Katrin Plavčak
Painting Reality in Surreal Times
Katrin Plavčak, Is she a lady?, 2015 
Katrin Plavčak, The guitar gently weeps, 2018 
Katrin Plavčak, Legal Aliens, 2010 
Katrin Plavčak, Republik Europa (The Lady facing Afrika), 2018 
Katrin Plavčak, Woman Soldier, 2010 
Katrin Plavčak, Exhibition view: What Happened in the Digital Hood?, Kunstverein Heilbronn, 2022 
Katrin Plavčak, Big Smoke Cooking, 2025 
Katrin Plavčak, Ocean, 2026 
Katrin Plavčak, Parallel Worlds, 2022 
Katrin Plavčak, Cuz, it’s so sad, bro / Darnella Frazier, 17 (George Floyd), 2020
Katrin Plavčak’s paintings reveal a rich visual world of colours, shapes and figures – yet the cheerfulness of the colour palette and the subjects depicted appears to belie, for one brief moment only, the seriousness with which the artist addresses scientific, social and political issues.
Painting Reality in Surreal Times reflects on life and painting in times of upheaval and raises questions about how we view the world in the face of fake news, political instability and impending crises. The exhibition invites visitors not to accept the status quo blindly but to rebel against it and, confronted with the challenges of our time – from social media and artificial intelligence through to the climate crisis – not to undermine themselves, but instead to respond with self-determination and resistance.
Four key themes provide a common thread running through the “surrealities” of our time; these take a critical look at the growing tendency towards violence in geopolitics, reflect on the importance of democracy, explore gender roles, and even venture into the realms of real-life spirit worlds.
Plavčak’s artworks draw on pop culture, psychoanalysis and references to art history, thereby creating an exhibition space much like an idiosyncratic and humorous cosmos that encourages visitors to reflect and at the same time simply to look.
Curator: Hemma Schmutz
Curatorial Assistant: Sandra Eichinger
Opening
| Date | Title | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Thu 17.09 | Opening: Katrin Plavčak. Painting Reality in Surreal Times Welcome and Introduction by Hemma Schmutz, Director of the Lentos Art Museum in Linz; Opening Remarks by Julius Stieber, Director of Cultural Affairs for the City of Linz; Free admission. | 7:00 pm–9:00 pm |
Special events witht the artist
| Date | Title | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Thu 12.11 | Concert at the Stadtwerkstatt: Kinky Muppet Katrin Plavčak (vocals, guitar), Nicholas Hoffman (vocals, baritone, bass, keyboards), and Oliver Stotz (samples & drums) will take the stage as Kinky Muppet at the Stadtwerkstatt in Linz. Opening act: Sersha. Tickets: €14, available at the Stadtwerkstatt box office. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., concert starts at 8:00 p.m. The concert ticket grants free admission to the exhibition. | 7:30 pm–9:30 pm |
| Thu 19.11 | Sound Performance M.O.G. (Mothers of God) Katrin Plavčak and Ulrika Segerberg will perform live in the exhibition as the “Sewing Machine Improv Duo.” Cost: museum admission only; registration requested. German only | 6:00 pm–6:30 pm |
| Thu 03.12 | Artist-Led Tour with Katrin Plavčak Katrin Plavčak will lead a tour of the exhibition together with Lentos Director Hemma Schmutz. Please register in advance. German only | 6:00 pm–7:00 pm |
Workshop & Art Studio
| Date | Title | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sun 11.10 | Say It Loud! T‑Shirt Workshop Using screen printing and appliqué, we’ll design our own T‑shirts to make our voices heard and seen. Whether it’s a statement, a motto, or a mood: Let’s say it loud! With Cécile Belmont (art educator, artist). Cost: museum admission only; registration requested. German only | 10:00 am–1:00 pm |
| Sat 07.11 | Art Studio for Adults to Katrin Plavčak Drawing on Katrin Plavčak’s artistic approach, in this painting workshop we will explore the interplay of various references and the artistic freedom to avoid taking things too seriously. How can we develop multi-layered visual worlds using the direct visual languages and forms found in comics, advertising, and popular culture? Appointments available only as a package on November 7 and 8. German only. | 10:00 am–12:00 pm |
| Sun 08.11 | Art Studio for Adults to Katrin Plavčak Drawing on Katrin Plavčak’s artistic approach, in this painting workshop we will explore the interplay of various references and the artistic freedom to avoid taking things too seriously. How can we develop multi-layered visual worlds using the direct visual languages and forms found in comics, advertising, and popular culture? Appointments available only as a package on November 7 and 8. German only. | 10:00 am–12:00 pm |
| Date | Title | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sun 20.09 | Public guided tour through „Katrin Plavčak“ Duration: 60 minutes, max. 25 people, guided tour ticket: €4 (plus admission) No registration required (“first-come, first-served”). German only | 4:00 pm–5:00 pm |
| Thu 24.09 | Public guided tour through „Katrin Plavčak“ Duration: 60 minutes, max. 25 people, guided tour ticket: €4 (plus admission) No registration required (“first-come, first-served”). German only | 6:00 pm–7:00 pm |
| Sun 27.09 | Public guided tour through „Katrin Plavčak“ Duration: 60 minutes, max. 25 people, guided tour ticket: €4 (plus admission) No registration required (“first-come, first-served”). German only | 4:00 pm–5:00 pm |
| Tue 29.09 | Baby Tour: Katrin Plavcak. Painting Reality in Surreal Times A relaxed tour of the exhibition, tailored entirely to the needs of visitors with babies. Cost: museum admission only | 10:30 am–11:30 am |
| Tue 29.09 | Public guided tour through “Katrin Plavčak” and “The Collection” Duration: 60 minutes, max. 25 people, guided tour ticket: €4 (plus admission) No registration required (“first-come, first-served”). German only+ | 4:00 pm–5:00 pm |
Publication
To accompany the exhibition, the Verlag für moderne Kunst is publishing the catalog Katrin Plavčak: Painting Reality in Surreal Times, featuring essays in German and English by Danica Đorđević Janković, Gabriele Mackert, Katrin Plavčak, Hemma Schmutz, and Bart Verschaffel.
192 pages, €34
Available at the Lentos Shop and online starting on the opening day of the exhibition