Art of Garden in Public Space.
Our second Public Space project:
PAYER-WEYPRECHT-ISLANDS were conceived and put up by kunstGarten, in 2006, in homage to Julius von Payer and Karl Weyprecht.
The first recognized exploration of the archipelago called Franz Josef Islands was undertaken in 1873 by Austro-Hungarian North Pole explorers Karl Weyprecht and Julius von Payer, who were trying to find a North East Passage. After the exploration of its southern islands, the name was bestowed in honor of Austro-Hungarian emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria: Franz Josef Land.
Alfred Resch ´s idea was to raise the consciousness of passers-by, in memory of a a great achievement which (at the same time) was a lost cause, considering the chimerical nature of these islands as so much wasteland.
THE GARDEN LABYRINTH is a kind of maze designed/created by Hartmut Skerbisch (born 1945-07-11, died 2009-04-03), which was initiated and installed by kunstGarten: a 2400m2 park with a buxus hedge of 1800 plants, and a metal object in the centre.
Curator and director of the project: Irmi Horn
Technical direction and garden management: Reinfrid Horn
The assistant were trainees from ZEBRA AGALA, a 2006 project with asylum seekers.
The entire project was made possible by City Councillor Dr. Wolfgang Riedler, on condition that after completion, kunstGarten will look after this project for a five-year period (2006-2011), the professional gardening care has been extended until April 2012.
A big party organized by kunstGarten and the Institut of Public Art in Styria, marked the opening of THE GARDEN LABYRINTH in June, 2007.
Park lighting was provided by the city authorities, in September 2007.
In our view, contemporary art has an obligation to make itself available and intelligible to local residents as well as to other interested persons. Over the last few years, the quality of life in this city district of "Gries" has improved, and continues to improve, in line with the European Union ´s AGENDA 21.
A big Thank You to all our supporters!
Since May 2012 the Town Government of Graz has took over the guardianship/responsibility for the GARDEN LABYRINTH´s care. |