsthalle Krems Director Florian Steininger about Axel Hütte What is behind the horizon ? How does the picture continue left and right of the edge ? What else is there ? Axel Hütte’s pictures awaken the desire in the viewer to be able to recognize more. Axel Hütte (born 1951 in Essen, Germany) is one of the leading protagonists of contemporary landsacape photography. Accdording to the curator of the exhibition, Florian Steininger, he contributed essentially to the self confidence of photography as a medium in visual arts after the 1970ies. Axel Hütte was a student of Bernd and Hilla Becher, founders of the Düsseldorf school of Photography. The school had a profound influence on international photography, eminent representatives were colleagues of Hütte, like Andreas Gursky, Candida Höfer, Thomas Ruff and Thomas Struth. Hütte’s work is exhibited in museums and galleries around the world since 1979. Kunsthalle Krems now presents the first comprehensive solo exhibition of Axel Hütte’s oeuvre in Austria. The show displays a dialogue between older work cycles and newer groups of photographs. A series of works was especially created for the Kunsthalle Krems exhibition - photographs of imperial rooms and buildings in Austria: Stift Melk, Stift Admont, Stift Altenburg, the Belvedere, Prince Eugene’s winter palais, and the Hotel Sacher. There are also two recent video works by the artist in the show, as well a portrait photographs, among them of artists like Jeff Koons, Albert Oehlen, or Katharina Fritsch. Ever since his first series of landscapes, Hütte’s work revolves around the broad lines of an autonomous esthetic. Landscape is a relatively unusual genre in contemporary art, his evidently pictorial style defines his work, over time it has become his trademark. Like the great landscape masters, Axel Hütte takes the landscapes out of their context, he structured the image section in several levels and in clearly structured fields. The feeling of an absence of limits and the fragility of material boundaries are characteristical of Hütte’s landscape images which avoid all loud visual sensations. In his photographs, Hütte tries to capture the unattainable in nature. His enormous formats of formal perfection and unusual detail renounce to any human presence, deconstructing reality to an almost abstract vision. In his work, the traits of nature border the abstract, in these humanless, peaceful landscapes there are still traces of something reminding of a northern romanticism. Hütte claims not to be a romantic, even if he plays with the elements of Romantic painting – clouds and fog. He wants to capture „what never has been captured“, capture the reality that is only readable between the lines. At times Hütte travels thousand of kilometers with his heavy camera equipment in order to capture his motifs. Some of the sceneries with their dense atmospheres and unusual perspectives remind of landscape paintings of the Far East. When viewing these works, those who want could even speculate about references to art history, trying to find similarities to masters of European landscape painting, like William Turner or Caspar David Friedrich In these landscapes as heavy as lead, without any presence besides the vague outlines of the natural environment, Hütte nevertheless tries to « avoid abstraction », in his own words, and even though he gets very close to it, according to him photographs should not be a complete documentation but an exploration of the unreachable. For Axel Hütte, photography is like a language in which many things a´remain unspeakable, but the gaps and blank spaces are filled by the imagination, heightening the viewer’s awareness. The exhibition is open until the 10th of June 2018. (written by Cem Angeli) Kunsthalle Krems | www.kunsthalle.at A CastYourArt Production | www.castyourart.com

Martha Jungwirth - A retrospective at Albertina Museum For the first time, the Albertina dedicates a solo retrospective to the Viennese painter Martha Jungwirth (born 1940), with key works and series arranged according to themes, from the early paintings of the 1960ies up to very recent works that have never been shown before. In 1968, Jungwirth participated in the exhibition „Wirklichkeiten“ (Realities) in the Secession in Vienna, in 1977 she was in the documenta Kassel, in 2010 a seprate hall was dedicated to her in an exhibition curated by Albert Oehlen in the Essl foundation. In 2014 she had a retrospective in the Kunsthalle Krems. This year she was awarded the Oskar-Kokoschka prize, endowed with 20.000 €. The exhibition was curated by Antonia Hoerschelmann in collaboration with the artist herself. Jungwirth shows „seismograms of inner states“, translations of emotions, „where the consciousness and the feelings I have during working become visible“, says the artist. The exhibition takes the visitor through Jungwirth‘s oeuvre with about 50 pictures, starting with abstract landscape watercolours of the 1960ies, followed by her famous drawings inspired by a dishwasher („Indesit“, 1975), bought by the Albertina after her exhibition at the documenta, up to her most recent work. Early watercolours from the Albertina’s collection are also on display, like the views of a harbour by the river Danube. The pictures are mostly made on paper and then laminated on canvas, here they are arranged chronologically along thematic groups. Jungwirth prefers to work with paper, pencil, oil paint and watercolour. One series that has never been shown are large formats of the early 1980ies, they had been stored in the artist’s studio until today. The cycle of works "Spittelauer Lände" of 1993 belongs to the Essl collection, they are images where figuration is still visible at times and where emptiness has a special signiificance. Feelings evoked by persons, landscapes or objects are reflected in her work as evident in her series of pictures inspired by travels, like