Untitled (Spawn)
2011, synthetic resin, approx. 80 x 80 x 60 cm
1948 born in Lunz am See/Lower Austria
1970-1973 Graphische Lehr-Versuchsanstalt, Vienna
1976-1982 University of Applied Arts, Vienna
1995 Professorship at the Graz University of Technology, Institute for Contemporary Art
Contemporary sculpture in the expanded field (Rosalind Krauss) is characterised by border crossings in the field of operations and in the field of materials. Hans Kupelwieser (born 1948) has always worked in the latter field, following his training with Bazon Brock and Peter Weibel (1976-82) at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. He includes new materials not only as materials in the field of the experimental, like Arte povera, but in a kind of linguistic execution he also operates with new meanings of these materials. A flat rubber sculpture or massive steel sculpture, into which letters are punched as blank spaces that reproduce text quotations from well-known philosophers, serve as a screen and are thus given a new function.
This interweaving of material expansion and operation expansion between form and function is the field of analysis in which Hans Kupelwieser moves. The materials he uses, such as aluminium, occasionally lead to reflections on historical positions (see Andy Warhol to Walter Pichler), as in the perforated sculptures shown as early as 1982 in the remarkable exhibition "Neue Wege des plastischen Gestaltens" (New Ways of Plastic Design) at the Neue Galerie Graz, or in his current pneumatic sculptures, one of which has found its definitive location in the "Österreichischer Skulpturenpark" (Austrian Sculpture Park) near Graz. However, it is not the malleable PVC foil, but aluminium. This material simulates a function that does not really exist. Material or functional illusions form an independent thread in the complex fabric of contemporary sculpture, which Kupelwieser continues to develop by ultimately making the sculptures float and accessible. Such a sculpture in the baroque courtyard of the Neue Galerie will form the prologue to this major personale following his presentation in 1999 at the MAK Vienna, which will show an overview of the last current creative period with some reference works from earlier periods. His photographic works stand on an equal footing with and in close connection to his sculptures; they are indexical images of objects, refer to the traces of objects and deal with the fundamental question of how objects become images. In other words, a classical question of painting, which Kupelwieser solves not in a painterly way, but in a medial and sculptural way. Such large-format photograms as traces of things and furniture can be perceived both sculpturally and photographically or enter into the real construction of things, like his furniture sculptures (sofa, chairs, tables...), which can also contain indexical photograms (of potatoes, rice, spaghetti), whereby the thematisation of positive and negative plays an essential role in his entire oeuvre.
Thus, between Erwin Wurm and Franz West, Hans Kupelwieser succeeds in creating a third independent position in contemporary Austrian sculpture, which makes a clear departure from the post-abstraction era and represents an essential further development of the concept of sculpture in the post-modern era.
(Christa Steinle)
Exhibition view galerie gölles Hans Kupelwieser
2014, Aluminium, 125 x 450 x 240 cm
Untitled (Duchamp)
2012, ceramic, plastic, 61 x 123 cm
Ausstellungen
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2020 Wienerroither&Kohlbacher, Palais Schönborn-Batthyány, Vienna
2019 Gallery 422, Margund Lössl, Gmunden
2018 "possibilities", Galerie Rauminhalt/Georg Kargl Permanent, Vienna
"darkroom", Kunsthaus Mürz, Mürzzuschlag
