Three prominent Austrian artists are challenging conventional artistic norms in a dynamic exhibition at the Museum Angerlehner in Thalheim near Wels, Austria. Leopold Kogler, Hans Kupelwieser, and Manfred Wakolbinger have created a compelling artistic dialogue where vibrant color storms collide with floating sculptures and expressive light drawings in a shared exhibition space.
Leopold Kogler, an artist from St. Peter/Au and director of NÖDok St. Pölten, serves as the exhibition's colorful protagonist with his large-format paintings that blur the boundaries between abstraction and nature. Kogler creates immersive color spaces featuring spherical, vibrating glimpses of skies and landscapes, while some works stand as pure painting testimonies. His contrast-rich color compositions draw viewers into enormous spatial depths, establishing his independent position in Austrian art history as a former student of Oswald Oberhuber.
The three former study colleagues have united under the collaborative title "KO KU WA – Together In Between" to transform the museum's grand hall into an artistic playground. Hans Kupelwieser from Lunz am See presents large-format photograms – camera-free images created through direct exposure of objects onto light-sensitive materials. His monumental visual works engage in dialogue with spectacular sculptures made of crumpled aluminum that appear to float weightlessly in space, creating a tension-filled interplay between image and object, between everyday items and artistic transformation.
Manfred Wakolbinger from Münchendorf and Vienna contributes metal sculptures that exist in the liminal space between heaviness and floating, between spatial drawing and functional object. His sculptural works transform the gallery experience into a boundary-crossing encounter that is simultaneously monumental, sensual, and mysterious. These pieces challenge viewers to reconsider their understanding of physical presence and transcendent form.
This powerful presentation represents a generation of Lower Austrian artists who have developed distinctive artistic positions throughout their careers. The trio's collaboration demonstrates how different artistic mediums – painting, photography, and sculpture – can create meaningful conversations within a shared space. The exhibition at Museum Angerlehner runs through March 29, 2026, offering visitors an extended opportunity to experience this innovative artistic convergence.