the ones from Istria, Cambodia, Greece or Mexico. There are very recent works on diplay in the exhibition as well, like the series Istanbul of 2017, large oil paintings in red, pink and purple, inspired by photographs of the conflicts in Turkey in 2016. In these and other very new pictures, among them some with Vladimir Nabokov as a subject, Jungwirth changes the material from paper to Cardboard, as well as the colours. In this glimpse into the wide range of her oeuvre stretching over six decades, Jungwirth’s sensitivity of perception and her special relationship between figure and abstraction becomes evident. Figurative shapes like heads, feet or buildings become recognisable at times, she combines abstraction and figuration, at the same time she manages to reconcile strong colours like bright pink, purple, orange or red in her own very original way in her colour compositions. Her perceptions are brought to the paper spontaneously. The gestual energy is palpable everywhere in her paintings, the dynamic and quick colouring makes space for chance, leaving traces as drips, blots, splashes and trickles of paint. The exhibition is an indulgence for art lovers and a school of seeing for artists. Jungwirth uses her mastery of academic painting to create her very particular imagery according to her own rules. Her ability to combine artistic emotion with intellectual ceherence allows for fluent reading of these chromatic texts. They invite the reader-viewer to immerge into this very individual spectrum of different states of perceptions and emotions. (written by Cem Angeli) Albertina Museum | www.albertina.at A CastYourArt production | www.castyourart.com

Martha Jungwirth - A retrospective at Albertina Museum For the first time, the Albertina dedicates a solo retrospective to the Viennese painter Martha Jungwirth (born 1940), with key works and series arranged according to themes, from the early paintings of the 1960ies up to very recent works that have never been shown before. In 1968, Jungwirth participated in the exhibition „Wirklichkeiten“ (Realities) in the Secession in Vienna, in 1977 she was in the documenta Kassel, in 2010 a seprate hall was dedicated to her in an exhibition curated by Albert Oehlen in the Essl foundation. In 2014 she had a retrospective in the Kunsthalle Krems. This year she was awarded the Oskar-Kokoschka prize, endowed with 20.000 €. The exhibition was curated by Antonia Hoerschelmann in collaboration with the artist herself. Jungwirth shows „seismograms of inner states“, translations of emotions, „where the consciousness and the feelings I have during working become visible“, says the artist. The exhibition takes the visitor through Jungwirth‘s oeuvre with about 50 pictures, starting with abstract landscape watercolours of the 1960ies, followed by her famous drawings inspired by a dishwasher („Indesit“, 1975), bought by the Albertina after her exhibition at the documenta, up to her most recent work. Early watercolours from the Albertina’s collection are also on display, like the views of a harbour by the river Danube. The pictures are mostly made on paper and then laminated on canvas, here they are arranged chronologically along thematic groups. Jungwirth prefers to work with paper, pencil, oil paint and watercolour. One series that has never been shown are large formats of the early 1980ies, they had been stored in the artist’s studio until today. The cycle of works "Spittelauer Lände" of 1993 belongs to the Essl collection, they are images where figuration is still visible at times and where emptiness has a special signiificance. Feelings evoked by persons, landscapes or objects are reflected in her work as evident in her series of pictures inspired by travels, like the ones from Istria, Cambodia, Greece or Mexico. There are very recent works on diplay in the exhibition as well, like the series Istanbul of 2017, large oil paintings in red, pink and purple, inspired by photographs of the conflicts in Turkey in 2016. In these and other very new pictures, among them some with Vladimir Nabokov as a subject, Jungwirth changes the material from paper to Cardboard, as well as the colours. In this glimpse into the wide range of her oeuvre stretching over six decades, Jungwirth’s sensitivity of perception and her special relationship between figure and abstraction becomes evident. Figurative shapes like heads, feet or buildings become recognisable at times, she combines abstraction and figuration, at the same time she manages to reconcile strong colours like bright pink, purple, orange or red in her own very original way in her colour compositions. Her perceptions are brought to the paper spontaneously. The gestual energy is palpable everywhere in her paintings, the dynamic and quick colouring makes space for chance, leaving traces as drips, blots, splashes and trickles of paint. The exhibition is an indulgence for art lovers and a school of seeing for artists. Jungwirth uses her mastery of academic painting to create her very particular imagery according to her own rules. Her ability to combine artistic emotion with intellectual ceherence allows for fluent reading of these chromatic texts. They invite the reader-viewer to immerge into this very individual spectrum of different states of perceptions and emotions. (written by Cem Angeli) Albertina Museum | www.albertina.at A CastYourArt production | www.castyourart.com

