Vienna, May 12 – 14, 2017, https://www.akbild.ac.at
A two-day show by students of Daniel Richter (Academy of Fine Arts Vienna) and Olaf Metzel (Academy of Fine Arts Munich). Strangely I could not find any list of artists participating or layout with artist’s names. Does it relate to the old academy concept that you are a slave of the master artist until you get your graduation diploma?
The space itself with large metal columns is monumental. The columns are hard but have soft and round angles. The show also gave me a very soft feeling: Round shapes, textile materials, melting candies, crumbled paper pages. Even the large metal chain slowly moving in an endless loop close to the entrance was hanging loosely and softly and moving intermittently and with hesitation.
Along one very long wall, there was a row of small paintings. The shapes of the canvases were tilted, as if to counteract the perspective view. This perspective play made the long and tiring line a bit more interesting. Probably this was a collaborative work where each of the participating students painted one canvas.
