kub 05. 07 kub in newy ork city austrian cultural forum · raimund abraham in the heart of new york...

KUB 05.07KUB in New York CityAustrian Cultural Forum12 |11| –30 |11|2005

Kunsthaus Bregenz

The Kunsthaus Bregenz is pleased to showcase itself at theAustrian Cultural Forum in New York as a leading internationalexhibition space for contemporary art with particular emphasison its significance in today’s transatlantic artistic dialogue. Forthree weeks, the striking sculpture-like skyscraper built byRaimund Abraham in the heart of New York Citywill be the settingfor the KUB’s presentation. At the core of this show designed forthe ACF by graphic artist Stefan Sagmeister is the overall con-cept of the indivisibility of architecture, programming, publica-tions, and education. The exhibition as well as roundtable dis-cussions with artists, curators, critics, and architects will high-light the multifaceted picture of the idea “Inside the Work”– aprogram and a specific curatorial approach, now four years inthe making, positing and exploring new artistic approaches toartworks, architecture, and society.

KUB in NYCConcept and textsEckhard Schneider

KUB in New York CityThe Kunsthaus Bregenz at the Austrian Cultural Forum New York

Front pageSiegrun Appelt288 KW|2005Kunsthaus Bregenz,144 Thorn Mundialfloodlights à 2000watts/380 volts,transformers, distri-butor boxes, cable

Austrian CulturalForum, New YorkPhoto: ©Robert Polidori

Jeff Koons, Kunsthaus Bregenz, 2001

Within just a few years, the Kunsthaus Bregenz has succeededin establishing itself as one of the leading international exhi-bition spaces in Europe. Artists, the public, and the media allagree that the Kunsthaus can currently claim to have “the mostcompelling exhibition roster in the German-speaking world”(Monopol, no. 3 [2005]). All in all, the KUB is regarded, especial-ly among artists, as a “signature space”grounded on a persua-sive overall idea: the conclusive indivisibility of architecture,programming, curatorial practice, publications, and educationgeared toward the core of art.

Inside the Work

Kunsthaus Bregenz

KUB facade, VideoProjection, TonyOursler, 2001

“The Kunsthaus Bregenz is an open platform forthe artwork and the audience alike.It is a place for deceleration, where the focus is on the real here and now of newly produced seriesof works and artists are free to unfold the fullpotential of their work’s radical right. To theartists, the Kunsthaus is a temporary studio, aresearch and production site for developing newseries of works whose validity lies in their uncom-promising artistic accentuation. To viewers, theKUB is a place of intellectual and sensoryexperience and discourse.”

Eckhard Schneider,Director, Kunsthaus Bregenz

KUB in New York06 06

The KUB, which opened its doors in 1997, was designed by renownedSwiss architect Peter Zumthor. A recipient of numerous honors,the building ranks among the most important contemporarymuseum structures in the world. Conceived as a museum lit bynatural light, the building captivates by virtue of its momentousexterior form and the uncompromising implementation of its spa-tial conception. The sublime formal and material aesthetic of theground floor and the three upper exhibition levels stacked one ontop of another makes for an integrated whole with great artisticpotential. For artists, the architecture both sets the scale and pro-vides the conceptual impetus for the production of their exhibi-tions, especially when entire series of works are produced to beshown at the Kunsthaus Bregenz. Consequently, the architectureis an indispensable platform for the idea Inside the Work.

“The Kunsthaus rises in the light of Lake Constance.Its body is made of plate glass, steel, and a castconcrete stone mass that establishes structureand space in the interior. From the outside, thebuilding looks like a light source. It absorbs thechanging light of the sky, the hazy shimmer of thelake, and reflects back light and color, hinting atits inner life according to the perspective, thetime of day, and the weather.”

Peter Zumthor, architect

The Architecture

Foyer and staircase,Kunsthaus Bregenz

Eliasson Gordon

Huyghe Merz

Holzer Sierra

Kapoor Schabus

Since revising its programmatic orientation in 2001, the KUB hasrealized twenty-four exhibitions and over thirty projects, all ofwhich were of the museum’s own conception and for the most partwere premieres in Austria and Europe. The central idea was and isthe production of new series of works arising through a dialoguewith the building’s architecture; the radical consequence of thisapproach in the context of today’s international art scene can onlybe experienced at the Kunsthaus Bregenz or at the DIA Art Centerin New York. Thus we succeeded in inspiring artists such as DanielBuren, Olafur Eliasson, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Douglas Gordon, PierreHuyghe, Doug Aitken, Gerhard Merz, Anish Kapoor, Santiago Sierra,Hans Schabus and most recently Janet Cardiff & George BuresMiller to create remarkable on-site artworks. Along with largesummer exhibitions of work by Jeff Koons, Louise Bourgeois,Franz West, Jenny Holzer, and Roy Lichtenstein, the panorama ofcontemporary art is being broken down into its spectacular con-trasts, whereby, thanks to a specific proximity to the work, artisticdepth and validity become the absolute standards.