SOS Brutalism - Save the Concrete Monsters! Brutalism is probably one of the most hated styles in the history of architecture. Béton brut, exposed concrete, is at the origin of the term Brutalism. However, this architecture was not meant to be brutal, but brut : raw, natural and truthful. Therefore its main material was unplastered and unpainted concrete, often reminding of rock formations in nature. Until August 6th, The Architekturzentrum Vienna dedicates the exhibition „SOS Brutalism - Save the Concrete Monsters“ to this often unfairly discredited building style. This first comprehensive exhibition about the subject was shown in the German museum of architecture in Frankfurt before, now it is on display in the Architekturzentrum Vienna, complemented with 10 Austrian examples from the Architekturzentrum Vienna archives, curated by Sonja Pisarik. Besides numerous photographs, sketches and original plans there are also large models and concrete moulds of the buildings on display in the show. Brutalist architecture was constructed between 1953 and 1979 on all continents, it was a global phenomenon, irrespective of borders and ideologies, in the capitalist West as well as in the communist East of the Third World. It was a period of optimism about the future, of esthetic experimentation and of social change. These projects were mostly public buildings, like schools, universities, hospitals, administration centers or housing estates, financed by the public sector. Many of these large concrete buildings in were already demolished only decades after their construction though, for a long time they were discredited as architectural disasters, left to decay or torn down. Disqualified as monster buildings and eyesores by opponents, they are as intensively loved as they are hated. For some, the esthetic of exposed concrete is simply dreadful, but the buildings are often also regarded as technically obsolete, therefore they are more readily being demolished than buildings from other periods of architecture history. Under the slogan Brutalism initiatives were organized, international exhibitions and congresses were held, several books were published. What started as a pastime for architecture specialists has since then turned into an international movement. The online initiative #SOSBrutalism collected more than 1000 buildings worldwide in a database, arranged in order of endangerment, like threatened animal species. More and more architecture enthusiasts want to save these expressive concrete giants from demolition. The congress center in Bad Gastein by Gerhard Garstenauer (1974) that is shown in the exhibition is empty since 2007, slowly decaying. The boarding school tower in St. Pölten by Karl Schwanzer (1972) has already been demolished years ago, just like the housing estate Robin Hood Gardens in London (1972), planned by hat pioneers of Brutalism, Alison and Peter Smithson. The sculptural character of Brutalism becomes quite evident in the exhibition in the case of the parish church in Oberwart by Eilfried Huth and Günther Domenig (1969), as well as with the « horizontal sculpture » by Karl Schwanzer, the Wifi building in St. Pölten (1972). The Wotruba Church in Vienna (1976) is probably the most famous of the Austrian examples in the show. The destiny of the culture center Mattersburg by Herwig Udo Graf (1976), a user-friendly building in the spirit of Social Democrat education policy, is still uncertain. An action group for the conservation of the building has already been created. As Architekturzentrum Vienna curator Sonja Pisarik states, „it is important to consider these buildings as our cultural heritage. If they disappear, their social and political background disappears with them.” (written by Cem Angeli) Architekturzentrum Wien | www.azw.at A CastYourArt Production | www.castyourart.com

SOS Brutalism - Save the Concrete Monsters! Brutalism is probably one of the most hated styles in the history of architecture. Béton brut, exposed concrete, is at the origin of the term Brutalism. However, this architecture was not meant to be brutal, but brut : raw, natural and truthful. Therefore its main material was unplastered and unpainted concrete, often reminding of rock formations in nature. Until August 6th, The Architekturzentrum Vienna dedicates the exhibition „SOS Brutalism - Save the Concrete Monsters“ to this often unfairly discredited building style. This first comprehensive exhibition about the subject was shown in the German museum of architecture in Frankfurt before, now it is on display in the Architekturzentrum Vienna, complemented with 10 Austrian examples from the Architekturzentrum Vienna archives, curated by Sonja Pisarik. Besides numerous photographs, sketches and original plans there are also large models and concrete moulds of the buildings on display in the show. Brutalist architecture was constructed between 1953 and 1979 on all continents, it was a global phenomenon, irrespective of borders and ideologies, in the capitalist West as well as in the communist East of the Third World. It was a period of optimism about the future, of esthetic experimentation and of social change. These projects were mostly public buildings, like schools, universities, hospitals, administration centers or housing estates, financed by the public sector. Many of these large concrete buildings in were already demolished only decades after their construction though, for a long time they were discredited as architectural disasters, left to decay or torn down. Disqualified as monster buildings and eyesores by opponents, they are as intensively loved as they are hated. For some, the esthetic of exposed concrete is simply dreadful, but the buildings are often also regarded as technically obsolete, therefore they are more readily being demolished than buildings from other periods of architecture history. Under the slogan Brutalism initiatives were organized, international exhibitions and congresses were held, several books were published. What started as a pastime for architecture specialists has since then turned into an international movement. The online initiative #SOSBrutalism collected more than 1000 buildings worldwide in a database, arranged in order of endangerment, like threatened animal species. More and more architecture enthusiasts want to save these expressive concrete giants from demolition. The congress