Program
Gerda Ridler has been the artistic director of the State Gallery of Lower Austria since 2022. The art historian, cultural manager, and art expert draws on the bold architecture’s distinctive features as the leitmotifs for her program. Oriented around three pillars, the program makes the State Gallery of Lower Austria a dynamic exhibition venue both architecturally and artistically.
The State Gallery of Lower Austria serves first as a stage for showcasing the art treasures of the state of Lower Austria and second as a location for presenting the work of local artists. The third pillar of the program opens a window to international art.
I associate the striking architecture of the building with dynamism, innovation, and daring. These are also the leitmotifs of my program.”
Stage for the State Collections
The State Collections of Lower Austria are a genuine treasure trove. The mission of the State Gallery of Lower Austria is to showcase the qualities of this unique art collection and present it in a new light in exhibitions on art and cultural history.
The diversity, depth, and quality of the State Collections of Lower Austria represent an outstanding resource for my exhibition program. Many works, especially from the post-1960s, have never been shown publicly before.
The art collection comprises around 100,000 objects. In addition to important works from the Middle Ages and the Baroque period, the collection focuses on art from the nineteenth century to contemporary works. All genres—painting, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, photography, media art, as well as installation and textile art—are represented. The collection also features numerous donated works as well as estates, such as those of Christa Hauer-Fruhmann, Elfriede Mejchar, and Herwig Zens. With the construction of the State Gallery of Lower Austria, the over 100-year-old art collection has had a dedicated home since May 2019.
Stage for local artists
The Landesgalerie Niederösterreich is an impressive venue not only for presenting the State Art Collections, but also the work of local artists. The museum offers space for creative alliances and networking.
The spotlight is reserved in particular for artists who have not yet received the recognition they deserve in Austrian art history. Winners of the Lower Austria State Prize in the category of fine arts are honored annually. For instance, the State Gallery of Lower Austria, in collaboration with the State Collections of Lower Austria, presented the comprehensive solo exhibition Isolde Maria Joham. A Visionary Rediscovered, contributing not only to the rediscovery of this important glass artist and painter but also redefining the significance of her oeuvre.
Window to international art
The third focus of the program opens a window to international art. Artists from all over the world are invited to realize installation-based projects that enter into dialogue with the building’s architecture, take up regional themes, or engage local audiences.
Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota was the first artist Gerda Ridler featured for this series. In Shiota’s spectacular, large-scale installation, a dense web-like structure of red yarn is connected to boats positioned on the floor, ones typically used in Krems and the Wachau for traveling on the Danube. The work functioned as a poetic symbol of travel, of the Danube that links people together, and of home.
Against the backdrop of social responsibility, the State Gallery of Lower Austria plays a central role as a locus of cultural education, as a place of identity and personal encounter. Always with an eye on history while looking toward the future.