Artists at work

Amidst the many visiting artists, it is easy to forget that many of the people involved in the running of the Summer Academy are artists in their own right. Last night the Galerie der KG FreiRäume in Hallein saw the opening of an exhibition of work by assistants at this year’s Academy. The show was introduced by Bärbel Hartje, who also curated the exhibition. Titled “At Work”, the artists explore the notion of the studio as a “production sphere”. Each of the artists responded in very different ways, addressing the themes with a variety of media.

Noële Ody and Marcel Hiller presented site specific works for the exhibition, responding to the spaces presented by the gallery. In Katharina Karner’s photographic video loop we witness moments from a session working in the studio, while Susi Krautgartner and Bodo Schlack present images which reflect aspects of the studio as work space. Orson Sieverding’s photograph captured the process of creative production, while Frank Bartsch displayed an image of the afterlife of such a process. David Svoboda’s small scale sculptures challenge ways of viewing and interpretation, while Petra Polli’s graphics invite a process of viewing, and Ulrika Segerberg’s collage crosses and examines boundaries of media. Finally, Cäcilia Brown takes the consideration of space into the urban environment.

The evening allowed the assistants to present their own responses to the themes being investigated in the courses, talks and lectures. In an environment where everyone is an artist, it becomes all the more important that all may contribute.