The mahaleb tree connects the west of Hungary and the east of Austria, where where the centers of cultivation were once located. The plant reached Lower Austria through Burgenland. Through Pál Oltósy it found its way to Esztergom. There Oltósy founded the mahaleb tree industry, which has the history of the region and whose the end of which led to the economic the economic boom in agriculture in northern Burgenland especially in Walbersdorf.
The Lang family, the mahaleb tree farmers in Austria, and other villagers told of this time. Their stories revolve around work as an identity-forming element, family obligations, personal failures, social struggles, but as well opportunities.
2024, printversion: 297 x 210 cm, 24 pages, 1. edition: 50 pieces, printed 2024 at Online Druck GmbH, Wr. Neudorf, Publisher: Dr. Georg Luif, 70er Haus der Geschichte, Mattersburg; Artist Book: color print, 1. edition, 10 pieces, hand-bound with insert
The architect of the KUGA conversion and extension, DI Rudolf Szedenik, has gradually found another creative way of capturing reality in his own way. For the first time, his works could be seen in a public exhibition. Under the title «KUGA GALERIE | GALERIJA», the anniversary exhibition from 2022 is documented on the one hand, while on the other hand an overview of outstanding projects and the diverse exhibitions and exhibitors in the KUGA is given. The documentation, written by Manfred Leirer and Gerlinde Stern-Pauer, has been published by edition lex liszt 12.
2023, Editorial staff: Manfred Leirer, Gerlinde Stern-Pauer, languages: German | Croatia
The three-day MUME: Festival der Platane proposed a paradigm shift in terms of monument culture. The event aimed to direct the discourse on monuments towards the huge plane tree, whose roots have been anchored in the soil of Vienna’s first district for over 100 years. Designated a natural monument in the 1990s, the magnificent crown of the plane tree looks like a gigantic green, moving cloud of leaves next to the controversial monument to Dr. Karl Lueger from spring to autumn. In the course of this controversy, the plane tree moves into the foreground in order to be perceived as a monument to peace. Its long arms and many branches symbolize national and global networking and joint action as the overriding goal of our time. The Festival of the Plane Tree took up existing ways of thinking and inspired new considerations. Different approaches and methods enabled several collaborations.
Especially on the second day, the fanzine Platz der Platane was printed, cut, bound and distributed using Risograph in cooperation with Julio of Die Druckstube. The distribution of this fanzine provides information about the natural monument, its history and significance in Vienna’s first district and aims to provoke a name change for the square.
2022, Part of the project MUME: Festival der Platane (MUME: Festival of the Plane Tree), 210 x 148 cm, 8 pages; Printed Version: printed 2021 at Die Druckstube, Vienna, Risograph technic, 1. edition: 100 pieces
Digital Version in English: follows soon
This content reports about the Artist in Residence at Atelierhaus Salzamt Linz, inspiration and cooperations. Join the link to read the text and view the pictures.
2022
«The event series Bewährungsprobe by Johannes Franz-Figeac presents two positions of artists living in Vienna and addresses questions about art production. Under which working conditions and with which material do the respective approaches arise in order to negotiate the world that surrounds us in the field of art? Manuela Picallo Gil uses multimedia objects and installations to question social categorizations in the field of tension between inclusion and exclusion. Jakub Vrba’s artistic work is mainly composed of drawing, sculpture, video and film. He addresses notions of spectacle, pathos, unpaid labor, and the dictatorship of everyday contingency.»
Text, project and moderation: Johannes Franz-Figeac
Artists*: Jakub Vrba and Manuela Picallo Gil
2022, watch the Bewährungsprobe #40 (language: german), whitch took place on 2.5.2022 at 7 pm at Depot – Kunst und Diskussion, Breite Gasse 3, 1070 Wien.
An obsessive routine develops from a feeling. The repetitive activity reveals a familiar work process whose rhythm brings a certain calm, but at the same time regularly sparks emotions. Over the years, a collection of free newspapers grew up whose purpose was not so much archiving. Bound chronologically by month, arranged on the shelf, systematically labeled, the minimalist books reveal nothing about their colorful inner life. CHRONICLES OF MY TIME is a constant attempt to understand yourself as well as my surroundings. As the documentation of questionable newspapers becomes a diary, voids fill in, I recognize my fears, struggles, desires, principles and prejudices. When media reflects our society, I don’t like this reflection and it remains my daily motivation to be part of a change. This publication accompanying the installation reports generally on collecting and archiving in the context of the visual arts and names representatives as references for Chroniken meiner Zeit, whose concept is described in detail.
2021, Part of the project CHRONIKEN MEINER ZEIT (CHRONICLES OF MY TIME), 297 x 210 cm, 16 pages; Printversion: digital color print, Akademie of fine Arts Vienna, 1. edition: 40 piece
Digital Version in English: follows soon
Kaeshmaesh has organized 68 exhibitions, 40 concerts, lectures and performances in its off-space in Ennsgasse. Now the Kaeshmaesh moves nomadically from one place to the next. The moments of the years from 2016 to 2019 in Vienna’s 2nd district were captured in a Kaeshmaesh catalog. Now everyone can take another look back. Copies can be purchased directly from Kaeshmaesh: contact@kaeshmaesh.com. Here is a «small sneak preview».
2021, Kaeshmaesh catalog digital color color print.
DORFTV published the talk Media Criticism with Artistic Means: A conversation with Manuela Picallo Gil on their website. «In its work on media policy, as well as in media literacy education, the Verband Freier Rundfunk Österreich (Association of Free Radio Austria) repeatedly tries to address the negative consequences of stereotyping, emotional exaggeration and clickbaiting by the media. In doing so, it is important to emphasize the real effects on social interaction and on the quality of public discourse. In campaigns, discussions and statements they often do not manage to do this in such a catchy and vivid way as the visual artist Manuela Picallo Gil succeeds in doing with her works. For this reason Verband Freier Rundfunk Österreich invited guests to join the conversation between Helga Schwarzwald and Manuela Picallo Gil via ZOOM to find out about her art works, the content and media-critical motivations. Helga Schwarzwald added the context of the media-political reality in Austria. […]»
text: Helga Schwarzwald
2020, DORFTV, recorded by Helga Schwarzwald, Managing Director of Verband Freier Rundfunk Österreich