Eva Schlegel

The multilayered nature of space opens up a broad field of reflection in which physics, philosophy, and art play central roles—art in particular as a medium that not only describes but makes tangible how space operates and how we situate ourselves within it. 

For some time now, Eva Schlegel has been exploring how perception and immateriality shape our relationship to space. Her practice encompasses a wide range of artistic forms, including sculptures, photographs, graphite and lead works, videos, pictorial objects, and augmented reality projects. This diversity reflects a sustained engagement with the question of how we not only see space, but also think and feel it. Her works open up in-between spaces and dissolve the seemingly fixed boundaries of space. A striking example of this are her mirror works, which allow us to “look at the old while also gazing into the new.” Here, space becomes a stage on which past and future intertwine.

A loss of orientation in the face of far-reaching global crises is one of the defining experiences of our time. The exhibition Falling up takes up this feeling and contrasts it with a different perspective. The paradoxical title – ‘falling upwards’ – challenges the laws of gravity and opens up the possibility of understanding this loss of orientation not solely as a threat, but also as a shift in perspective.

Eva Schlegel, a recipient of the Austrian Decoration of Honour for Science and Art, is regarded as one of the most important voices in contemporary Austrian art. Her international recognition is also evident in her role at the Venice Biennale: in 1995 she represented Austria with her own works, and in 2011 she curated the Austrian Pavilion, for which Markus Schinwald provided the artistic programme. From 1997 to 2006, she taught at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, passing on her exploration of perception and space to her students.