Art in Advent at the Ars Electronica Center
Thursday, November 27, 2014 / 7:30 PM/ 19 days handbred quail
Thursday, November 27, 2014 / 8 PM / Deep Space LIVE: The Kefermarkt Altar
(Linz, November 24, 2014) “Art in Advent” premiering on Thursday, November 27, 2014 aims to get Ars Electronica Center visitors into the holiday spirit. The artistic spectrum ranges from Gothic woodcarving to contemporary performance. At 8 PM, Michael Zugmann, a theologian on the faculty of the Katholisch-Theologische Privatuniversität Linz, and Lothar Schultes, art historian at the Museum of the Province of Upper Austria, will elaborate on the Kefermarkt Winged Altar, a masterpiece of Gothic woodcarving. Their presentation will feature images by Linz photographer Florian Voggeneder. Artist Sebastian Gärtner kicks off “Art in Advent” at 7:30 PM with an account of his project entitled 19 days (handbred quail). He held a fertilized quail egg in his left fist 19 days long to incubate it before it hatched. “Art in Advent” is produced jointly by the Ars Electronica Center, Bibelwerk Linz, the Art Department of the Diocese of Linz, the Katholisch-Theologische Privatuniversität Linz and the Museum of the Province of Upper Austria.
The Kefermarkt Winged Altar
The altar is 13.40 meters high and 6.30 meters wide, and was created between 1490 and 1497 by a master whose name is unknown to us. This highly detailed limewood (linden) altar is one of the masterpieces of Gothic artistry in German-speaking Europe. The work of the master from Kefermarkt, an independent, presumably local artist, was influenced by Niclas Gerhaert van Leyden or Martin Kriechbaum from Passau. The altar was commissioned by Christoph von Zelking, who owned a stately home in downtown Freistadt and, beginning in 1470, financed the construction of the Kefermarkt church.
19 days (handbred quail)
Sebastian Gärtner held a fertilized quail egg in his left fist 19 days long to incubate it before it hatched. The photos and videos on display provide insightful documentation of the challenges this performance entailed. Sebastian Gärtner stated: “The intention wasn’t to create a consummated life in the palm of my hand, but simply to create the conditions for this life to emerge. The documentation of this performance consists of the 40,000 snapshots taken by my hand camera that are shown in real time, two photographs and a video.” A video documentation of the project is being screened at the Ars Electronica Center from Thursday, November 27, 2014 to Tuesday, December 23, 2014.
Photo:
Kefermarkter Altar / Florian Voggeneder / Printversion / Album
Photo:
19 days (handbred quail) / Sebastian Gärtner / Printversion
