The Age of Dürer - Austria at the Gate of the Renaissance

Design of the exhibition at Upper Belvedere

The visual basis of the exhibition architecture is the Mi-Parti clothing style, which refers to the mostly vertical division of a garment in different colors. By the 15th century, this had developed into a color symbolism that, among other things, suggested the wearer's state of mind. The design of the exhibition takes up this symbolism and traces the festive aspect of textiles. For the baroque rooms of the Upper Belvedere, (climate) display cases were designed in three construction methods, as well as suspensions for the exhibition texts printed on fabric panels. Their color and material is based on the wood in the rooms and they cleverly blend in with the architecture.

The turn of the 16th century was marked by social and cultural upheavals, which were also reflected in the art of the time. Reminiscences of the fading Gothic period were still clearly perceptible, as the achievements of Italian Renaissance art made their way into the territory of present-day Austria. In this field of tension, works of art were increasingly freed from functions that had been assigned to them in the Middle Ages: for example, the preservation of a memorial, the instruction of the faithful, or the promotion of devotional practice. The artistic self-confidence of the masters began to consolidate. The aesthetic effect of the objects came to the fore, and their creators established themselves more and more as artists in a modern sense. Their works bear witness to a new kind of interest in reality. Thus, mathematical constructions of perspective, meticulous depictions of nature, and psychologizing portraits were also created in the territory of today's Austria.

Presented will be works from the museum's own holdings, some of which have been elaborately restored for the exhibition, but also numerous loans from national and international collections, including paintings by Albrecht Dürer, Lucas Cranach the Elder, Albrecht Altdorfer, and Jörg Breu. In addition, paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints and medals by lesser-known masters will be on display, allowing visitors to experience the high level of production in the Austrian workshops of the time.

Curator
Björn Blauensteiner

ASSISTANT CURATOR
Stephanie Auer

EXHIBITION ARCHITECTURE
Margula Architects

TEAM
Itai Margula und Theresa Margraf

LOCATION
Upper Belvedere

DURATION of the Exhibition
21. Oktober 2021 bis 30. Jänner 2022

LINKS
Vol 4 No 2 (2022): The Role of Urban Imaginaries
Vol 5 No 1 (2023): Decoding the DNA of urban spaces with artistic practices and creative research approaches