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Art History

Katherine Mitchell
Report On "A Solo Exhibition in Austria and Related Projects"
ICIS Research Grant

Katherine Mitchell, Senior Lecturer, Art History

Prior to departing for Austria on May 12, I shipped thirty works of art to the Factory, Kunsthalle, Krems, where they were framed for exhibition. I arrived in Vienna on Saturday, the 13th of May, and left for Krems on Monday, the 15th. Upon my arrival, the works, which were added to works I had left in Austria in 2005, were arranged in the gallery and hung. The exhibition totaling thirty-seven works, drawings and paintings on paper, was well-publicized by the curator, Hartwig Knack, in both press and electronic media. Handsome posters were displayed around the Center. There was a well-attended opening reception on May 20. The exhibition continues until July 2, 2006. It has been reviewed in both local periodicals and an on-line arts publication. I completed my month-long artist residency, during which I continued to work on relatively small paintings and drawings on paper. In addition, in cooperation with Galerie Stadtpark, my host organization for the residency, I produced a limited edition of thirty "artist books". One of these books will be included in the collection of the Landes Museum in St. Polten, Austria. I am hopeful that at least one of the paintings will also make its way into the collection of the Kunsthalle in Krems. I left Austria for the US on June 16, 2006.

A Solo Exhibition in Austria and Related Projects

Katherine Mitchell

After shipping thirty works of art on paper to Austria, I departed Atlanta for Vienna on the 12th of May. I spent my time in Vienna visiting the museums of the Museum Quarter and on Monday, left Vienna by train for Krems.

I was pleased to re-enter my studio of the previous two residencies. It is a simple loft space overlooking the Danube River. The residency and Factory building, and the Kunsthalle are located between two walled medieval towns, Krems and Stein. It is an area of quiet charm and breath-taking beauty. It is also an area with a strong art-world connection. There I have met artists and writers from all over the world—from Peru, to Tokyo, Israel, Berlin, Prague, Budapest, Vienna and more.

I immediately visited the Factory, where I saw that my works had arrived in good condition and all had been framed. Posters announcing my exhibition were displayed around the building, which also houses the Literaturhaus, and other arts organizations. My name appeared in signage on the building exterior. A Google search revealed that the exhibition was also announced on-line on various ways.

The following morning, I met with the curator and his staff to arrange and oversee the hanging of the exhibition of thirty-seven paintings and drawings on paper. I also began working in my studio on a series of additional paintings and drawings which I would bring back to Atlanta with me for exhibitions here.

The exhibition opened on the 20th of May in the afternoon. In addition to people living in the immediate area, a chartered bus of interested people from Vienna was brought in for the opening, which was well-attended. The curator, Hartwig Knack, made a very nice introduction for me, which in print, was a full page in length, discussing my background and the nature of my work.

The exhibition was reviewed in two publications of which I am aware at this time, one a local newspaper, and the other an on-line publication. I believe that at least one painting or drawing will remain in Krems for the Kunsthalle. I am unable at this time to be absolutely certain. Documentation in the form of a CD of photographs of the exhibition installation was made.

Last summer, I had produced on my home computer an "artist book" on my residency experience in Austria. I had occasion to travel to Vienna last November very briefly, and had taken a copy of this edition of four to Christina Lackner, the director of the Galerie Stadtpark and of my part of the residency program. This was intended as a small personal gift with no other motive in mind. However, the Galerie Stadtpark has a tradition of producing artist books in limited edition. She publishes these books with Norbert Fleischmann, a highly respected Austrian painter. Lackner and Fleischmann expressed interest in bringing out an edition of this book as one of their publications. To that end, I sent her a CD of the book’s text and images. During my residency in 2006, they were able to produce an edition of thirty of these books. I was honored to have my work included in the Galerie Stadtpark Editions, which are collected by, among other places and individuals, the Landes Museum in St. Polten. My book had also been exhibited at the Galerie Stadtpark in April, as a work in progress. This exhibition included all of their publications, many by well-known and respected artists.

Each of these books includes one original painting bound with the other pages of the book. I spent several days working very hard during part of the residency producing the forty small paintings, each one different from the others, to go into these books. At the end of this process, I signed and numbered each of the thirty books.

The exhibition continues until the second of July. I remained in Krems until the 15th of June, completing my one-month residency. During this time, I continued to work in my studio, and also had occasion to meet artists, musicians, and writers.

While in residency, I spoke with the curator of the Factory and Kunsthalle Krems, Hartwig Knack, who is interested in possible exchanges with Emory University. I believe this would provide an excellent opportunity for Emory’s Visual Arts faculty, and that our program would be enriched by an interaction with Austrian artists.

This series of three residencies, three months from 2003 to 2006, has been one of the most extraordinary and fruitful experiences of my life. I have been provided with a beautiful and inspiring environment, a community of interesting and accomplished artists and writers from throughout the world, a comfortable and functional studio with living quarters. That I was offered an exhibition seemed beyond any expectation on my part. Now, having completed this final residency and exhibition, I can truly say that this has been one of the finest experiences of my career. I am deeply appreciative of the support of ICIS in making this series a reality.