Exhibitions since 2001

2001Daniel BurenOlafur EliassonGünther FörgJeff Koons

Tony OurslerHiroshi Sugimoto

2002Douglas GordonGilbert & GeorgeLouise Bourgeois

Ruth SchnellPierre HuygheDoug Aitken

2003Mariko MoriGerhard MerzFranz WestAnish KapoorRemindTone Fink

2004Gary HumeSantiago SierraJenny HolzerThomas DemandHans Schabus

2005Jake and Dinos Chapman

Constructive ProvocationRachel WhitereadRoy Lichtenstein

Siegrun AppeltTu Felix Austria .... Wild at Heart

KUB in New York CityJanet Cardiff & George B. Miller

The Program

Exhibitions at theKunsthaus Bregenzsince 2001

“Today the Kunsthaus Bregenz is one of thoseiconic buildings where the significance of eachgiven show as well as society’s desperately need-ed self-confidence take shape in the dialoguebetween exhibitions, architecture, and setting.”

Olafur Eliasson, Artist


Koons Whiteread

Demand

West

SugimotoBourgeois

Mori

Aitken

Curatorial Practice

For the implementation of its program, the KUB has meticulouslydeveloped its capabilities in technological and curatorial matters.Cooperation with leading Vorarlberg companies and suppliershas become indispensable for the museum’s team of techniciansand curator. As works are constantly being produced directly on-site, these companies’ innovative technological know-how playsan essential role, as does their willingness to provide sponsorship.In addition, collaboration between artists and companies hasresulted in lasting partnerships, regarding other exhibition venuesas well. One example here is the cooperation between OlafurEliasson and the company Zumtobel Staff in Dornbirn.

Vorarlberg Companies as KUB Partners

Amann – Dicht- und DämmsystemeAnkünder – Gesellschaft

Außenwerbung mbHAWECO – Appliance SystemsBerlinger HolzbauDMGFeycolorFlatz BrunoGlas MarteI+R SchertlerICONInterlux Hirsch GmbH, HörschingKaufmann Holz AGKultour TaxiLechler CoatingsMÄSER Digital MediaMontfort AdvertisingOa.sysNägele BauÖBBORF – VorarlbergPfeiffer GerüstbauRadio VorarlbergJürgen Raid, MalerbetriebRhomberg BauSiemensTechnogelTon + BildTypico MegaprintsUNIQAVKW – Vorarlberger Kraftwerke AGVN – Vorarlberger NachrichtenVorarlberger Holzbau_ZukunftVorarlberger Illwerke AGZumtobel Staff

The Kunsthaus Bregenz publishes catalogs in conjunction with its exhibitions, working closely with the artists and leadingdesigners, such as Walter Nikkels, Stefan Sagmeister, Bruce Mau,Martina Goldner, Clemens Schedler, and Monomer. Each cataloghas its own trademark look and becomes a key component of theexhibition and of the works themselves. Generally published intwo languages, the catalogs are designed to be both sold at themuseum and distributed worldwide. Editions normally run between2,000 and 7,000 copies, and international sales are handled byWalther König in Cologne for the European market and D.A.P. inNew York for the American and Asian markets.

Catalogs

PublicationsExhibition catalogs

2001Daniel BurenOlafur Eliasson, The mediatedmotionGünther FörgJeff Koons

2002Hiroshi Sugimoto,

Architecture in TimeGilbert & George, An ExhibitionLouise Bourgeois,

Drawings and SculpturesDoug Aitken, New Ocean

2003Mariko Mori, Wave UFOGerhard Merz, bregenz fragmentsFranz West, We’ll Not Carry CoalsAnish Kapoor, My Red Homeland

2004Gary Hume,

The Bird has a Yellow BeakSantiago Sierra,

300 Tons and Previous WorksJenny Holzer, Truth Before PowerThomas Demand, PhototrophyHans Schabus,

The Rendezvous Problem

2005Jake and Dinos ChapmanRachel Whiteread,

Walls, Doors, Floors, and StairsRoy Lichtenstein,

Classic of the NewTu Felix Austria .... Wild at HeartJanet Cardiff & George Bures Miller,The Secret Hotel

Werkbuch Series

2005Gottfried Bechtold Signatur 02

Education

The KUB sees the joint responsibility for the work of art andfor the public as its central task. Hence, an indispensable part ofthe idea behind the work and thus of the mission of the museum isto open itself to the public in the form of wide-ranging and in-depthengagement with the work of art.A central platform for art and communication is the KUB Arena.This work series, which is created by artists specifically for thefoyer, stands at the inter face between architecture, artwork, anddiscourse. Since its premiere in 2003 with the artist Franz West, anindependent tradition has evolved with the works of Anish Kapoor,Thomas Demand, Jenny Holzer, Hans Schabus, and most recentlyMarko Lulic, among others. The KUB Arena is implemented incooperation with our partners Montfort Advertising and DMG.

