The Sammlung Essl at Klosterneuberg ~ Austria′s Biggest Private Collection of Contemporary Art ~ Toured By AKN Editor

Written by Arnold Kaufmann Tuesday, 08 May 2012 22:56

A short journey from Vienna, in the town of Klosterneuburg, is the Essl Collection Museum, which occupies its very own purpose-built art museum by the Danube. It houses Austria′s biggest private collection of contemporary art. Art collecting powerhouse couple, Agnes and Karlheinz Essl (Karlheinz Essl is the founder of bauMax, a chain of do-it-yourself and garden centres) believe that “art enriches life and releases innovative forces,” the two have always sought to collect challenging works. The collection was originally meant to be housed in the 'MuseumsQuartier' in Vienna, but after a long - and typically Austrian - argument about the architecture of the museum it was built in Klosterneuburg, where they live and where bauMax has its headquarters. The striking building was designed by the award-winning Austrian architect Heinz Tesar and when it opened in 1999, the Essls could now display a collection that boasted the likes of Damien Hirst, Paul McCarthy, Thomas Struth, Andreas Gursky, Bill Viola, Tony Oursler and Jonathan Meese. Visitors enter the Exhibition Building of the Essl Collection through an entrance pavilion in the southern part of the building. From the entrance hall and the light-flooded stair hall that extends freely over all five storeys one reaches the first floor with its inner courtyard, lawn and water basin. This floor also contains the lobby, the entrance to the library, the galleries and the exhibition hall. On the mezzanine floor, a spacious studio is used for the numerous events and activities of the educational program. The six large storage rooms on the ground floor with a total floor space of 2,500 sq. meters are supplemented by additional rooms devoted to conservation, workshops, technical equipment and the administration of the artworks in the storage rooms. The seven galleries which are located on the west side contain the permanent display of the Essl Collection. They each have different dimensions and are lit through their three meter high skylights. The east-facing Exhibition Hall receives its daylight from the windows along one side and is visually linked to the corridor on the floor below that leads to the art storage rooms. The Rotunda connects the Exhibition Hall with the "Large Hall" on the floor above. Adjacent to it is the Lecture Hall, where lectures, special events and music performances are held. The Rotunda connects the Exhibition Hall with the Large Hall. It has been intentionally left empty and is filled only with the sounds of specifically conceived sound installations by various composers. The "Large Hall", where the sculptures and installations are displayed is lit by windows along one side as well as by skylights. The hall is covered by an 820 sq. meter roof that is shaped like a wave. Adjacent to the "Large Hall" are the Café and the museum shop.

Situated approximately 600 meters from the Essl Museum, the Schömer-Haus (also designed by Heinz Tesar) is just a few minutes’ walk away. Although its main function is as the Schömer-bauMax-Corporate Group headquarters it also provides extra exhibition space for the Essl Museum. Entry is free. it serves as an exhibition hall for the Essl collection and as a concert hall. The concert series, Music at the Schömer-Haus, has been curated by the composer Karlheinz Essl since 1992. About four times a year, the building is transformed into a venue for exceptional musical events, where primarily New Music is presented with all its radical, unconventional facets. Visit the museum (and Schömer-Haus) website at: http://www.sammlung-essl.at

With more than 6.000 exhibits the Essl Collection today offers an excellent overview of Austrian painting since 1945, placing it in an international context. Collecting in depth was always an essential idea and the artists' development in the course of their oeuvre was to be shown. The scope of the Austrian exhibits in the Collection ranges from the Abstract Expressionism of the 50's and 60's to the Vienna Actionism and New Painting of the 80s and all the way to the reductionist art of the 90s. In addition to the post-war paintings the Collection contains an important group of works of Classical Austrian Modernism. In the past few years the selection of the works by international artists has been made mainly on the basis of their significance for painting and their relationship to the Austrian art tradition. Among the well-known artists represented are; Arnulf Rainer, Sam Francis, Maria Lassnig, Antoni Tàpies, Hermann Nitsch, Günter Brus, Georg Baselitz, Markus Lüpertz, Valie Export, Markus Oehlen, Daniel Richter, Gerhard Richter, Hubert Schmalix, Siegfried Anzinger, Jonathan Meese, Sean Scully, Per Kirkeby, Oskar Kokoschka, Lois Renner, Gottfried Helnwein, Karel Appel and Krystufek . The collection is supplemented in photography, video and sculpture by the work of Franz West, Nam June Paik, Shirin Neshat, Cindy Sherman, Jannis Kounellis and Barbara Szüts as well as high-quality sculptures.

Currently the Essl Museum has 3 exhibitions on exhibition. “India Awakens” (until February 13th 2011) is in the main exhibitions hall and presents the new generation of contemporary Indian artists. Alongside paintings, sculpture and photography the exhibition will include spacious video installations and contemporary Tribal Art. All works were acquired by the Essl Museum and have partly been created specifically for this exhibition. In the main hall, under the title of “Private Wurm”, one of Austria’s most internationally successful artists, Erwin Wurm presents recent works (until 30th January 2011). In this personal show the artist takes a look at his childhood and youth. In his work, Wurm explores the realms of action art, performance art and sculpture and translates them into a contemporary media context. “Beautiful Klosterneuburg”, a personal choice of works selected by German artist Albert Oehlen is presented in the seven gallery rooms (until 8th May 2011). The exhibition features paintings and sculptures by artists including Rudolf Hausner, Friedensreich Hundertwasser but also contemporary art by Paul McCarthy and Heimo Zobernig. In the 1980s, Albert Oehlen was part of the “Neue Wilde” group, which included names such as Martin Kippenberger, Werner Büttner and his own brother Markus Oehlen. These “new savages” took an ironic stance and challenged the entire medium of painting. At the nearby Schömer-Haus art collector Agnes Essl takes a look at artists whose work has been represented in The Essl Collection from its inception and who have become creative “Associates of Long Standing (until spring 2011). Of the idea behind the exhibition, Agnes Essl says: “In our first guest-book I found an invitation to a preview of Kurt Moldovan’s work for 10 November 1979. This exhibition was one of the first we had organised in a very private context in our home for our relatives and a few friends. Then others followed, among them Rudolf Hradil, Herbert Breiter, Ernst Gradischnig, Gottfried Salzmann, Markus Vallazza, Hans Kruckenhauser and Giselbert Hoke. That was the beginning of our collection!”