The Bank Austria Kunstforum Wien gives us a chance to explore the work of a relative rarity: an Austrian artist from the second half of the 20th century who has conquered the international art world. Enjoy the creative genius that is Kiki Kogelnik.
- Large solo exhibition for this acclaimed artist
- Particularly famous for her paintings and ceramic sculptures
- Supported by the Kiki Kogelnik Foundation
- Runs Feb 2 – Jun 25, 2023
- See also:
Now is the time
(Kiki Kogelnik, Self Portrait, 1964 Private Collection; press photo courtesy of Kiki Kogelnik Foundation © Kiki Kogelnik Foundation)
Mention Austria’s influence on international culture, and talk quickly reverts to 18th and 19th century composers or to the artists, architects, and designers active around 1900. The Haydns and Hoffmanns of this world.
But the 20th-century has seen others breach the borders and gain considerable recognition across the globe. Like Maria Lassnig, for example. Or Kiki Kogelnik.
After studying in post-WWII Vienna, Kogelnik (1935-1997) eventually moved to New York in the early 1960s with the encouragement of the US painter and abstract expressionist, Sam Francis.
Kogelnik worked both within and apart from the blossoming pop art movement, her motifs often ahead of their time as she addressed such issues as consumerism, technology or the female body and role of women.
Her choice of media also varied through the years, with, for example, drawings and ceramics areas of notable achievement alongside her paintings.
(Kiki Kogelnik, Untitled (ABC), 1986/88; press photo courtesy of Kiki Kogelnik Foundation © Kiki Kogelnik Foundation)
Kogelnik’s first solo exhibition, incidentally, was in 1961 at Vienna’s Galerie nächst St. Stephan (founded by the Catholic priest, Otto Mauer). Mauer’s story and contribution to art is a fascinating one (I recommend you drop into the Dom Museum on Stephansplatz to learn more).
Mauer’s art gallery continues today as Galerie nächst St. Stephan Rosemarie Schwarzwälder close to where Mozart once lived on Domgasse behind the cathedral.
Fast forward over 50 years and the Bank Austria Kunstforum’s Kogelnik: Now is the Time exhibition represents the artist’s biggest solo exhibition to date.
Among the numerous works on display is a focus on those early New York days, allowing us to see for ourselves just how current Kogelnik’s perspective and commentary remain even now.
Dates, tickets and tips
Enjoy Kogelnik’s art between February 2nd and June 25th, 2023. An entrance ticket for the Kunstforum Wien is essentially a ticket for the exhibition.
And if you miss out on those dates, you can catch the exhibition later at the Brandts Art Museum in Denmark and Kunsthaus Zurich in Switzerland, since the event is a cooperation between the three art institutions.
From late February, also consider a trip to the Albertina Modern, which has an exhibition of printed graphics from post-1945 and features the likes of Warhol and Lichtenstein.
And should you be at the Kunstforum over Easter 2023, two seasonal markets offer a more artisan treat (plus the chance to put a final nail in the coffin of any New Year resolutions about staying clear of calorie-rich food); after coming out of the building, turn left for the Am Hof Easter market or turn right for the Freyung one.
How to get to the exhibition
Take a look at the main Kunstforum article for travel tips, but the location is central and part of a typical walking route through the centre of Vienna. The Freyung square outside dates back to a time when pop art was still many centuries away.
Address: Freyung 8, 1010 Vienna