center in Bad Gastein by Gerhard Garstenauer (1974) that is shown in the exhibition is empty since 2007, slowly decaying. The boarding school tower in St. Pölten by Karl Schwanzer (1972) has already been demolished years ago, just like the housing estate Robin Hood Gardens in London (1972), planned by hat pioneers of Brutalism, Alison and Peter Smithson. The sculptural character of Brutalism becomes quite evident in the exhibition in the case of the parish church in Oberwart by Eilfried Huth and Günther Domenig (1969), as well as with the « horizontal sculpture » by Karl Schwanzer, the Wifi building in St. Pölten (1972). The Wotruba Church in Vienna (1976) is probably the most famous of the Austrian examples in the show. The destiny of the culture center Mattersburg by Herwig Udo Graf (1976), a user-friendly building in the spirit of Social Democrat education policy, is still uncertain. An action group for the conservation of the building has already been created. As Architekturzentrum Vienna curator Sonja Pisarik states, „it is important to consider these buildings as our cultural heritage. If they disappear, their social and political background disappears with them.” (written by Cem Angeli) Architekturzentrum Wien | www.azw.at A CastYourArt Production | www.castyourart.com

SOS Brutalismus - Rettet die Betonmonster! Der Brutalismus ist wohl einer der meistgehassten Baustile der Architekturgeschichte. Béton brut, Sichtbeton, ist der Ursprung des Begriffs Brutalismus. Diese Architektur sollte aber nicht brutal, sondern brut sein: roh, ungekünstelt und wahrhaftig. Sein Hauptmaterial war deshalb der Beton, unverputzt und ungestrichen, oft an Felsformationen erinnernd. Das Architekturzentrum Wien widmet sich bis 6. August unter dem Titel „SOS Brutalismus – Rettet die Betonmonster“ diesem lange diskreditierten Architekturstil. Diese erste umfassende Zusammenschau zu diesem Thema wurde zuvor im Deutschen Architekturmuseum in Frankfurt gezeigt und ist nun auch im Architekturzentrum Wien zu sehen, erweitert mit österreichischen Beispielen aus dem hauseigenen Archiv, kuratiert von Sonja Pisarik. Brutalistische Architektur entstand zwischen 1953 und 1979 auf allen Kontinenten, als globales Phänomen, auch über ideologische Grenzen hinweg, im Westen ebenso wie im Ostblock oder der dritten Welt. Es war eine Ära des Zukunftsoptimismus, der ästhetischen Experimente und des gesellschaftlichen Aufbruchs. Vor allem waren es öffentliche Bauten wie Schulen, Universitäten, Krankenhäuser, Verwaltungszentren oder Wohnanlagen, die in diesem Stil von kommunalen Auftraggebern errichtet wurden. Viele dieser Großbauten aus Sichtbeton wurden allerdings nur Jahrzehnte nach ihrer Entstehung bereits abgerissen, sie wurden lange Zeit als Bausünden verurteilt, dem Verfall preisgegeben oder demoliert. Von Gegnern als Monsterbauten und Betonklötze abqualifiziert, werden sie ebenso intensiv geliebt wie abgelehnt. Für manche ist diese konsequente Sichtbetonoptik einfach nur hässlich, die Bauten gelten aber häufig auch als technisch veraltetet und werden daher im Vergleich zu Gebäuden aus anderen Epochen der Architekturgeschichte rücksichtsloser abgerissen. Nicht nur die ästhetische, sondern auch die architektonische und gesellschaftliche Relevanz dieser Bauten aus rohem Sichtbeton hat jedoch in jüngster Zeit eine neue Wertschätzung erfahren. Einige sind aber immer noch akut vom Abriss bedroht – auch in Österreich. Unter dem Schlagwort Brutalismus bildeten sich Initiativen, die internationale Kongresse und Ausstellungen abhalten, auch zahlreiche Bildbände sind erschienen. Was zunächst als Steckenpferd unter Architekturspezialisten begonnen hatte, ist mittlerweile zu einer internationalen Bewegung geworden. Die Online-Initiative #SOSBrutalism hat weltweit über 1000 Gebäude in einer Datenbank gesammelt und nach ihrem Gefährdungsstatus geordnet, wie bedrohte Tierarten - denn immer mehr Architekturfreunde wollen die expressiven Betonkolosse vor dem Abriss retten. . Das in der Ausstellung gezeigte Kongresszentrum in Bad Gastein von Gerhard Garstenauer (1974) steht beispielsweise seit 2007 leer und verfällt langsam. Karl Schwanzers Internatsturm in St. Pölten (1972) wurde bereits vor Jahren abgerissen, so wie auch die Wohnanlage Robin Hood Gardens (1972) in London, entworfen von den Brutalismus-Miterfindern Alison und Peter Smithson. Der bildhauerische Charakter des Brutalismus zeigt sich in der Architekturzentrum Wien-Schau besonders anhand der Pfarrkirche in Oberwart von Eilfried Huth und Günther Domenig (1969), so wie auch bei Karl Schwanzers „horizontaler Skulptur“, dem Wifi-Gebäude in St. Pölten (1972). Unter den weiteren österreichischen Beispielen ist die Wiener Wotrubakirche (1976) wohl das Bekannteste. Das Schicksal des Kulturzentrums Mattersburg von Herwig Udo Graf (1976), einem nutzerfreundlichen Bau im Geiste sozialdemokratischer Bildungspolitik, ist ebenfalls ungewiss, es existiert aber schon eine Initiative für seine Erhaltung. Wie Architekturzentrum Wien Kuratorin Sonja Pisarik betont, „ist es wichtig, diese Bauten auch als kulturelles Erbe zu begreifen. Wenn die Architektur verschwindet, verschwinden auch die gesellschaftlichen Bezüge." (Text: Cem Angeli) Eine CastYourArt Produktion | www.castyourart.com

