[Exhibition]
2023
On Varnishing Times
[Curator]
Dr. Renée Gadsden
Dr. Renée Gadsden
Born in New York, USA, lives and works in Vienna, Austria.
Dr. Renée Gadsden, a native of New York, discovered her passion for art and cultural history at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Fuelled by a hunger for knowledge, Her academic journey led her to the University of Applied Arts Vienna, where she immersed herself in sculpture, cultural, and intellectual history, ultimately earning both an M.F.A. and a Ph.D. degree. Dr. Gadsden's academic pursuits were complemented by her role as a curator and educator, collaborating with esteemed institutions such as the Vienna Secession, the Ludwig Museum of Modern Art Foundation Vienna, and the Jewish Museum Vienna. As a lecturer in Art Theory at the University of Applied Arts Vienna, Dr. Gadsden specialises in gender studies. Her dedication to her craft has garnered recognition through prestigious awards and grants, including the Samuel T. Arnold Fellowship and the Emanuel and Sofie Fohn Award. Dr. Gadsden has written over 45 art historical essays and scholarly articles. Her writing career has spanned various genres, from art historical essays to fiction and self-help literature.
[Artists]
Magda von Hanau
1978 | Born in Barra Bonita, Brazil, she lives and works between Miami, USA and Meiselberg, Austria.
Magda von Hanau graduated on Bachelor of Fine Arts from Miami International University of Art and Design. Her body of works are translated into different mediums such as drawing, photography, installations and sculpture; spanning movements, and cultures. Influences on von Hanau’s practice include nature, feminism, history, the visceral and the overall transcendence of life. Anchored by the themes of time and space, she delves into more conceptual frameworks, acutely, exploring and experimenting with the motifs of beauty, identity, loss, deconstruction and of fragmented moments from juxtaposed to capture, freeze and render visible stories that transcend time and space, and break down the way we see the world around us. Fast gaining recognition on the world stage, von Hanau’s work has been featured in several galleries, at numerous exhibitions, highlighted as public works and included in several prestigious private collections. Many of her works have been featured in top international media outlets including Architectural Digest Italia, Elle Decor, Departures, Casa Vogue Brasil, Robb Report, and elsewhere.
Michl Herberstein
Michl Herberstein
1965 | Born in Vienna, Austria works & lives in Vienna and Lower Austria.
Michl Herberstein graduated from the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. His professional path initially led him into the areas of advertising, animation and graphic design. In 2006 he set up a studio for sculpture in the Weinviertel, another followed in Vienna. Since 2009 he has had solo and group exhibitions in Austria, including the Viennafair 2015 and Art Austria 2017 and 2018. Realising interior and exterior commissions are also part of his work. His professional training and mastery of craftsmanship give him a secure basis for working with a wide variety of materials. The power of life is decisive in his artistic design.
Alina Kunitsyna
Alina Kunitsyna
1981 | Born in Minsk, Belarus lives and works between Damtschach and Vienna, Austria.
Alina Kunitsyna studied at the Lycee of Art, Minsk and the University of Art and Design, Linz, graduating from the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna in 2007. During her time in Minsk, Kunitsyna studied still lives of the Renaissance period extensively, both on the theoretical and practical levels. These artworks contained precious objects like orthodox religious garments, ancient decanters or featured vanitas motifs. The emulation of this époque was an experience that laid the foundation for her artistic practice. Today Kunitsyna seeks inspiration in current pop culture, everyday life and art history, combining these elements in the context of capricious jokes and allegories that capture the perplexity of contemporary life.
On Varnishing Times was an exhibition that brings contemporary painting, sculpture and photographic objects together in the historic halls, chapel and gardens of the Meiselberg Castle. Between the sweeping views to the lush hills of Carinthia in southern Austria, to the wonderfully preserved and restored ceiling frescoes in the great rooms, to the sacred architecture ornate with the rich symbols of centuries of Catholic Christian faith, this presentation platform for the art of the show is an enrichment of our viewing experience, not a competition. The passion for creation of the three featured artists – Alina Kunitsyna, Michl Herberstein and Magda von Hanau – is revealed in the most poignant and subtle way through the curatorial concept. Sculpture is a common language of the three artists. → MORE