Shrinking Vienna

Apocalyptic landscapes and constructivist architectural fantasies. Hubert Scheibl (born 1952 in Gmunden, Austria; lives and works in Vienna) is one of the most important Austrian representatives of abstract painting. His oeuvre is characterized by color and large formats. In his understanding of abstract art and nature, the interplay of chance and control, or the focus on color and gesture, he creates works that allow viewers to revel in a tension between apocalyptic and hypnotic calm. He perceives film history as a collective memory and uses quotes from American cinema, including those from the Coen brothers and the Wachowskis, as titles for his works: a subtle sense of irony and wit that Scheibl employs to subvert his dark landscapes, thereby creating a space for the sublime in his painting. The accompanying exhibition catalog features not only series of images from the last ten years but also sculptures, for which Scheibl is less known. The texts were written by Brigitte Hausmann and Tayfun Belgin.