Artists in Residence

The Austrian Sculpture Park annually invites national and international artists or art students to join the debate around the concepts of sculpture and the park itself, developing new artworks for the collection.

 

Through mutual utilisation of the synergies created by this programme and the atelier programmes of the Land Steiermark, the artists benefit from residential studios, the profound library of the Institute for Art in Public Spaces and their curatorial expertise, which can be accessed in case of content related consensus. 

 

 

 


Jun Yang

The Emperor of China's Ice

19.05.-31.10.2019


Opening: Spring Celebration, 19.05.2019, 2 pm

Kooperation mit Kunsthaus Graz

Curated by: Elisabeth Fiedler
Co-Curator: Birgit Bauernfeind

At the Austrian Sculpture Park to the south of Graz at the end of November 2018, an ice block measuring 1m3 was packed in a wooden box and sunk into hole that had been dug in the ground. This is the artist-in-residence project of Vienna-based artist Jun Yang, whose work deals with the transfer of cultural achievements and the creation of myths. Based on the myth that Marco Polo, returning from his travels to China, had brought back to Europe knowledge about the production of ice cream and its preservation until the summer, the artist recreates this method. At the same time, the Kunsthaus Graz will be showing a large personal exhibition of Jun Yang from 14 February 2019.

 

Why the box was buried

 

His fascination with the myth that merchant and discoverer Marco Polo had brought back to Europe dishes such as pizza, spaghetti and ice cream from his travels in China, as well as the knowledge of their production, inspired the Austrian-Chinese artist to carry out this project. He was particularly interested in how ice cream was preserved until the height of summer to be served to the Emperor of China as shaved slices with syrup or fruit. This method, which came from China to Rome and through Catherine of Medici to Paris, and thus spread the enjoyment of ice cream throughout Europe, is investigated by the Artist-in-Residence Project 2019 at the Austrian Sculpture Park. To this end, a 1m³ block of ice was buried in a ridge at the Austrian Sculpture Park at the end of November 2018 and will be unearthed in a performance at the Austrian Sculpture Park spring celebration on 19 May 2019.

“This extraordinary art project is ever so exciting because neither we nor the artist Jun Yang know what will happen. We are eagerly awaiting the result in May 2019,” commented the director of the Austrian Sculpture Park, Elisabeth Fiedler.

 

What is going to happen

 

The ice block was put into a wooden box and sunk into a 1.3 m³ covered hole in the ground. The space between the casing and the earth was filled with poor heat conductors like ash and straw and covered with a 1.7m² wood panel bearing a reference to the project. Through this exciting experiment, the artist draws together technical observations, their implementation in real life as well as the construction of history. A striking sculpture is the visible sign of the complex, conceptual work. On offer at the festival, alongside Chinese food, will also be shaved ice cream, based on the original Chinese “Baobing” or Japanese “Kakigori” and served with red beans, mango fruit or Matcha.

Gallery

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Jun Yang, Chinatown Graz, < rotor >in the context of Graz 2003 - Cultural Capital of Europe, 2003, photo by Jun Yang, 2003 © Jun Yang
Exhibition

Jun Yang

The Artist, the Work and the Exhibition

15.02.-19.05.2019   >  Kunsthaus Graz

The solo exhibition by Jun Yang is dedicated to fundamental questions of artistic work: what significance do original works, unique pieces, series and reproductions have in art today? How is artistic practice defined when exchanged with others? more...



Austrian Sculpture Park

Thalerhofstraße 85
8141 Premstätten, Österreich
T +43-316/8017-9704
skulpturenpark@museum-joanneum.at

 

Opening Hours


April to August Mon-Sun, public holidays 10am - 8pm
September to October Mon-Sun, public holidays 10am - 6pm

Office address:

Marienplatz 1/1, 8020 Graz
Mo-Fr 9am-5pm
 

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guided tours: T 0316/8017- 9200