Abstraction is considered one of the most significant formal articulations in modern art, particularly in painting. Following the rapid and rigorous analysis of the medium to its core, artists like Kazimir Malevich and Alexander Rodchenko in the Suprematism and Constructivism movements of the 1910s paved the way for the emergence of non-representational painting. This development continued through the US Abstract Expressionism, European Informel, and Minimal Art movements. In the 1960s, postmodern abstraction arose, characterized by skepticism toward painting and traditional authorship, a skepticism that was challenged in the 1980s with a return to sensuality and intuition.

The exhibition “Abstract Painting Now!“ brings together around 50 international artists to explore the current state of abstract painting. Rooted in the post-abstract expressionist movement, the exhibition focuses on the works of artists such as Gerhard Richter and Sigmar Polke, who both reshaped abstract art in profound ways. Richter transitioned from his earlier gray monochromes to vibrant, expressive explosions of color, while Polke used abstraction as an ironic gesture, deconstructing the energetic force of the brushstroke as a signature of the artist's self.

Contemporary abstraction explores new dimensions like deconstruction, the dissolution of authorship, and the blending of elements such as hybridity, quotation, and ornament. Artists like Christopher Wool challenge the notion of the artist’s hand by creating blurred, motor-driven works, while Wade Guyton produces minimalist stripe paintings using an inkjet printer. Polke, often called the alchemist of painting, allows the medium to unfold organically on the canvas. Artists like Katharina Grosse swap the traditional brush for an airbrush gun to create luminous Color Fields.

In postmodernism, elements previously dismissed, like ornamentation, have found their place within abstraction. Artists like Philipp Taaffe incorporate floral decorative elements, while Per Kirkeby and Herbert Brandl expand abstraction with expressive color fields and landscapes. The geometric minimalism of Sean Scully merges with a painterly atmosphere, creating a symbiosis of reason and emotion. Spirituality and geometric abstraction are central to the works of Helmut Federle, following in the footsteps of Malevich and Barnett Newman. In the works of Brice Marden and Lee Ufan, brushstrokes become meditative acts, carrying spiritual meaning in the art.

Austria has also developed its own tendencies in new abstraction, contributing to the larger international scene. Conceptual, neo-geometrical movements by Gerwald Rockenschaub, Heimo Zobernig, Walter Obholzer, and Ernst Caramelle, alongside color field paintings from Hubert Scheibl, Herbert Brandl, Erwin Bohatsch, and Walter Vopava, represent Austria’s significant contributions to abstract art from the 1980s onward. The exhibition also highlights younger generations who continue to expand the project of abstraction today.

Curator: Florian Steininger