Dort ist kein Land wo Du nicht bist
BERND FASCHING
09. October - 23. October 2024
Bernd Fasching, whose artistic practice redefined the boundaries between art, space, and viewer, left behind an impressive body of work that extends far beyond conventional forms. This retrospective highlights the multifaceted nature of his oeuvre, which makes the dialogue between myth and the present, tradition and modernity, vividly tangible in a compelling way. At a time when art can serve as a bridge between people, cultures, and eras, Fasching’s legacy remains strikingly relevant.
ARTCARE is pleased to announce the retrospective of the Austrian artist Bernd Fasching (1955–2021) on the occasion of the third anniversary of his death. We extend our sincere thanks to his brother, Robert Fasching, for the project and the collaboration, as well as for the conversations and shared stories.
This retrospective is dedicated to the comprehensive work of the Austrian artist Bernd Fasching, who, as a painter and sculptor, explored the interplay between art, space, and viewer in a unique manner. Until his death in 2021, he lived and worked in Vienna and Istria.
A central work within his artistic career was the project 12 DAYS 12 NIGHTS (1987–2006), in which he worked for twelve days and nights in galleries across seven locations worldwide—Vienna, Amsterdam, Cologne, Jerusalem, New York, and finally once again Vienna. The mythological labors of Hercules served as a key source of inspiration. Throughout this period, Fasching was continuously accessible to the public, and his works emerged in direct exchange with visitors. The twelve paintings created during this time reflected the themes of these conversations, while each location was accompanied by a specially composed soundscape.
>> to the video by Axel Stummer
Terra Nova Head, Bronze, 48cm x 25cm x 25cm, ca.1996.
Exhibition view: Dort ist kein Land wo Du nicht bist, 09. October - 23. October 2024
Vienna Pillow, Mixed Media on steel tank, 93cm x 90cm x 35cm, 1998.
Terra Nova Head, concrete, 55cm x 25cm x 30cm, ca. 1996.
Isaac Newton, Traces of Presence, Burst car tire, wheat grains, mixed media on canvas, 300cm x 180cm, 2017.
Sculptures
Fasching was also renowned for his monumental sculptures and installations. In 1990, he created the sculpture THE HAMMER OF THOR at the entrance of the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) in Vienna. With projects such as A MORE COMPLEX REALITY (2009) in Istria—a sculptural formation—he addressed the complexity of reality and the constant transformation of human perception.
A particular highlight of his career was the project WESTWERK in 2000 at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, where Fasching became the first contemporary artist permitted to exhibit his works within this historic cathedral. His sculptures and paintings entered into a compelling dialogue with the architecture of the space.
Alongside these key works, Fasching repeatedly engaged with the theme of energy in various projects. In 1994, he realized THE ENERGY QUESTION at the decommissioned Zwentendorf Nuclear Power Plant and at the Hospital Church in Stuttgart, followed in the same year by the exhibition THE POWER PLANT WITHIN US in Zurich. Other notable exhibitions included HEAD TERMINAL STATIONS (Westbahnhof Vienna & Propstei St. Ruprecht Vienna, 1992) and ART BRINGS COAL (Lugeck Vienna, 1991). Fasching’s works uniquely intertwine myth and the present, tradition and modernity. His artistic practice, rooted in the encounter between art and viewer, remains of profound social and cultural relevance to this day.
"The way we engage with art—whether in museums, galleries, public spaces, or private settings—depends increasingly on how much viewers are encouraged to bring in their own experiences. Bernd Fasching was always such an instigator, provoking profound responses through his artistic experiments. One visitor described the 1993 exhibition KOPF-BAHNHÖFE at the Provostry of St. Gerold as 'breathtakingly beautiful, unexpected, and deeply moving.' Here, Fasching staged the space around the skull relic of Saint Gerold, an early medieval hermit. This purity and immediacy also left a strong impression during his fifth 12 Days 12 Nights performance in Jerusalem in 1994. Writer Glynn O’Malley praised Fasching’s ability to connect the ordinary with the transcendent and to extend energy into space. Fasching often surprised his audience—for instance, when asked, 'What are you doing here?' he replied, 'Asking questions.' Through daily new works inspired by Hercules, he led people into an interactive engagement and wove their experiences directly into his art."
— Günther Hödl, Austrian historian and former rector of the University of Klagenfurt
VIENNA PILLOWS
These are the very pillows that, in light of Freud’s contributions, can truly only be discussed here in Vienna, as they confront us with a central part of our existence: the world of dreams. In fact, they came into being through violent impact. At first glance, their shape barely suggested anything familiar—but by the third, they began to resemble fuel tanks. Yet the true artistic process, much like with a classical panel painting, lies in the creation of something new—something that could not exist without destruction.
His Pillows were made of metal. As a fundamental element of our planet, metal embodies a unique kind of power. In earlier times, those who mastered it were considered magicians. Bernd Fasching uses it as a material of documentation—its very physicality makes it ideal for capturing and transmitting energy. Dream, nightmare, reality: the latter quickly asserts itself in the mind of any critical viewer upon encountering the Pillows. Bernd Fasching’s Vienna Pillows unmistakably created an atmosphere in which the tragedy of human existence becomes a central emotional force in the work’s entire composition. One steps onto something that has emerged from destruction.
(Historical Museum of the City of Vienna)
TERRA NOVA HEADS
WERKZEUGE / TOOLS
As we use tools,
so too are we tools.
As we cast shadows,
so too are we shadows.
As we take in nourishment,
so too are we nourishment.
— Bernd Fasching