SOS Brutalismus - Rettet die Betonmonster! Der Brutalismus ist wohl einer der meistgehassten Baustile der Architekturgeschichte. Béton brut, Sichtbeton, ist der Ursprung des Begriffs Brutalismus. Diese Architektur sollte aber nicht brutal, sondern brut sein: roh, ungekünstelt und wahrhaftig. Sein Hauptmaterial war deshalb der Beton, unverputzt und ungestrichen, oft an Felsformationen erinnernd. Das Architekturzentrum Wien widmet sich bis 6. August unter dem Titel „SOS Brutalismus – Rettet die Betonmonster“ diesem lange diskreditierten Architekturstil. Diese erste umfassende Zusammenschau zu diesem Thema wurde zuvor im Deutschen Architekturmuseum in Frankfurt gezeigt und ist nun auch im Architekturzentrum Wien zu sehen, erweitert mit österreichischen Beispielen aus dem hauseigenen Archiv, kuratiert von Sonja Pisarik. Brutalistische Architektur entstand zwischen 1953 und 1979 auf allen Kontinenten, als globales Phänomen, auch über ideologische Grenzen hinweg, im Westen ebenso wie im Ostblock oder der dritten Welt. Es war eine Ära des Zukunftsoptimismus, der ästhetischen Experimente und des gesellschaftlichen Aufbruchs. Vor allem waren es öffentliche Bauten wie Schulen, Universitäten, Krankenhäuser, Verwaltungszentren oder Wohnanlagen, die in diesem Stil von kommunalen Auftraggebern errichtet wurden. Viele dieser Großbauten aus Sichtbeton wurden allerdings nur Jahrzehnte nach ihrer Entstehung bereits abgerissen, sie wurden lange Zeit als Bausünden verurteilt, dem Verfall preisgegeben oder demoliert. Von Gegnern als Monsterbauten und Betonklötze abqualifiziert, werden sie ebenso intensiv geliebt wie abgelehnt. Für manche ist diese konsequente Sichtbetonoptik einfach nur hässlich, die Bauten gelten aber häufig auch als technisch veraltetet und werden daher im Vergleich zu Gebäuden aus anderen Epochen der Architekturgeschichte rücksichtsloser abgerissen. Nicht nur die ästhetische, sondern auch die architektonische und gesellschaftliche Relevanz dieser Bauten aus rohem Sichtbeton hat jedoch in jüngster Zeit eine neue Wertschätzung erfahren. Einige sind aber immer noch akut vom Abriss bedroht – auch in Österreich. Unter dem Schlagwort Brutalismus bildeten sich Initiativen, die internationale Kongresse und Ausstellungen abhalten, auch zahlreiche Bildbände sind erschienen. Was zunächst als Steckenpferd unter Architekturspezialisten begonnen hatte, ist mittlerweile zu einer internationalen Bewegung geworden. Die Online-Initiative #SOSBrutalism hat weltweit über 1000 Gebäude in einer Datenbank gesammelt und nach ihrem Gefährdungsstatus geordnet, wie bedrohte Tierarten - denn immer mehr Architekturfreunde wollen die expressiven Betonkolosse vor dem Abriss retten. . Das in der Ausstellung gezeigte Kongresszentrum in Bad Gastein von Gerhard Garstenauer (1974) steht beispielsweise seit 2007 leer und verfällt langsam. Karl Schwanzers Internatsturm in St. Pölten (1972) wurde bereits vor Jahren abgerissen, so wie auch die Wohnanlage Robin Hood Gardens (1972) in London, entworfen von den Brutalismus-Miterfindern Alison und Peter Smithson. Der bildhauerische Charakter des Brutalismus zeigt sich in der Architekturzentrum Wien-Schau besonders anhand der Pfarrkirche in Oberwart von Eilfried Huth und Günther Domenig (1969), so wie auch bei Karl Schwanzers „horizontaler Skulptur“, dem Wifi-Gebäude in St. Pölten (1972). Unter den weiteren österreichischen Beispielen ist die Wiener Wotrubakirche (1976) wohl das Bekannteste. Das Schicksal des Kulturzentrums Mattersburg von Herwig Udo Graf (1976), einem nutzerfreundlichen Bau im Geiste sozialdemokratischer Bildungspolitik, ist ebenfalls ungewiss, es existiert aber schon eine Initiative für seine Erhaltung. Wie Architekturzentrum Wien Kuratorin Sonja Pisarik betont, „ist es wichtig, diese Bauten auch als kulturelles Erbe zu begreifen. Wenn die Architektur verschwindet, verschwinden auch die gesellschaftlichen Bezüge." (Text: Cem Angeli) Eine CastYourArt Produktion | www.castyourart.com

Michaela Frühwirth: handeln, erdwärts Michaela Frühwirth hat sich schon früh mit dem Material Grafit auseinandergesetzt. Dieses Material bestimmt ihre großformatigen Zeichnungen. Die Ausstellung "Michaela Frühwirth: handeln, erdwärts" im tresor des Kunstforum Wien zeigt Arbeiten, die sich einerseits mit dem Ort des Grafitstollens in Kaisersberg in der Steiermark beschäftigen und andererseits mit dem Höhleneingang von Chauvet in Südfrankreich. Die Ausstellung läuft noch bis zum 24. Juni 2018 Kunstforum Wien | www.kunstforumwien.at Eine CastYourArt Produktion | www.castyourart.com

Michaela Frühwirth: handeln, erdwärts Michaela Frühwirth hat sich schon früh mit dem Material Grafit auseinandergesetzt. Dieses Material bestimmt ihre großformatigen Zeichnungen. Die Ausstellung "Michaela Frühwirth: handeln, erdwärts" im tresor des Kunstforum Wien zeigt Arbeiten, die sich einerseits mit dem Ort des Grafitstollens in Kaisersberg in der Steiermark beschäftigen und andererseits mit dem Höhleneingang von Chauvet in Südfrankreich. Die Ausstellung läuft noch bis zum 24. Juni 2018 Kunstforum Wien | www.kunstforumwien.at Eine CastYourArt Produktion | www.castyourart.com

Keith Haring Radiant babies, barking dogs, pyramids, fish, mushroom clouds, smileys and Mickey Mouse: The pictograms, hieroglyphs and logo images of Haring’s repertoire of figures and characters have become icons of popular culture, it is hard to imagine a city dweller not being familiar with this very personal language of images. The relatively limited basic stock of characters was rearranged by Haring time and again in order to transmit his sociocritical messages. These picture-words were an attempt to create a language that would be understandable across all boundaries of social class. This is the argument of this exhibition curated by Dieter Buchhart, therefore titled „Keith Haring. The Alphabet“. According to Buchhart the signs acquire their meaning only in a particular context. In the Albertina’s exhibition, these recurring pictorial signs and their historical context are explained in wall texts beside the pictures. Thousands of pictures were produced between 1980 and 1985 in New York’s subway system. Haring used to go down to the subway stations to place his chalk drawings on unused advertisement spaces, mostly drawing them in a single continuous line. The temporary place and and ephemeral material, like chalk, distinguished Haring’s art from graffiti art. Above all, his signs are decipherable quickly and clearly by the broad public, especially in such a fleeting environment as the subway system. In