Haus-Rucker-Co
Breathing Zones
Exhibition view Haus Rucker Co, 2023 
Exhibition view Haus Rucker Co, 2023 
Exhibition view Haus Rucker Co, 2023 
Exhibition view Haus Rucker Co, 2023
The Haus-Rucker-Co group (1967 – 1992), whose artistic output lies at the interface between art and architecture, are considered one of the most important voices in the Austrian post-war avant-garde. Their seminal work transcended the boundaries of traditional genres and invoked a marriage of art and life. The issues addressed by Haus-Rucker-Co, such as mounting environmental degradation, illustrate the relevance of their work that has persisted to this day.
In the course of six chapters, the exhibition will provide a comprehensive insight into the work of the group members, who include the architects Laurids Ortner, Günter Zamp Kelp, the painter Klaus Pinter, and, from 1971, Manfred Ortner. The title Breathing Zones indicates the crucial role of the element air in Haus-Rucker-Co’s œuvre and builds a bridge in terms of content to important groups of works, such as those shown in the exhibition COVER. Surviving in a Polluted Environment (1971).
When the City of Linz purchased the Günter Zamp Kelp Archive in 2020, the Lentos Kunstmuseum acquired significant works by Haus-Rucker-Co. The exhibition is showcasing major parts of this collection for the very first time.
Curators*: Hemma Schmutz, Günter Zamp Kelp
Assistant Curator: Sarah Jonas
Exhibition Architecture: Günter Zamp Kelp
„Spirans“ Sound Installation from Kirsten Reese
As part of the exhibition the artist Kirsten Reese has created a sound installation in the Lentos open area, which is the result of a profound engagement with the work of this group of artists and architects. The contrast between natural and artificial living space, which Haus-Rucker-Co have increasingly addressed since the 1970s, and the importance of our atmosphere as a protective shell – and one that is itself deserving of protection – form essential starting points for Reese’s composition.
