The Lower Austrian State Gallery (Landesgalerie NÖ) in Krems has opened a new exhibition featuring works by Iris Andraschek, the 2025 recipient of the Lower Austrian Recognition Prize in the Visual Arts category. Starting this Saturday, visitors can explore Andraschek's diverse artistic portfolio, which addresses themes of social utopias, collective memory, and human experience through various media including photographs, films, drawings, and installations.
One of the exhibition's centerpiece works is a remarkable model of the famous bazaar in Aleppo, Syria, which Andraschek constructed using thousands of traditional Aleppo soaps. This powerful installation tells the poignant story of Syrian refugees who continued the centuries-old tradition of making Aleppo soap while living in Turkish border regions during the ongoing conflict in Syria. The work demonstrates Andraschek's ability to transform everyday materials into profound artistic statements about displacement and cultural preservation.
According to Gerda Ridler, artistic director of the Lower Austrian State Gallery, "Iris Andraschek's perspective opens new viewpoints on human experiences as well as social and political connections." The exhibition encompasses Andraschek's broad thematic range, exploring concepts such as the tension between public and private spheres, societal utopias, memory culture, and the complex relationship between humans and nature.
A significant portion of the exhibition focuses on environmental themes and agricultural practices. Andraschek presents galvanized plants equipped with speech bubbles that appear to give these botanical specimens a voice. The statements written in these speech bubbles are actual quotes from experts in agriculture and farming, addressing the causes and consequences of artificial seed hybridization. This innovative approach allows viewers to consider environmental issues from the perspective of the plants themselves.
The artist has also incorporated old beehives into her installation, transforming them into multimedia displays by integrating screens that show videos featuring food producers and agricultural experts discussing various aspects of modern farming. Additionally, Andraschek uses aquariums as artistic elements to draw attention to water pollution and its environmental impact, creating a comprehensive examination of ecological concerns.
Andraschek's photographic work demonstrates her technical expertise with filters, studio lighting, and double exposures while focusing on sociopolitical and everyday cultural subjects. One notable series captures volunteer firefighter festivals in the Waldviertel region, celebrating local community traditions. Another photographic series examines the stark contrast between local farmers and the globalized agricultural industry, highlighting the challenges facing small-scale regional agriculture in an increasingly industrialized world.
This is not Andraschek's first major project in Krems. In 2021, she presented "I Am Here," a powerful memorial installation consisting of 100 painted carpets placed on streets and public squares throughout the city. Each carpet commemorated Jewish women who either fled persecution or were murdered during the Nazi era, creating a city-wide network of remembrance that brought historical memory into contemporary public spaces.
The current exhibition represents a comprehensive survey of Andraschek's artistic practice, demonstrating her commitment to addressing pressing social, political, and environmental issues through innovative artistic approaches. Her work continues to challenge viewers to consider new perspectives on contemporary challenges while honoring historical memory and cultural traditions.