Key data on the art education program

Approximately 700 educational events eachyear, with 15,000-20,000 visitors enjoying the offerings of the art education program.

Educational offerings: lectures, presen-tations, films, dialogue tours, studio visits,KUB+Coffee, Kunst+Markt, art courses,guided tours with the director and withcurators, events for the Friends of the KUB,family tours, lectures, per formances, dis-course forums, architecture tours, subjec-tive tours, tours for teachers, courses forchildren and teens, Art Dragon for kids,workshops, etc.

Discourse on architecture: lectures byTerence Riley, Dominique Perrault,Raimund Abraham

6,000 schoolchildren provided witheducational activities

Approximately 50 discourse events

Art education at theKunsthaus Bregenz

“But only with the opening of the Kunsthaus Bregenz, built by architect Peter Zumthor in 1997, did Vorarlberg finallyreceive its major architectural landmark. The cube, sur-rounded by a milky-blue glass skin, along with its blackannex, has been perfectly assimilated into the urban layoutof Bregenz’s lakeside old town – and since its inaugurationthis structure has caused as much sensation as the muse-um’s artistic program. […] And it is of no surprise, therefore,that the architecture itself has now found a place in thisbeacon of international art education.”

Roman Hollenstein, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, 2005

KUB in New York City16 17

Siegrun Appelt288 KW |2005Kunsthaus Bregenz,144 Thorn Mundialfloodlights à 2000watts/380 volts,transformers,distributor boxes,cable

The KUB stands in Bregenz, the capital of Vorarlberg, the mostwesterly federal state of Austria. In this excellent geocultural loca-tion at the junction of three countries and in close contact to itsneighbors Germany and Switzerland, the KUB is nestled in a Euro-pean region of astounding scenic beauty and economic success.Lake Constance, the Rhine Valley, and the Alps create a breath-taking panorama for many internationally appealing culturalhighlights. In addition to the KUB, points of interest and attrac-tions especially worth mentioning are the Vorarlberg architecturescene, the Bregenz Festival, the Schubertiade in Schwarzenberg,and the Feldkirch Festival. Backed by political and social accep-tance in public discourse and with the support of partners fromthe cultural, economic, and social sectors in Vorarlberg, the KUBpresents alternatives for autonomy, conciseness, and success inthe tug-of-war between regional identity and international chal-lenges.

KUB – A Powerful Piece of Vorarlberg

PanoramaThe Triangle of Three Nations


Austrian CulturalForum, New York

Inside the Work

Artist Talks: Artists talk to artists, art critics, and curators abouttheir series of works at the Kunsthaus Bregenz and the currentstatus of their work in the context of production and reception.

Saturday, November 12, Lecture/Daniel Buren6.30 p.m., ACF Auditorium

Monday, November 14, Lecture/Eckhard Schneider (Director, Kunsthaus Bregenz)6.30 p.m., ACF Auditorium KUB as a Studio

KUB’s specific mission statementArtist Talk/Franz West and Jason RhoadesModerator: Ealan Wingate (Director, Gagosian Gallery, NYC)

Tuesday, November 15, Rudolf Sagmeister (Curator, Kunsthaus Bregenz)6.30 p.m., ACF Auditorium Curatorial Practice at the KUB

Artist Talk/Douglas Gordon and Lynne Cooke(Curator, Dia Art Foundation, NYC)

Wednesday, November 16 Artist Talk/Thomas Demand and Michael Rush 6.30 p.m., ACF Auditorium (WPS1 Art Radio, NYC)

Thursday, November 17, Lecture/Santiago Sierra6.30 p.m., ACF Auditorium

Friday, November 18, Artist Talk/Jeff Koons and Scott Rothkopf6.30 p.m., ACF Auditorium (Senior Editor, Artforum International, NYC)

ProgramKUB Arena at the Austrian Cultural Forum New York

November 12 –222005

Free admission to all events.For further information on the artist talks,please contact [email protected] (212) 319-5300 x 333 or visit www.acfny.org

KUB in New York City

Saturday, November 19, Eckhard Schneider (Director, Kunsthaus Bregenz)6.30 p.m., ACF Auditorium Introductory statement on the significance of KUB’s architecture

for the production of new work groupsArtist Talk/Hiroshi Sugimoto and Peter Zumthor

Monday, November 21, Artist Talk/Olafur Eliasson and Peter Zumthor6.30 p.m.,The Cooper Union Organized by Kunsthaus Bregenz and the Austrian Cultural Forum(Great Hall),7 East 7th Street, for KUB in NYC. Co-sponsored by the Irwin S. Chanin School of New York, NY 10003, information Architecture of the Cooper Union.number: (212) 753-1722. In collaboration with the Architectural League of New York.First-come first-served.

