Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good evening and a warm welcome on behalf of the cultural City of Feldbach to the opening of Hermann Staudinger's exhibition "Reawakening of Light" at the Kunsthalle Feldbach.
I believe this exhibition has succeeded in adding a new, previously unseen facet to the nearly 25-year history of this venue.
It is, and I would like to highlight this from the outset, a very special, indeed extraordinary exhibition, engaging in a dialogue with the space that, when played with the right sensitivity, is capable of offering warmth and intimacy despite its volume.
With the two large glass facades directing east towards the morning sun and west towards the evening sun, it continually adds different light moods to the displayed works, which is particularly significant for the current exhibition.
I would like to sincerely thank and welcome two individuals for making this happen on short notice:
A warm welcome to Hermann Staudinger.
A warm welcome to the mediator and curator: Andreas Stern.
On behalf of all of you – thank you for coming – I would like to greet – he will conduct the opening of the exhibition - Mayor Prof. Ing. Josef Ober.
A few words about the exhibition:
Hermann Staudinger, born in 1963 in Schwanenstadt, completed his secondary education in Vöcklabruck, then studied at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna under Ernst Caramelle, as well as attending a summer academy with Oswald Oberhuber, alongside various stays abroad and work internships. He has been exhibiting since 1987, showcasing graphics, oil paintings, installations, and works on paper. In 1998, his biography marks the "beginning of the Gold cycle," followed by regular projects in the field of art in architecture and gilding.
Which brings us to the theme of the current exhibition: works from the two series "Gold Background Embossings" and "Gold Wall" will be on display. In my brief introduction, I would like to touch on two aspects: First, the technical aspect, as I believe it is highly interesting to learn about Hermann Staudinger's working methods. I refer here to the current exhibition catalog from Galerie Amart from 2022.
It is stated about the "Goldground Embossings" (these are those works that depict trees and forests as a basic motif):
"At the beginning of the artistic work of the 'Goldground Embossings' are found photographs of plants, animals, or even people, which are digitally altered on the computer to create high-contrast black-and-white images. These are printed in large copies, placed on a manually gilded soft-wooden surface or struck across the surface, and then meticulously traced. All black image parts are finely hatching transferred into the golden surface using a hard pencil.
The pencil slightly dents the surface of the gold - in this indentation, after the removal of the template copy, the reflected light is refracted. This creates a gently relief-like image that unfolds its effect without any color pigments.
Regarding the image series "Gold Wall" (you recognize the second continuous motif of today’s exhibition), it is stated there:
"The poliment gilding is created in several work steps. It begins with the application of the glue bath, which is followed by the construction of the chalk ground. The poliment serves as the direct carrier of the gold leaf. It consists of a finely prepared and glued clay, an earth pigment, usually in red, sometimes in yellow, black or gray-blue. The nets, a diluted alcohol, dissolves the glue and causes the leaf gold applied with brushes to stick and adhere well to the substrate."
So much for the technical side. Regarding the content, it should be noted that Hermann Staudinger, through his work, pursues a lofty goal intrinsic to art: nothing less than beauty itself, as a part and statement of his paintings, coupled with the invitation for viewers to become aware of this beauty and carry that feeling with them, possibly throughout their life journey.
This is largely achieved by Hermann Staudinger's decisive reduction and composition in the choice of his motifs and execution of the works. He seeks to embed this beauty in elements such as deceleration and silence, aiming to evoke moods of awe and even enchantment.
Another crucial factor is his use of the material gold, which he liberates from associations with wealth, kitsch, sacred components, or old-fashionedness, while still maintaining its high value, placing it within a highly respectable artistic context. Above all, he emphasizes one of its effects: the shine, sparkle, and glow.
Depending on the intensity and angle of light, and the viewers' positions, they may perceive, although looking at the same picture, a different version of it, without losing the aforementioned effects.
This brings us to the title of the exhibition: Reawakening of Light. Let that happen while observing the works. Enjoy the light and beauty of these images and the beauty of life itself.
The essence of this is what makes Hermann Staudinger's work special and unique, for he successfully adds a deeply personal contribution to the vast world of art.
On the artist's website, you can find several highly recommended texts. Read these, and you'll learn about Hermann Staudinger's struggles to create his art or discover the exquisite "Summer Text." Due to time constraints, I will limit myself here to a quote from an interview regarding the book project "How I Came to Visual Arts":
"I believe I have always drawn and painted because I wanted to create something beautiful and joyful; something that comes into being with much love, care, and dedication; something truly valuable that has not existed in this way in our world before. "Actually, it was always just about love, that something gives me and others joy and a sense of well-being."
In conclusion, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Hermann Staudinger for transforming this space, the Kunsthalle Feldbach, into a place of well-being for over a month with his work, and for giving us the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the beauty of art. Take advantage of this opportunity. Come here as often as you have time, perhaps even once all by yourself, and share it with others.
Thank you for your attention, and I wish you a pleasant evening.