The “spring and summer” edition of Belvedere’s Carlone Contemporary exhibition series takes a sculptural turn with works by Irene and Christine Hohenbüchler.
- Features sculptures from Belvedere’s own collection
- Curated by Stella Rollig
- Runs Mar 18 – Sept 12, 2021
- See also:
- Current contemporary art exhibitions in Vienna
Carlone & sculptures
(Christine Hohenbüchler, NO title, 1988–1989, unbezeichnet Stein, 22×100×32cm; Photo: Johannes Stoll / Belvedere, Wien)
Juxtaposition is a marvellous word. You experience it a lot in Vienna’s museums, where art and architecture from the past may be juxtaposed with modern alternatives.
Take Upper Belvedere, for example, which hosts the Carlone Contemporary series of small exhibitions that place a newer art object or installation within the glorious historical surrounds of the palace’s Carlone Hall.
The series continues in 2021 with sculptural objects created by Irene and Christine Hohenbüchler, a choice that seems natural given the gift of various works by these twins (mostly from the early 1990s) to Belvedere.
Items on display include cribs with a cage-like feel to them, rising metal sculptures, and a limestone sculpture like the one pictured above.
The Hohenbüchlers’ oeuvre spans various media, as evidenced by the objects in the exhibition and the Belvedere collection.
So you might find a collage among their work, made from photographs and pencil drawings. Or glass and wood display cabinets, a small wool and metal installation, stone sculptures, a watercolour and lacquer painting, a more traditional oil painting, or some other diverse creation.
One of their larger works emerged through the ongoing Safety Curtain art project at the famous Vienna State Opera, which sees the entire protective curtain between the stage and auditorium used as a 176m2 canvas.
The Hohenbüchlers designed the 1999 contribution, which opera lovers would have viewed before and after performances (and during the interval). The duo used the symbolism of crosses in order to (my translation from the German):
Bring a reminder of reality onto the stage
Incidentally, the curtain for the 2020-2021 opera season is the work Queen B (Mary J. Blige) by the US artist, Carrie Mae Weems.
In 1999, the twins also contributed to the Austrian pavilion at the 48th Venice Biennale with a prototype for modular refugee accommodation, created in the context of the Kosovo conflict (and afterwards used for the very purpose intended).
Both artists now hold elevated academic positions.
Christine Hohenbüchler leads the Institute of Art and Design at Vienna’s Technical University (TU Wien) and heads up the Research Unit of Drawing and Visual Languages. Irene Hohenbüchler is Professor of Cooperative Strategies at the University of Fine Arts Münster in Germany.
Dates, tickets & tips
Enjoy the sculptures between March 18th and September 12th, 2021. A normal entrance ticket or sightseeing pass for Upper Belvedere suffices to get in.
How to get to the exhibition
Just follow the directions for Upper Belvedere. Once inside, head right immediately to find the Carlone Hall. As well as the permanent exhibitions (cough, Klimt, cough), look for Belvedere’s other temporary exhibitions, such as one dedicated to Johann Jakob Hartmann (which runs for most of the same period).
Address: Prinz Eugen-Straße 27, 1030 Vienna