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Architecture and Art in Architecture
The MKK in Tränktorstraße eventually became too small. It was therefore clear that a larger home for art was needed. An architectural competition was held back in 2012, and the design by querkraft is now being implemented.
querkraft has been an internationally active and award-winning architectural firm from Vienna for more than 25 years. It has already realized other exhibition buildings such as the Museum Liaunig in Neuhaus and the Römermuseum Vienna.
The approximately 100-metre-long brick building of the “Gießereihalle” (Foundry Hall), complete with crane runway and imposing roof structure, bears witness to the history of the location. This industrial aesthetic is integrated into the architectural concept and the changes to the building remain visible.
Impressions of the building site © Johannes Hauser
A central staircase leads from the hall to the relatively sober exhibition area, which covers around 2,000 square meters. Here, the focus is solely on art, without coming into creative conflict with the existing building.
An integrated multi-storey “box” in the hall houses the offices and art education directly in the museum, while the first floor is primarily for the public: a restaurant, ticket office, store, checkroom and sanitary facilities will be created there. Everyone is welcome here without having to pay admission and will be able to view the exhibition space.
This is the highlight of querkraft's design: most of the art is located in the lower ground floor, but a narrow opening between the ground floor and the lower floor allows a view from above to below and vice versa
Art in Architekture
The term “art in architecture” refers to the integration of works of art into architecture and urban spaces. It creates a connection between art and the built environment, enriches public life and makes art accessible to everyone. The MKKD - Museum für Konkrete Kunst und Design is presenting several special projects in the new building.
A comparable work by Esther Stocker in the Kunstraum Dornbirn: Installation view "Esther Stocker. Zweifel an der Gerade" (EN: "Esther Stocker. Doubts about the straight line")
Esther Stocker
The Installation
A new work is being created for the first floor of the MKKD, which was conceived especially for the hall. Esther Stocker's visually stunning art creates a new point of attraction in the “Gießereihalle" (Foundry Hall) without completely stealing attention from the architecture. A huge, crumpled ball made of vinyl and aluminum hangs in the room, on which a grid of black squares extends on a white background.
It is accompanied by elements on the floor. Here, everyone is invited to sit directly on the art. Esther Stocker's work thus directly reflects the profile of the new museum: moving between art and design.
About the Artist
Esther Stocker (* 1974 in Silandro, IT) is famous for her works in black and white grids, which put perception to the test with their graphic stimuli. In Ingolstadt, she has already realized an impressive spatial work in the exhibition “Mind the Gap!” (06.09.2021 to 06.06.2021), which twisted the viewer's senses. Esther Stocker's works combine art, architecture and design in an exciting way. The artist lives and works in Vienna.
Thomas Laubenberger-Pletzer at the MKK: In situ work in the exhibition "Zurück auf Start! Die Sammlung Gomringer und 30 Jahre Museum für Konkrete Kunst" (EN. "Back to start! The Gomringer Collection and 30 Years of the Museum of Concrete Art) in 2023
Thomas Laubenberger-Pletzer
The Concept
A total of eight locations in the MKKD will present works of art on glass by Thomas Laubenberger-Pletzer. He transforms the necessary and usually soberly designed security stickers on glass surfaces into art. In the entrance area, on swing doors or sliding walls - Laubenberger-Pletzer's works will be seen everywhere. He humorously incorporates references to the history of concrete art and the building. For example, the entrance reads: “From here on, art is concrete”. However, this is not very obvious: Visitors are much more accompanied through the building by continuous grid bands of squares and his own characters, which are arranged vertically, horizontally or mirrored. The works catch the eye, wanting to be discovered and deciphered. At the same time, they draw attention to the surrounding architecture.
About the Artist
The works of Thomas Laubenberger-Pletzer (* 1969 in Kitzbühel, AT) begin with the drawn line on a white background. The artist is fascinated by their minimal presence and at the same time the wealth of expressive possibilities. For the MKK, he created the wall installation “die ganze geschichte - vom anfang bis zum ende bis zum anfang” for the exhibition “Zurück auf Start! The Gomringer Collection and 30 Years of the Museum of Concrete Art” (26.03. to 24.09.2023). Visitors were already invited to decipher the inscription tape here. Laubenberger-Pletzers works follow a conceptual approach and are often linked to writing and language, which is why they are particularly suitable for art-in-building projects. The artist lives and works in Vienna.