Adolf Frohner

Adolf Frohner, known for his expressive painting, sculpture, and drawing, is a key figure in Austrian post-war modernism. Born on March 12, 1934, in Groß-Inzersdorf, Lower Austria, he moved to Vienna in 1952 after attending the Gymnasium of the Cistercian Abbey Zwettl and the Piarist Gymnasium in Krems. In Vienna, he studied at a specialized school for commercial advertising while also auditing courses at the Academy of Fine Arts, where he participated in Herbert Boeckl‘s evening figure drawing class. Frohner did not pursue a formal art education; he was predominantly self-taught as an artist. 

From 1955 to 1959, Frohner worked as a graphic designer for the Association of Electric Utilities. He then worked as an art critic for two ideologically contrasting newspapers: Volksblatt and Volksstimme. Beginning in 1961, he dedicated himself exclusively to working as a freelance painter and graphic artist. An UNESCO fellowship, arranged by Herbert Boeckl, took him to Paris, where he established connections with the Nouveaux Réalistes group led by Pierre Restany. 

In 1962, Frohner, along with Hermann Nitsch and Otto Mühl, co-founded Viennese Actionism with the Einmauerungsaktion (Walling-Up Action) and the Blutorgel-Manifest (Blood Organ Manifesto). A pivotal moment in his career was his encounter with Jean Dubuffet at the Biennale des Jeunes in Paris in 1967. Dubuffet‘s raw and primitive artistic techniques had a profound and lasting influence on Frohner.

Frohner‘s international recognition grew significantly in 1969 with his participation in the São Paulo Biennale, and in 1970, he held a solo exhibition at the Venice Biennale. These events marked the beginning of his collaboration with prestigious galleries. 

The groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Forum Frohner took place on January 19, 2007. Just a few days later, on January 24, Adolf Frohner passed away unexpectedly.

Since 1970, Adolf Frohner's work has been featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Austria, Italy, Germany, and the US 

A selection: 

• Destroy the Picture: Painting the Void, 1949–1962, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (2012/13), Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago (2013)
• Die Blutorgel, Forum Frohner, Krems (2014/15)
• Adolf Frohner (1934–2007). Fünf Jahrzehnte Malerei, Grafik, Objekt, Essl Museum, Klosterneuburg (2014)
• Nach Picasso. Auf Spurensuche in der jungen österreichischen Kunst, Forum Frohner, Krems (2015)
• Body & Soul. Körper und Körperlichkeit, Essl Museum, Klosterneuburg (2016)
• Psycho Drawing. Art brut und die 60er und 70er in Österreich, Lentos Kunstmuseum Linz (2017)

In 1972, Adolf Frohner was appointed associate professor of life drawing at the Hochschule (now University) of Applied Arts in Vienna. He became a full professor in 1976 and went on to lead the Department of General Art Studies and Art Education, the master class in painting, and finally the Department of Fine Arts. In 1989, he was appointed deputy rector and in 1996, pro-rector. When the Hochschule was elevated to university status in 1998, he was named full professor of painting and, in 1999, became the head of the Institute of Fine Arts. His colleagues included renowned figures such as Hans Hollein, Maria Lassnig, Oswald Oberhuber, Peter Weibel, and Helga Philipp. After retiring as institute director in 2002, Frohner remained on the faculty, continuing to lead the master class in painting for an additional three years. He mentored several prominent artists, including Martha Jungwirth, Ona B., Nina Maron, and Moussa Kone.

Am 19. Januar 2007 erfolgte der Spatenstich zum Bau des Forum Frohner. Nur ein paar Tage darauf, am 24. Januar, starb Adolf Frohner völlig unerwartet.