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Werner Reiterer (Austrian)
Untitled, 2006
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.
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exhibition details
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exhibition details
Untitled
Ivan Navarro
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Wallpaper commission
Virgil Marti