Image: Josef Schütz
The scenes appear magical, mystical, apocalyptic, the technique is reminiscent of the art of the old masters: the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism attracted attention from the late 1950s. Now the private Schütz Art Museum in Engelhartszell is showing 52 works of this style. They come from the collection of the steel string manufacturer Peter Infeld, who died in 2009, which includes hundreds of works: “This collection is the European leader in the field of fantastic realism”says Josef Schütz.
The exhibition, which was put together by Yordanka Weiss (curator of the Infeld Collection) and Josef Schütz, includes colorful pictures by Arik Brauer, Ernst Fuchs, Rudolf Hausner, Anton Lehmden and Wolfgang Hutter, among others. Works from the Schütz Collection, for example by Peter Proksch, are also on display. The exhibition about the painter Benedetto Fellin, who was a friend of Josef Schütz, came to Engelhartszell. The 66-year-old Viennese with South Tyrolean roots paints as a student of Rudolf Hausner himself in the tradition of fantastic realism. He is sponsored by the Infeld Foundation and established contact with Schütz. 18 of his large-format works can now be seen in Engelhartszell. His art is about sensual aesthetics, says Fellin: “I am primarily driven by the attempt to conjure up beauty in a picture.”
In addition, Josef Schütz has declared an Africa focus for his museum for 2023. From the end of March, a total of eight African contemporary artists will be guests in Engelhartszell for two months each and work in the museum’s own studios. Schütz wants to set up a foundation to support African artists: “Works from Africa are now fetching top prices on the art market, but many artists live in extreme poverty.”
- The exhibition can be seen in the Schütz Art Museum in Engelhartszell, Nibelungenstraße 36, Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. until September 17. Information is available at schuetzartmuseum.at.
Source: Nachrichten