Smolka Contemporary/Gallery Elisabeth Melichar, Vienna
2017 Gallery Leonhard, Graz
2016 "5 Rooms 4 Brno", The House of the Lords of Kunstat, Brno
"Photo Works", Hollenbach Gallery, Stuttgart
"Hans Kupelwieser", Gallery Leonhard, Graz
"turntables" Art Box, MQ Vienna
2015 "cinema d'ameublement", Gallery Marenzi, Leibnitz
"ÜBERFORMEN", Art Gallery Nexus, Saalfelden
"Bye-bye, Anopheles!", Museum of Fine Arts, Osijek
2014 "Memories of Brioni", Wien Museum, Vienna
"-x-y-z", Gallery Gölles, Fürstenfeld
Hollenbach Gallery, Stuttgart
2013 "Reflections", Reinisch Contemporary, Graz
"Bye-bye, Anopheles!", National Park, Brioni
"ZKRRRSH!", Heike Curtze Gallery, Salzburg
Gallery 422, Margund Lössl, Gmunden
"ZKRRRSH!", Gallery Heike Curtze and Loft City, Vienna
2012 Hollenbach Gallery, Stuttgart
"Reflections" Time Art Lower Austria, Provincial Gallery for Contemporary Art, St.Pölten
2011 Gallery 422, Margund Lössl, Gmunden
"Work Show XVI/1981-2011", Photo Gallery, Vienna
Gallery Leonhard, Graz
2010 Gallery Hollenbach, Stuttgart
Gallery Gölles, Fürstenfeld
2009 Gallery Leonhard, Graz
Muerz Art Gallery, Mürzzuschlag
2008 Gallery Hollenbach, Stuttgart
2007 Gallery Austrian Cultural Forum, Prague
2006 Gallery Bleich-Rossi, Vienna
2005 Gallery 422, Margund Lössl, Gmunden
Gallery Hollenbach, Stuttgart
Gallery Hollenbach, Zurich
2004 Postmedia Sculptures, Neue Galerie, Graz
ZKM | Centre for Art and Media Technology, Karlsruhe
2001 Kunsthaus Muerz, Mürzzuschlag
Photogram, Bienenstein Gallery, Vienna
"exposed", Gallery Bleich-Rossi, Graz
1999 Cultural Institute, Milan
1995 House of Culture, Graz
Trabant, Vienna
Gallery Stadtpark, Krems
Gallery A4, Wels
Gallery Jünger, Baden
1994Trans-Formation, MAK | Museum for Applied Arts, Vienna
1990 Secession, Vienna
1989 "Early Light", Blue-Yellow Gallery, Vienna
"Sculptures", Neue Galerie, Graz
1985 Hummel Gallery, Vienna
Engelhorn Foundation, Munich (with Franz West)
1984 "The Escaped Life", Gallery Winter, Düsseldorf and Vienna
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2020 "art&function", City Hall Gallery Kunsthalle, Munich
"Sculpture", bechter kastowsky gallery, Schaan, Liechtenstein
2019 "The tip of the iceberg", Museum der Moderne, Salzburg
"Masterpieces", Jünger Gallery, Vienna
"Schau...6", Kunsthaus:Kollitsch, Klagenfurt
Gallery Kandlhofer/Sculpture Garden, Klosterneuburg
"Metamorphoses", Reinisch Contemporary, Graz
"Land(e)scapes", Kunsthaus Mürz, Mürzzuschlag
"Heartily dedicated to the future", Museum Liaunig, Neuhaus
"Negative Space", ZKM, Karlsruhe
"Focus on Design II", Traklhaus, Salzburg
"Too much is not enough", Neue Galerie, Graz
"German, Berlin and International Art 1950s to the Present", Daimler Art Collection, Berlin
2018 "The 90s/3rd Lift - Mobile Art in the Mobile Market", Vienna Museum Musa
"Look...5", Kunsthaus:Kollitsch, Klagenfurt
"Art porcelain art", Palais Dorotheum, Vienna
"Object and Abstraction", Reinisch Contemporary, Graz
2017 "Continuity and Breaks", Museum Liaunig, Neuhaus
2016 "Deep.Dark II", Gallery Menotti, Baden
"FS - 1", photography, Palais Breuner, Vienna
"Lichtbild", Hollenbach Gallery, Stuttgart
Gallery Heike Curtze and Petra Seiser, Salzburg
"The Essence", Mario Mauroner Contemporary Art, Salzburg
"Objets - Sculptures", Mario Mauroner, Contemporary Art, Vienna
"LIGHT I Light Experiments", Photo Gallery Vienna
"Eyes - Glances", Museum Liaunig, Neuhaus
"battaglia a cuscinate", City Gallery, Waidhofen/Ybbs
"The Collection", Lentos Art Museum Linz
2015 "Sleepless", The Bed in History and Contemporary Art, 21erHaus, Vienna
"Vienna for Art's Sake!", Winter Palace, Belvedere, Vienna
"The Eighties in the Collection of the Musa, Vienna
"Flirting with Strangers", 21er Haus, Vienna
"Thought Realities", House of Art, Baden
"The Forest Unbowed and Radovan Ivŝić", Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb
"Reflection.Self-reflections of Photography", Bank Austria Kunstforum, Vienna
"Light works", Atlas Gallery, London
2014 "The other side - mirrors and reflections in contemporary art", Belvedere, Vienna
"Here stands an armchair - armchair, chair, stool in art", Galerie im Traklhaus, Salzburg
"on paper", Christine König Gallery, Vienna
"-x-y-z", Gölles Gallery, Fürstenfeld
"Special Selection", Gallery Jünger, Bad Vöslau
"Anarchy.Utopia.Revolution." Ludwig Museum, Budapest
"Byways" (eyes on), Gallery Jünger, Vienna
"25 Years 25 Works", Blue and Yellow Gallery, Weistrach
"Art enjoyment food", Nordico City Museum, Linz
"The Other Side - Mirrors and Reflections in Contemporary Art", Museum Moderner Kunst Kärnten, Klagenfurt
"Photography:International.", Daimler Art Collection, Stuttgart-Möhringen
2013 "A Tribute to Franz West", Konzett Gallery, Vienna
"Garden Art.Art Garden", museumORTH, Orth an der Donau
"Showcase to the Collection IV, The Magic of the Object", MdM Rupertinum, Salzburg
"The Collection # 3", 21er Haus, Vienna
Artpark Villa Bulfon, Velden
"High Dose", Atterseehalle, Attersee
"The New Contemporary", Viennafair
2012 "drink.EAT.art", House of Art, Baden
"Wearing skirts", Museum der Moderne Mönchsberg, Salzburg
"car culture", Lentos Art Museum, Linz
"Bau(t)en for the Arts", design factory
"The Collection", 21er Haus, Vienna
"Night", Ostlicht - Gallery for Photography, Vienna
"Flashdance", City Museum, St. Pölten
"Reality and Abstraction 2", Museum Liaunig, Neuhaus
"Quelle architecture pour la Culture", La Galerie d'architecture, Paris
"an original from ...(II)", Gallery Gölles, Fürstenfeld
2010 "original functional", Wiener Art Foundation, Vienna
2011 "the art to innovate", MQ, Vienna
"car culture", ZKM, Karlsruhe
"magic of the object", Leopold Museum, Vienna
"Absolute Vienna", Wien Museum, Vienna
"New works for the anniversary", Hollenbach Gallery, Stuttgart
"Modernism: Suicide of Art?", Neue Galerie, Graz
2009 Cultural Award Winner, Lower Austrian DOK Centre, St. Pölten
"vis-à-vis Nature : Art", Ulmerfeld Castle
"Twilight Zone", Lower Austria Art Space, Vienna
"Mahlzeit - Food in Art", Gallery in the Traklhaus, Salzburg
2008 sculptures in the streets, brno art open '08, brno
"im gegenlicht" silhouette and shadow painting, Museum Villa Rot, Burgrieden
"30x2 armchairs/chairs", Artelier Collection, Graz
2007 "Austria +/- 50", Gallery Nikolaus Ruzicska, Salzburg
"The Love of Objects", Aspects of Contemporary Sculpture", Lower Austrian State Museum
"architecture in words", aut. architecture and tyrol, Innsbruck
2006 "Postmedial Condition", Galería del 98 at the Centro Cultural Conde Duque, Madrid
"Type Faces", City Museum Waidhofen
"kamera los. das fotogramm", Museum der Moderne Salzburg, Rupertinum
"fotogramme 1920 > now", Künstlerhaus Vienna, Vienna
"Simultan", Two Collections of Austrian Photography, Fotomuseum Winterthur, 2 Dec. 2006 - 18 Feb. 2007
"talking cure / talking cube", MAK- Museum for Applied Arts, Vienna
2005 "Stretch Sculpture", Kunsthaus Meran, Merano
"postmedial condition", Neue Galerie Graz, Graz
"The Encyclopaedia of True Values", Künstlerhaus, Vienna
"draught", Contemporary Art from Vienna, Zurich
2004 "Vienna Lines", Vienna Museum, Vienna
"Landscape", DOK, St. Pölten
2003 "We are already completely drawn", Museum Sammlung Friedrichshof, Zurndorf
"Whoever strives ......" Ulmerfeld Castle, Amstetten
"Patatas", - "Concrete Art", Graz
"Austrian Sculpture Park", Graz
"Traces of Light", Lower Austrian Documentation Centre, St. Pölten
2002 Annual Museum/Kunsthaus Mürzzuschlag
"current settings - the medial view as transfer", Kunstforum, Hallein
2001 "der ironische blick", Landesgalerie am OÖ. State Museum, Linz
"Black Dragon Society", Vienna
"Under the Open Sky", Ambras Castle Park; Innsbruck