Spirit of Austria

Austrian Art Today Spirit of Austria presents three positions in contemporary art from Austria: the group Gelatin—members: Wolfgang Gantner (b. Mistelbach, 1968), Ali Janka (b. Salzburg, 1970), Florian Reither (b. St. Pölten, 1970), and Tobias Urban (b. Munich, 1971)—and the artists Franz Graf (b. Tulln, 1954) and Markus Schinwald (b. Salzburg, 1973). At first glance, Graf’s large-format graphite and ink drawings would seem to have little in common with Gelatin’s gaudy modeling-clay pictures and colorful table collages or Schinwald’s overpainted portraits. But a closer look discovers affinities: excessive physicality or unusual psychological constitutions laced with humor and undeniable critical overtones. Despite the considerable differences between the individual artists’ works, they share a narrative approach invested in the social relevance of art—and, occasionally, in deliberate provocation—that has deep roots in the Austrian artistic tradition. With a preface by Monika Schnetkamp and essays by Zdenek Felix and Robert Fleck.