these years he created up to 40 pictures a day and the passengers learned to recognize his very personal symbolic universe. Its development is partly due to the short life of its elements, as they got removed or covered practically on a daily basis. Keith Haring meant to build bridges with his universal visual vocabulary - between boundaries of social class, and between high culture and popular culture. His art should be accessible for everyone, not only to elites. There are videos in the exhibition showing him drawing in the subway. „You do not have to know anything about art to appreciate it or to look at it“ Haring said about his work. Nevertheless, his seemingly simple characters quickly made their way from the subway to the art fairs and museums of the world. After the documenta 1982, Haring became an international star artist, he earned a lot of money and became friends with Andy Warhol. Already seven years after his death, a big retrospective was dedicated to him in the Whitney Museum of New York. He dedicated an important part of the large sums he earned to the struggles against Apartheid and AIDS, he advocated disadvantaged youths and fought drug abuse. On the moving stairs towards the exhibition in the Albertina, the viewer already gets a glimpse into the times of Keith Haring. Along the escalator, photographs of some historical events that inspired the artist are placed on the walls, like the moon landing or the murder of Martin Luther King. Haring’s work is closely linked to the events of times he lived in, like the Berlin Wall, the murder of John Lennon, Ronald Reagan, nuclear accidents, Apartheid and not to forget the discrimination of homosexuals and AIDS patients. For the director of the Albertina, Klaus Albracht Schröder, he was „one of the greatest drawing artists in the 20th century“, but „anything but a cheerful artist“. His personal fears and political issues are always noticeably present in his pictures. After his early death, the Keith Haring Foundation, located in his former studio, still keeps on going with his charitable projects. (written by Cem Angeli) The exhibition in the Albertina counts with 90 works, most of them loans from private collections. It is open until June 24, 2018.

Keith Haring Radiant babies, barking dogs, pyramids, fish, mushroom clouds, smileys and Mickey Mouse: The pictograms, hieroglyphs and logo images of Haring’s repertoire of figures and characters have become icons of popular culture, it is hard to imagine a city dweller not being familiar with this very personal language of images. The relatively limited basic stock of characters was rearranged by Haring time and again in order to transmit his sociocritical messages. These picture-words were an attempt to create a language that would be understandable across all boundaries of social class. This is the argument of this exhibition curated by Dieter Buchhart, therefore titled „Keith Haring. The Alphabet“. According to Buchhart the signs acquire their meaning only in a particular context. In the Albertina’s exhibition, these recurring pictorial signs and their historical context are explained in wall texts beside the pictures. Thousands of pictures were produced between 1980 and 1985 in New York’s subway system. Haring used to go down to the subway stations to place his chalk drawings on unused advertisement spaces, mostly drawing them in a single continuous line. The temporary place and and ephemeral material, like chalk, distinguished Haring’s art from graffiti art. Above all, his signs are decipherable quickly and clearly by the broad public, especially in such a fleeting environment as the subway system. In these years he created up to 40 pictures a day and the passengers learned to recognize his very personal symbolic universe. Its development is partly due to the short life of its elements, as they got removed or covered practically on a daily basis. Keith Haring meant to build bridges with his universal visual vocabulary - between boundaries of social class, and between high culture and popular culture. His art should be accessible for everyone, not only to elites. There are videos in the exhibition showing him drawing in the subway. „You do not have to know anything about art to appreciate it or to look at it“ Haring said about his work. Nevertheless, his seemingly simple characters quickly made their way from the subway to the art fairs and museums of the world. After the documenta 1982, Haring became an international star artist, he earned a lot of money and became friends with Andy Warhol. Already seven years after his death, a big retrospective was dedicated to him in the Whitney Museum of New York. He dedicated an important part of the large sums he earned to the struggles against Apartheid and AIDS, he advocated disadvantaged youths and fought drug abuse. On the moving stairs towards the exhibition in the Albertina, the viewer already gets a glimpse into the times of Keith Haring. Along the escalator, photographs of some historical events that inspired the artist are placed on the walls, like the moon landing or the murder of Martin Luther King. Haring’s work is closely linked to the events of times he lived in, like the Berlin Wall, the murder of John Lennon, Ronald Reagan, nuclear accidents, Apartheid and not to forget the discrimination of homosexuals and AIDS patients. For the director of the Albertina, Klaus Albracht Schröder, he was „one of the greatest drawing artists in the 20th century“, but „anything but a cheerful artist“. His personal fears and political issues are always noticeably present in his pictures. After his early death, the Keith Haring Foundation, located in his former studio, still keeps on going with his charitable projects. (written by Cem Angeli) The exhibition in the Albertina counts with 90 works, most of them loans from private collections. It is open until June 24, 2018.

