Untitled, 2006
Werner Reiterer (Austrian)
Brass chandelier, gallows pole, 50 LED lights, electronics, megaphone, sound
6.5' diameter and 20' high
Voice: Werner Reiterer
Sound technology: Jupp Prenn
Construction of chandelier: Dotzauer, Vienna
Technical assistance: Thomas Sandri
Commissioned by the International Contemporary Art Foundation
Located at 21c Museum Hotel; Louisville, Kentucky
Marking the grand opening of 21c Museum Hotel in 2006, the International Contemporary
Art Foundation commissioned Werner Reiterer to create an interactive chandelier,
Untitled, to be located on the corner of 7th and Main in Downtown Louisville,
Ky. It was Reiterer’s first public sculpture in the United States.
The sculpture consists of a brass chandelier connected to a bell located on the
reception desk of Proof On Main restaurant. When a visitor to the restaurant rings
the bell to call for a table, the chandelier begins to breathe in and out deeply
while the lights simultaneously pulsate. This clever disconnect between artwork
and unknowing participation by the visitor is one of the many ways the artist explores
the notion of rules in art and the way visitors are intended to engage with art.
Though the effect of the work is alluring at first, the custom made pole from which
the chandelier is suspended is reminiscent of a gallows. This alludes to the macabre
in Reiterer’s work, suggesting the Ku Klux Klan, lynch justice and the continuing
use of the death penalty in most U.S. states.
About the Artist
Born in Graz, Austria, Reiterer studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna from
1984 to 1988. He has been featured in major museum and gallery exhibitions across
Europe and has become recognized as one of the leading artists of his generation.
2011 Exhibitions
Sassy Sarcastic Swooper
Stephen Rolfe Powell
in conjunction with Preservation Kentucky raffle
Late October 2011 - December 2011
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exhibition details
Corner Store
Okay Mountain
September 21-24
in conjunction with IdeaFestival 2011
in the lobby of the Kentucky Center for the Arts
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exhibition details
Emergence
Julius Friedman
January 2010 - September 2011
in the Atrium Hallway Gallery
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exhibition details
Transformations
Ross Bonfanti and Yoram Wolberger
December 2010 - February 2011
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exhibition details
All Over
Teresa Diehl
Late September 2010 - February 2011
in the Video Lounge, off the Street Level Gallery
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exhibition details
Harper's Pictorial History of the Civil War
Kara Walker
May 2010 - February 2011
in Gallery 2, off the Atrium
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exhibition details
New Acquisitions and Highlights
August 6, 2010 - January 15, 2011
Atrium Gallery
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exhibition details
Moments from Israel
Rina Castelnuovo
Late September 2010 - January 2011
in Gallery 3
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exhibition details
Woman on the Run
Tracey Snelling
October 2010 - January 2011
in the Street Level Gallery
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exhibition details