Norbert W. Hinterberger To be or not to be?
Norbert W. Hinterberger is an artist, teacher, and researcher of visual forms who focuses on questions concerning the uniqueness of our planet and the resulting human existence. His hunger for images, however, is never satisfied with scientific facts and theoretical treatises, but rather seeks out appropriate visual forms, often imbued with ironic critique of knowledge.
The exhibition at KunstRaum Goethestrasse xtd showcases the results of this research, complemented by private biographical exhibits that shed further light on existence.
Norbert W. Hinterberger’s works cannot be confined to a single material. “There’s nothing you can’t use, but material and form are always dictated by the subject matter.” Here, lasagna sheets, tax assessments, blueprints, animal skulls, and handmade paper become the support for his paintings and drawings. Excerpts from his artist’s books, architectural models, photographs of realized installations and exhibitions, such as videos, totaling more than 100 exhibits, encompass the exploration of “To be or not to be?”
The works, created between 1982 and 2017, are presented on both levels of the art space.
The artworks on the upper floor are arranged in the cycles and series “Alone in the Universe,” “The Zoo,” “The Upright Walk,” and “The Birth of Tragedy,” which reflect the artist’s perspective on human history and human existence in its biological and cultural manifestations, ruptures, and consequences.
The titles and descriptions of the works, such as “Exquisite Places,” reflect the artist’s diverse sources of inspiration and his desire to communicate with viewers.
For the first time, Norbert W. Hinterberger is exhibiting biographical mementos with handwritten explanations in six biographical display cases. These explanations highlight his personal connection to Linz—his childhood and his work at the University of Art and Design Linz—and link them to global events.
These works are organized into series such as “Alone in the Universe,” “The Zoo,” “The Upright Walk,” and “The Birth of Tragedy.”
These works reflect the artist’s diverse sources of inspiration and his interest in communicating his ideas to viewers. The installation in the shop window, “The Last Word of Wisdom (What I No Longer Need and Don’t Yet Need)” (2015/2016/2017), “documents the artist’s biographical fact that, with the passing of years, the past comes to the fore as a reservoir of experiences. Experiences that build upon what has already been lived—whether consciously or unconsciously—and should accompany the development of subjective reason. The focus is not on the success and frequent failure of this process, but rather on life circumstances and civilizing measures that aim to liberate humanity ‘from its self-imposed immaturity’ and guide it toward reason—the declared goal of all educational strategies and philosophical systems. The list of things one no longer needs and alternatively doesn’t yet need both documents and questions these facts and simultaneously reflects, in the artist’s own person, his domestication and current biological and psychological state.
“The Last Word of Wisdom (What I No Longer Need and Don’t Yet Need)” Thus, diapers are no longer needed, and not yet, the mother’s breast will likely be replaced by nursing staff, and childlike naivety will give way to dementia.
In the basement of KunstRaum Goethestrasse xtd, the documentation of all context-related works since 1982 is on display.
Norbert W. Hinterberger offers an insight into his extensive oeuvre—both in exhibition spaces and in public spaces. Installations and interventions, actions, architectural works, and public art projects are presented as photographs.
In addition, two recent videos from exhibitions at the ACC Gallery Weimar (2016) and the Zittau Municipal Museum (2016), as well as a video contribution to the exhibition “The Creation Program” at the Linz State Museum (2003), are shown.
The exhibition “To Be or Not to Be?” by Norbert W. Hinterberger is part of KunstRaum Goethestrasse xtd’s year-long program on the theme “The Power of Differences. Sometimes turbulence is so intense that things fly through the air!”
The selection of works for this comprehensive solo exhibition by Norbert W. Hinterberger also highlights the artist’s connection to Linz. We are delighted to present these works in the newly designed exhibition space and to inaugurate it.
Exhibition dates: April 19 – May 19, 2017
Artist-led tour: Friday, May 19, 2:00 p.m.
Closing reception: Friday, May 19, 7:00 p.m. with live music by Norbert W. Hinterberger & friends
About the artist
Norbert W. Hinterberger, born in 1949 in Upper Austria, lives in Berlin.
He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts (Painting & Art) and at the University of Vienna (Philosophy, Psychology). From 1979 to 1993, he was an assistant at the University of Art and Design Linz.
In 1993, he was a visiting professor in Rio de Janeiro and in 1998 in Newcastle, Australia.
1979-93 Assistant at the University of Art and Design Linz.
1993 Visiting Professor in Rio de Janeiro and 1998 in Newcastle, Australia. 1993–2015 Professor of Fine Arts at the Bauhaus University Weimar.
Exhibitions at museums and cultural institutions in Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Dresden, Leipzig, Kassel, Essen, Augsburg, Osnabrück, Erfurt, Weimar, Gotha, Gera, Zittau, Vienna, Graz, Linz, Villach, Freistadt, Gmunden, Grein, Pilsen, Zagreb, Rome, Naples, Modena, Vicenza, Zurich, Basel, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Stockholm, Dublin, Valencia, Vilnius, Kaunas, Moscow, Ramle & Ofakim/Israel, Perth, Negombo, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo.