Keith Haring Männchen, eckige Hunde, strahlende Babys, Pyramiden, Fische, Atompilze, Smileys und Mickey Mouse: Die Piktogramme, Hieroglyphen und Bild-Logos aus Harings Figurenrepertoire sind mittlerweile Ikonen der Popkultur. Es gibt wohl kaum einen Stadtbewohner, der diese höchstpersönliche Zeichensprache nicht kennt. Der relativ begrenzte Grundstock von Bildzeichen wurde von Haring immer neu angeordnet, um seine zeitkritischen Botschaften zu vermitteln. Diese Wortbilder waren somit der Versuch, eine Sprache zu erschaffen, die über soziale Grenzen hinweg verständlich ist. Dies ist die These der von Dieter Buchhart kuratierten Ausstellung, die daher auch den Titel „Keith Haring. Das Alphabet“ trägt. Für Buchhart erlangen die Zeichen ihre Bedeutung erst im jeweiligen Kontext. Die wiederkehrenden Bildmotive werden in der Albertina-Ausstellung in Saaltexten erläutert, nicht zuletzt auch in ihrem historischen Zusammenhang. Tausende Bilder entstanden zwischen 1980 und 1985 in der New Yorker U-Bahn, die „Subway Drawings“, Haring stieg damals in New Yorker U-Bahn-Stationen hinab, um dort auf ungenutzten Werbeflächen seine Kreidezeichnungen zu hinterlassen, meist in einem einzigen Strich, ohne abzusetzen. Der temporäre Untergrund, der mit temporärem Material wie Kreide bearbeitet wird, unterscheidet Harings Kunst von Graffiti. Vor allem aber sind seine Zeichen für das breite Publikum in einer Umgebung wie der U-Bahn klar und schnell entzifferbar. Über die Jahre, in denen er manchmal bis zu 40 Zeichnungen am Tag produzierte, lernten die Fahrgäste sein persönliches symbolisches Universum kennen, dessen Entwicklung auch der Kurzlebigkeit seiner Elemente zu verdanken ist, da sie fast täglich überdeckt wurden. Keith Haring wollte mit seiner universellen Bildsprache Brücken bauen: Zwischen Klassengrenzen und somit auch zwischen Hoch- und Populärkultur, seine Kunst sollte nicht nur einer Elite zugänglich sein. Auf Videos in der Ausstellung ist zu sehen, wie er in der U-Bahn zeichnet. "Man muss nichts von Kunst verstehen, um meine Werke zu begreifen", meinte er. Seine scheinbar simplen Figuren schafften allerdings recht schnell den Sprung von der New Yorker U-Bahn in die Museen und Kunstmessen der ganzen Welt. Mit der documenta 1982 wurde Keith Haring zum internationalen Kunststar, verdiente viel Geld, war mit Andy Warhol befreundet. Bereits sieben Jahre nach seinem Tod gab es eine große Retrospektive im New Yorker Whitney Museum. Haring widmete einen großen Teil der enormen Summen, die er bald verdiente, dem Kampf gegen Aids und Apartheid, er setzte sich für Jugendliche ein und kämpfte gegen Drogenmissbrauch. Auf der Rolltreppe zur Ausstellung wird dem Besucher bereits ein Gefühl für die Zeit Harings vermittelt. Entlang der Rolltreppe sind Fotografien historischer Ereignisse angebracht, die den Künstler inspirierten, wie die Mondlandung oder die Ermordung Martin Luther Kings. Harings Werk ist eng mit prägenden Erlebnissen seiner Zeit verknüpft, mit der Berliner Mauer, der Ermordung John Lennons, mit Ronald Reagan, mit Atomunfällen, der Apartheid und nicht zuletzt mit der Ausgrenzung von Homosexuellen und AIDS-Kranken. Für Albertina-Direktor Klaus Albrecht Schröder war Haring zwar „einer der größten Zeichner des 20. Jahrhunderts,“ aber "alles andere als ein fröhlicher Künstler". Persönliche Ängste und politische Anliegen sind in den Arbeiten immer präsent. Nach seinem frühen Tod setzt die Keith Haring Foundation, die sich in seinem ehemaligen Atelier befindet, weiterhin gemeinnützige Projekte fort. Die Schau, deren 90 Werke überwiegend von privaten Leihgebern stammen, ist noch bis 24. Juni 2018 zu sehen. (Text: Cem Angeli) Albertina Museum | www.albertina.at Eine CastYourArt Produktion | www.castyourart.com

