Karl Salzmann

The Austrian Cultural Forum New York (ACFNY), in collaboration with studio das weisse haus and Erste Bank, is pleased to present the new multi-media installation Monopulism by Austrian artist Karl Salzmann – winner of the second Erste Bank ExtraVALUE Art Award. Monopulism presents an artistic and scientific approach to sound as a weapon and means of manipulation and oppression.

The neologism Monopulism creatively combines attributes of the terms mono, populism, monopole and manipulation in an artistic space. Composed of pre-existent works and new pieces specifically tailored to the ACFNY’s gallery space, Salzmann’s installation comprises elements including a wooden bar, an acoustic monument and two automated vacuum cleaners, autonomously roaming the area. These single elements, if observed isolated, may seem aesthetically pleasing and not menacing at all, but their activity and interplay remains somehow irritating.

One of the objects on display, the acoustic monument titled Lautsprechermonument, emits a near-inaudible low frequency signal resonating with the room causing physical unease and the feeling of an invisible threat. As soon as the monument comes alive, it blanks out everything else. Conversations are no longer possible and staying in the exhibition space becomes almost unbearable.

Monopulism reflects upon social and political influences and transforms them into metaphors and signs through their visual and acoustic manifestation. Their neutral, sober presentation leaves it entirely up to the viewer to interpret relations between different arguments, without proposing predefined opinions or solutions.

For the opening of the exhibition, Salzmann will converse with Vienna-based artist Sonia Leimer about their artistic practices. Leimer is currently an artist in residence at the International Studio & Curatorial Program in East Williamsburg, New York. In her installations, Leimer explores our perceptual foundations, which are formed on the basis of individual, historical, and media-related patterns of experience. As products of concrete historical contexts, rooms and objects undergo a transformation in which history and societal changes become palpable. The artists' discussion will be moderated by Kari Conte, Director of Programs and Exhibitions at the International Studio & Curatorial Program (www.iscp-nyc.org).

ABOUT THE ExtraVALUE ART AWARD

A collaboration between studio das weisse haus, the Austrian Cultural Forum New York, and Erste Bank, the Erste Bank ExtraVALUE Art Award was initiated in 2016 with the aim to promote a young artist and facilitate a one-month residency in New York as a phase of inspiration and to expand his/her own network. Artists whose work has already been presented in das weisse haus or who have participated in the studio and residency program of studio das weisse haus were eligible to submit entries for the ExtraVALUE Art Award.

ABOUT KARL SALZMANN

Salzmann, born 1979 in Vorarlberg, Austria, holds a diploma from the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. He followed his interest in acoustics, taking classes in Computermusik & New Media (elak) from 2011-2012 at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna and is currently writing his doctoral thesis at the Academy of Fine Arts. He mainly focuses on sound research, experimental music and contemporary musical phenomena. During his intensive work with sound, rhythm and their various audio-visual forms, he found his way to a form language, which is characterized by its simplicity as well as restraint of movement and sound.

Salzmann’s works have (among others) been presented at: Kunsthaus Graz (2013, solo), Kunsthalle Bratislava (2014, solo), MAK - museum of applied arts Vienna (2012), Athens Digital Art Festival (2014), Künstlerhaus Wien (2013) and are in the public collections of the Austrian government, city of Vienna and the province of Vorarlberg. Karl Salzmann also currently works as a lecturer, researcher and artistic & scientific assistant at the department of art & science at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna.

ABOUT THE AUSTRIAN CULTURAL FORUM NEW YORK

With its architectural landmark building in Midtown Manhattan, the Austrian Cultural Forum New York is dedicated to innovative and cutting-edge programming, showcasing the best of Austrian contemporary art, music, literature, performance, and academic thought in New York and throughout the United States. In addition to presenting three group exhibitions per year in its multi-level gallery space and housing around 10,000 volumes of Austriaca in its state-of-the-art library, it hosts over 100 free events annually in its own auditorium and supports at least as many projects at partner institutions across the nation. Visit www.acfny.org for more information.