ART&ANTIQUE Hofburg 2024

Max Ernst and Pablo Picasso, both icons of classical modernism, explore the archetypal and mystical character of nature in their works. Man Ray, through his surrealist visual language, transforms the relationship between nature and corporeality.

In contrast, the younger artists offer a fresh, critical perspective on nature and its symbolic significance in the 21st century. Both Marko Zink and Sandro Đukić, in their photographic practices, probe the boundaries between the representation of nature and transience, while Alexander Viscio explores nature as a structural and poetic phenomenon through his sculptural objects. Meanwhile, Laura Fitzgerald and Viktors Svikis, in their paper and mixed-media works, question the cultural and political dimensions of nature’s portrayal, recontextualizing the relationship between humans and the environment.

This complex dialogue at the Michaela Stock Gallery’s booth offers fair visitors new insights into both historical and contemporary reflections on nature as a conceptual theme.