Hall of Art Graz

The dangerous shadows of the great dictators

Franz Kapfer's atlases made of weapons in the Halle für Kunst

(Bild: kunst-dokumentation.com)

The current exhibitions at the Halle für Kunst Graz bring darkness and light - albeit in very different ways. Franz Kapfer presents reconstructed weapons in the main rooms, while Isabel Lewis and Dirk Bell create subtle atmospheres in the basement.

Symbols of power that can quickly be misused have fascinated Franz Kapfer, who was awarded the Art Appreciation Prize of the Province of Styria in 2022, not only since his study visits to Mexico, Kiev, Istanbul, Jerusalem and North Korea. In his presentation "Atlanten - Ich oder das Chaos", he deconstructs these signs with a sense of exaggeration and plenty of black humor.

He uses wood to recreate the weapons commonly used by the police and military to protect or threaten people. Oversized and all in black, they can be found in the darkened main room, revealing their finer details only in the light of flashlights. However, their exaggeration does not make them look ridiculous; rather, they illustrate the system of a merciless exercise of power.

He calls this series atlases in reference to the ancient world leaders, as whom contemporary potentates also like to present themselves. The reconstruction of the gate that Napoleon donated to Versailles hovers over everything, casting dangerous shadows.

Kapfer's works focus on the so-called saviors of society, including Alexander the Great, Putin and the Kim dynasty in North Korea. He exposes their self-aggrandizement to ridicule, as well as the staging of their power. 

Templates in the Zeughaus
In addition to the exhibition in the Halle für Kunst, he has also made interventions in the Landeszeughaus. There, the brightly colored paper stencils he used to produce his atlases are mixed in with the weapons on display.

The performance by Isabel Lewis

(Bild: Harriet Meyer)

Something completely different awaits you in the basement of the Halle für Kunst: Isabel Lewis and Dirk Bell have created a room full of atmospheres. The two artists, inspired by a play by Cuban author Sylvia Winter, have created a kind of stage on which you can let your imagination run wild. The exhibition looks like an unreal scenario frozen in time. Performances by Isabel Lewis are also planned for July 5 and 6.