EXHIBITION
LIGHT SOUND SENSES
- Olafur Eliasson, Your uncertain shadow (colour), 2010, TBA 21 Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary Collection, Ausstellungsansicht: Olafur Eliasson: Innen Stadt Außen, Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin, Germany, 2010, Foto: Jens Ziehe | Courtesy Studio Olafur Eliasson, Berlin
- Ernesto Neto, A candle to earth, 2015, Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary Collection
- Brigitte Kowanz, Light up, 2000, Heidi Horten Collection, Bildrecht Wien, 2024
- John Armleder, Ohne Titel (target), 2001, Heidi Horten Collection, Courtesy der Künstler
Health warning:
Dear art lovers, we would like to point out that the light effects may cause discomfort or even epileptic seizures in people who are susceptible to them.
The exhibition Light Sound Senses explores light as a physical and natural and aesthetically usable phenomenon and aims to stimulate our diverse sensory perceptions. Visitors are invited to engage with multi-sensory works of art to heighten their own awareness of space, time, light, sound, taste and touch. Light is explored as an indicator of technological development and as a cultural construct with symbolic meaning. Through works from the Heidi Horten Collection as well as loans from TBA21 and site-specific and immersive installations - realized exclusively for the exhibition by invited artists - Light Sound Senses conveys a deeper understanding of the nature of light, sound and our five senses.
In the exhibition, which extends over two floors of the museum, visitors will get to know a pioneer of light art, László Moholy-Nagy, or encounter immersive light installations by Olafur Eliasson, Brigitte Kowanz and Siegrun Appelt. Appelt deals with the topic of light pollution and the scientific background of daylight research.
Tracey Emin and Joseph Kosuth use neon as an artistic and conceptual material. A room-filling sound installation by Austrian artist Bernhard Leitner encourages visitors to “see” sound; other artists use sound to achieve a stronger perception of their own bodies. Finally, works by Lena Henke and Ernesto Neto will stimulate the sense of smell and taste.
20 September 2024 – 23 March 2025
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As a special feature of the exhibition, visitors are encouraged to interact with the works in a participatory way. One example of this is Carsten Nicolai's work Bausatz noto, in which the visitors themselves act as sound artists: At a table with four record players, different colored vinyls with different timbres can be combined. Carsten Nicolai will create a light and sound installation exclusively for the exhibition.
The exhibition Light Sound Senses is to take a scientific-critical, humorous and artistic-aesthetic look at our sensory perceptions, to challenge them and play with them.
With works by:
Siegrun Appelt with Constanze Müller, John M Armleder, Cibelle Cavalli Bastos, Olafur Eliasson, Tracey Emin, Cerith Wyn Evans, Dan Flavin, Ceal Floyer, Peter Friedl, Gelatin, Helga Griffiths, Lena Henke, Carsten Höller, Krištof Kintera, Edgar Knoop, Brigitte Kowanz, Joseph Kosuth, Bernhard Leitner, Paul McCarthy, László Moholy-Nagy, Iván Navarro, Ernesto Neto, Carsten Nicolai, Tim Noble & Sue Webster, Tony Oursler, Finnbogi Petursson, Ugo Rondinone, Christine Schörkhuber, SUPERFLEX, Iv Toshain and Martin Walde.
EXHIBITION
FOCUS FRANZ WEST
Franz West, Biennale Zyklus 1-9, 1990
Collage, mixed media, photographs, gouache and text on paper
Heidi Horten Collection
© Archiv Franz West, Estate Franz West
What can sculpture be today?
The exhibition Focus Franz West is a survey of the multifaceted work of Austrian artist Franz West, who challenged and playfully subverted traditional genre concepts. West’s creative universe is all-encompassing: his oeuvre includes drawings, collages, posters, videos, and, most notably, works dedicated to the principle of participation and an expanded concept of sculpture.
The centerpiece of the exhibition is a work that is a new addition to the collection: Franz West’s nine-part series of collages for the 1990 Biennale, which takes an ironic look at the dialogue between artwork and viewer. The series is a sequel to his earlier Passstücke (Adaptives), portable sculptures that function as a temporary extension of the human body and invite the recipient to interact with them.
From 6 September, 2024
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Other works from the collection, including a Passstück and a work on paper, complement the presentation. The exhibition is further enhanced by works on loan from private collections. These works, including additional Passstücke and amorphous sculptures, demonstrate West’s innovative approach to pushing the boundaries between art and life.
The exhibition offers visitors a unique opportunity to discover and experience Franz West’s distinct and innovative approach to sculpture.
Exhibition view Focus Franz West
Photos: Ouriel Morgensztern/ Heidi Horten Collection
© Archiv Franz West, Estate Franz West