Elisabeth Fiedler

A lot of passion and an excellent network

Elisabeth Fiedler with one of her inventions: the poetry machine, which went on to have a wide impact.

(Bild: Johanna Lamprecht)

Elisabeth Fiedler, long-time director of the Institute for Art in Public Space and the Austrian Sculpture Park in Premstätten near Graz, is retiring at the end of the year. We took a look back with her, full of justified pride and a little melancholy.

When you sit opposite Elisabeth Fiedler, it's hard to imagine that this bundle of energy is retiring. And yet she is. Although the Institute for Art in Public Space (KiöR) and the sculpture park will be managed by Gabriele Mackert from January, the 2025 program still clearly bears Fiedler's signature.

For example, she was able to win the German artist Christian Kosmas Mayer for a work in the park, and projects by Milica Tomic, Alfred Lenz and a queer monument are in progress.

Little budget, but excellent contacts
Looking back, Fiedler can't help but gush: she has been managing the sculpture park in Premstätten since 2006 and has managed to establish it internationally with a small budget but huge commitment. She had to find a lot of extra money to do this. But it was worth it.

Erwin Wurm's "Fat House" in the sculpture park.

(Bild: UMJ/Birgit Bauernfeind)

"Nowadays, some renowned artists are offended if they aren't asked," says Fiedler, "but with my budget, I often wouldn't have dared". The fact that works by Yoko Ono, Timm Ulrichs, Hans Hollein, Erwin Wurm and others can still be found on the site is not only thanks to her diligence, but also her excellent network.

Art in public space is always political.

Elisabeth Fiedler

Since 2011, she has also been responsible for the Institute for Art in Public Space, where she has also been able to make use of her connections. When asked about her favorite projects, she mentions Tobias Rehberger's "Where the wind blows from" on the Weinstraße, Anna Jermolaewa's "Monument of a destroyed monument" in front of the university and Cartin Bolt's "Lauftext" in Graz.

Anna Jermolaewa's "Monument of a destroyed monument" in front of Graz University.

(Bild: KiöR)

The "Political Landscape" in Ausseerland also comes to mind. "Art in public space is always political," says Fiedler. However, the official handling of Jochen Gerz's commemorative work, which resulted in the dismantling of "63 Years After", was a sign of things to come from the very beginning of her time in office. Fiedler's consequences: She makes tenders, jury decisions and project commissions transparent and comprehensible.

Werner Reiterer's Corona monument in Leibnitz was the result of an idea from the "Steirerkrone" with the Institute for Art in Public Space.

(Bild: Jauschowetz Christian/Christian Jauschowetz)

Mediation, cooperation and acceptance are important to her
What else is important to her? The joint projects between young people and artists as part of "open youth work", the acceptance of the individual mayors, who are happy to keep "their" works of art permanently, the collaborations with Elevate, the Fürstenfeld Water Biennale and Xenos as well as Alexandra Riewe's art excursions "NOSW". And of course the publications. Her latest "Public Art" book with all the projects from 2022 to 2024 will be presented in March 2025.

The successful youth project in Passail.

(Bild: Anna Jermolaewa, Scott Clifford Evans/Bildrecht Wien 2024)

She will have to get used to the idea of no longer working for the Institute for Art in Public Space. When you live so intensely for a cause, it's hard to say goodbye. And it's hard for us to believe that we won't be hearing anything more from Elisabeth Fiedler at Kunst im öffentlichen Raum in the future.