Keith Haring Männchen, eckige Hunde, strahlende Babys, Pyramiden, Fische, Atompilze, Smileys und Mickey Mouse: Die Piktogramme, Hieroglyphen und Bild-Logos aus Harings Figurenrepertoire sind mittlerweile Ikonen der Popkultur. Es gibt wohl kaum einen Stadtbewohner, der diese höchstpersönliche Zeichensprache nicht kennt. Der relativ begrenzte Grundstock von Bildzeichen wurde von Haring immer neu angeordnet, um seine zeitkritischen Botschaften zu vermitteln. Diese Wortbilder waren somit der Versuch, eine Sprache zu erschaffen, die über soziale Grenzen hinweg verständlich ist. Dies ist die These der von Dieter Buchhart kuratierten Ausstellung, die daher auch den Titel „Keith Haring. Das Alphabet“ trägt. Für Buchhart erlangen die Zeichen ihre Bedeutung erst im jeweiligen Kontext. Die wiederkehrenden Bildmotive werden in der Albertina-Ausstellung in Saaltexten erläutert, nicht zuletzt auch in ihrem historischen Zusammenhang. Tausende Bilder entstanden zwischen 1980 und 1985 in der New Yorker U-Bahn, die „Subway Drawings“, Haring stieg damals in New Yorker U-Bahn-Stationen hinab, um dort auf ungenutzten Werbeflächen seine Kreidezeichnungen zu hinterlassen, meist in einem einzigen Strich, ohne abzusetzen. Der temporäre Untergrund, der mit temporärem Material wie Kreide bearbeitet wird, unterscheidet Harings Kunst von Graffiti. Vor allem aber sind seine Zeichen für das breite Publikum in einer Umgebung wie der U-Bahn klar und schnell entzifferbar. Über die Jahre, in denen er manchmal bis zu 40 Zeichnungen am Tag produzierte, lernten die Fahrgäste sein persönliches symbolisches Universum kennen, dessen Entwicklung auch der Kurzlebigkeit seiner Elemente zu verdanken ist, da sie fast täglich überdeckt wurden. Keith Haring wollte mit seiner universellen Bildsprache Brücken bauen: Zwischen Klassengrenzen und somit auch zwischen Hoch- und Populärkultur, seine Kunst sollte nicht nur einer Elite zugänglich sein. Auf Videos in der Ausstellung ist zu sehen, wie er in der U-Bahn zeichnet. "Man muss nichts von Kunst verstehen, um meine Werke zu begreifen", meinte er. Seine scheinbar simplen Figuren schafften allerdings recht schnell den Sprung von der New Yorker U-Bahn in die Museen und Kunstmessen der ganzen Welt. Mit der documenta 1982 wurde Keith Haring zum internationalen Kunststar, verdiente viel Geld, war mit Andy Warhol befreundet. Bereits sieben Jahre nach seinem Tod gab es eine große Retrospektive im New Yorker Whitney Museum. Haring widmete einen großen Teil der enormen Summen, die er bald verdiente, dem Kampf gegen Aids und Apartheid, er setzte sich für Jugendliche ein und kämpfte gegen Drogenmissbrauch. Auf der Rolltreppe zur Ausstellung wird dem Besucher bereits ein Gefühl für die Zeit Harings vermittelt. Entlang der Rolltreppe sind Fotografien historischer Ereignisse angebracht, die den Künstler inspirierten, wie die Mondlandung oder die Ermordung Martin Luther Kings. Harings Werk ist eng mit prägenden Erlebnissen seiner Zeit verknüpft, mit der Berliner Mauer, der Ermordung John Lennons, mit Ronald Reagan, mit Atomunfällen, der Apartheid und nicht zuletzt mit der Ausgrenzung von Homosexuellen und AIDS-Kranken. Für Albertina-Direktor Klaus Albrecht Schröder war Haring zwar „einer der größten Zeichner des 20. Jahrhunderts,“ aber "alles andere als ein fröhlicher Künstler". Persönliche Ängste und politische Anliegen sind in den Arbeiten immer präsent. Nach seinem frühen Tod setzt die Keith Haring Foundation, die sich in seinem ehemaligen Atelier befindet, weiterhin gemeinnützige Projekte fort. Die Schau, deren 90 Werke überwiegend von privaten Leihgebern stammen, ist noch bis 24. Juni 2018 zu sehen. (Text: Cem Angeli) Albertina Museum | www.albertina.at Eine CastYourArt Produktion | www.castyourart.com

Nuriel Molcho about Keith Haring and street art Keith Haring made his way from drawing graffiti in the New York subways to the big museums worldwide. He is a role model for many young street artists today who donate their art to the public and dream of being as successful as Keith Haring. On the occasion of the "Keith Haring" exhibition at Albertina Museum in Vienna, we visited Nuriel Molcho, a street art collector, at Naschmarkt and talked about graffiti and Haring. Albertina Museum | www.albertina.at A CastYourArt Production | www.castyourart.com