Alex and the 21 women

When Alexander Seidler took over the traditional gallery on Klosterstraße in Linz last year after the death of his father, one thing struck him: “We have very few works by women.” So he implemented an idea that had also occupied his father: an exhibition with works by women only. On Thursday evening he was able to open “She is Art”.

It has become an impressive show. Seidler is showing 117 works by 15 living and six deceased artists from Upper Austria, giving an overview of 130 years of female art: the oldest artist, Vilma Eckl, was born in 1892, the youngest, Cinthia Mitterhuber, is 36 years old. Each is represented by around six works, prices range between 250 and 12,800 euros (for a mountain landscape by Eva Bosch).

The selection of the works was particularly difficult. Seidler traveled to the artists and selected the works with them. “I didn’t just want to give current works, but a mini overview of the work.” The works of the deceased artists come from Seidler’s collection or were purchased.

The director of the Linz City Museum, Nordico Andrea Bina, who gave the opening speech, is enthusiastic about the exhibition – and about the fact that it was initiated by a man of all people. “An important topic that Alexander Seidler dared to tackle,” she said, pointing out that only five to 15 percent of the works in museum collections worldwide come from women.

Place of longing nature

Now the 117 works are hanging in a colorful jumble in Seidler’s gallery. The Gramastettner photo artist Nicola Hackl-Haslinger shows the work “Growing II”, in which she overlaid two photos of Frankfurt and Bad Leonfelden – and thus achieved an amazing effect. The work originated from a CD cover that she made for Volker Bertelmann, who was nominated for an Oscar for the music to “Nothing New in the West”.

Helga Schager from Linz is represented with funny and ironic stencil pictures, Cinthia Mitterhuber, who lives in Vienna and Ampflwang, shows impressive pictures of nature: “Nature is a place I long for.”

Also represented are Eva Bosch, Astrid Esslinger, Irene Gunnesch, Evelyn Kreinecker, Veronika Merl, Maria Moser, Margit Palme, Annerose Riedl, Priska Riedl, Adelheid Rumetshofer, Renate Schwarzer, Birgit Schweiger, Silvia Sun and Margret Bilger (1904–1971), Johanna Dorn (1913-1988), Vilma Eckl (1892-1982), Auguste Kronheim (1937-2021), Gerlinde Ruprecht (1931-2012) and Renate Schwarzer (1945-2007).

• The exhibition “She is Art” can be seen in the Seidler Gallery, Klosterstraße 14, until April 15. Information is available at galerieseidler.at