Biography

Karl Karner (b.1973 in Feldbach, Austria) lives and works in Feldbach, Austria. Karner studied at the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna under Professor Heimo Zobernig.

 

Karner positions his work between the disciplines of visual arts, performance and dance theatre. Within his practice, Karner continuously discusses bodily perception and the concept of corporeality itself. These are not only related to the human body, but can yet be understood as a wide discussion of object, materiality and space. In the artist´s installations and art environments, viewers frequently become players. Such participative impulses accentuate the irony inherent in these artworks. 

 

The repetition of recurring motifs references the serial production of industrial objects. In Karner‘s work, these motifs are hand-made pieces of cast iron that become part of the artistic process. His preferred motifs are beaked creatures and dogs or hares, often clad with bronze or gold. It would almost seem that these inanimate fantastic creatures are brought to life by the protagonists. With their interactive potential, the environments created by Karner generate various forms of display that are composed similar to arrangements of theatre props and are complemented by a series of performative gestures. 

 

Karl Karner‘s multisensorial, fictional fairytale worlds tell a story of incessantly repeated settings of everyday life, albeit with their function deconstructed, which clearly point out the absurdity of certain processes and elements. One of Karner’s more recent exploration in his practice includes the production of tights on which he prints his drawings. Borne out of Karner’s explorations of how to animate his drawings in the reality, utilising the spontaneity and expressive nature of drawing, by wearing the tights the drawings automatically enter into a state of theatre, with the body becoming the canvas to the medium.

 

Recent solo exhibitions include: "Skulpturen", Kunsthaus Weiz, AT, 'Brutbladd_the horse eats with me', Galerie  Kandlhofer, 2021, 'rhabarber schwarz', Artdepot Gallery, Innsbruck, 2018; 'getting down on knees and nerves' collaboration with Nana Mandl, Kunsthalle Graz, 2018; 'Spiel gerade Höllentor', Galerie Lisa Kandlhofer, 2016; 'Nude Program', ABContemporary, 2016; 'Lungball', Galerie Lendl, 2016 and 'FakeFukoo', ABContemporary, 2015.

Exhibitions
Works
Installation shots
Video
Publications
Press

2022

Mein Bezirk, Ski-Sprung Star und Skulpteur stellen in Fehring aus, Robert Grabner

Mein Bezirk, Karl Karner eröffnete Ausstellung „Skulpturen“ in Stadtgalerie, Josef Hofmüller

Kleine Zeitung, Karl Karner stellte seinen Skulpturengarten vor

Kleine Zeitung, Die Überwindung der Leere, Michael Tschida

 

2021

c/o vienna, Artist of the month: Karl Karner 

Kleine Zeitung, Steirer des Tages: Karl Karner ist der Motor hinter dem Festival "Hochsommer", Anna Stockhammer

Parnass, Gallery Diary - Galerie Kandlhofer | Karl Karner, Lea Wintterlin

 

2020

lesnouveauxriches, Karl Karner. Kunst, die anzieht, Katharina Herzog

meinbezirk.at, Karners Kunst für das Salzstangerl, Markus Kopcsandi

Kleine ZeitungKarl Karner eröffnete die Ausstellung "Affus II" im Rahmen der Sommerspiele,Gangl, Verena & und Schleich, Johann

meinbezirk.at, Hochsommer´ besticht durch Kunstvielfalt, Markus Kopcsandi

Kleine Zeitung, Vom Leben und Arbeiten in einem üppigen Kunstbiotop, Walter Titz

 

2019

GalleriesNow, Karl Karner: Affus, Walter Seidl

 

2016

GalleriesNow, Karl Karner: Spiel gerade Höllentor, Angela Stief

altertuemliches.at, Karl Karner: Spiele gerade Höllentor,Angela Stief

Die Presse, Schauplätze: Karl Karner, Johanna Hofleitner

Der Standard, Karl Karner: Geisterschiffe, die aus der Hitze kamen, Colette M. Schmidt

 

2014

Der Standard,Schritte in die Zerissenheit, Helmut Ploebst

 

2013

artfacts.net.,Gruppenausstellung: Christian Eisenbergwerk/Karl Karner, Roman Grabner