Architecture as a Platform

Peter Zumthor in conversation with artistsThe architect who designed Kunsthaus Bregenz talks with artistsfor whom KUB’s architecture served as a defining standard andconceptual inspiration for the production of entire series of work.

Light as a Vision

This forum focuses on the question of the importance of light forartists, architects, and museum representatives in contemporarymuseum architecture. Is the Kunsthaus Bregenz, as a daylightmuseum, a model for a museum of the future? Introductory state-ments followed by a roundtable discussion with representativesfrom architecture, art, and museums examine the new challengesand standards for museums with respect to appropriate lightingdesign for the works presented. Representatives from New Yorkinstitutions will be present to discuss their current lighting designprojects.

Light as a Vision: in collaboration with Parsons The NewSchool for Design and Zumtobel Staff.

Tuesday, November 22, Opening words by Paul Goldberger (Dean, Parsons The New5.00 p.m., Parsons for Design, NYC) and introductory statement byThe NewSchool for Design, Eckhard Schneider (Director, Kunsthaus Bregenz)The Lang Center,55 West 13th Street, 2nd floor, Keynote Speakers and RoundtableNew York, NY 10011, Olafur Eliassonphone: (212) 229-8955 x 2910 Michael Govan (Director, Dia Art Foundation, NYC)

Paul Marantz (lighting designer)Hani Rashid (Asymptote, NYC)Donna De Salvo (Associate Director for Programs and Curator,Permanent Collection, Whitney Museum of American Art, NYC)Hiroshi SugimotoMarianne Stockebrand (Director, The Chinati Foundation,Marfa, Texas)Peter ZumthorModerator: Peter M. Wheelwright (Chair, Dept. of Architecture,Interior Design, and Lighting, Parsons The New School for Design,NYC)

Kunsthaus BregenzKarl-Tizian-PlatzA-6900 BregenzPhone (+43-55 74) 4 85 94-0

Fax (+43-55 74) 4 85 [email protected]

DirectorEckhard Schneider

CuratorRudolf Sagmeister

Press and public relationsBirgit Albers ext. [email protected] Büchel

Art educationWinfried Nußbaummüller ext. [email protected] Helfrich

PublicationsKatrin Wiethege ext. [email protected] Kühn

EditionsCaroline Schneiderext. [email protected]

Assistant to the directorBeatrice Nussbichler

OfficeMargit Müller-Schwab

AdministrationUte DenkenbergerPhone (+43-55 74) 5 31 [email protected]

Technical staffMarkus Tembl |MarkusUnterkircher |Stefan Vonier

KUB in NYCInside the Work

Exhibition conceptEckhard Schneider

CommunicationBirgit Albers | Iris Klein

Program Eckhard Schneider|Winfried Nußbaummüller

Organisation Birgit Albers |Melanie Büchel|Matthias Ernstberger|Kirsten Helfrich | Iris Klein|Antje Kühn|Winfried Nußbaummüller

Technique and art handlingRudolf Sagmeister|Markus Tembl|MarkusUnterkircher|Stefan Vonier

Exhibition design Sagmeister Inc., New YorkStefan Sagmeister|Matthias Ernstberger

Austrian Cultural ForumNew York11 East 52nd StreetNew York, NY 10022Phone (212) 319-5300 x 333Fax (212) [email protected]

DirectorChristoph Thun-Hohenstein

Exhibition coordinator Iris Klein

Austrian Cultural ForumNew YorkGallery hoursMon–Sat 10 a.m.– 6 p.m.

KUB 05.07KUB in NYCInside the WorkKunsthaus Bregenz

Kunsthaus Bregenz

Copyright© 2005 by Kunsthaus Bregenz

ConceptEckhard Schneider

TextEckhard Schneider

EditorBirgit Albers

Copy editorWolfgang Astelbauer

Photographs© by the respective photo-graphers, artists, and their legal successorsHélène Binet |ThomasDemand/VBK, Vienna 2005 |Otmar Heidegger |Attilio Maranzano |Robert Polidori |Rudolf Sagmeister |Philipp Schönborn/VBK,Vienna 2005 |Santiago Sierra |Nic Tenwiggenhorn/VBK,Vienna 2005 |Markus Tretter

Basic graphic designClemens Theobert SchedlerBüro für konkrete Gestaltung

Graphic designDalpra & Partner, GötzisRené Dalpra |Joachim Zettl

kub 05. 07 kub in newy ork city austrian cultural forum · raimund abraham in the heart of new york...

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