"My focus is on depicting everyday objects that can also be seen as metaphors for certain circumstances of human existence."
Karen Holländer is a great storyteller, an illusionist, a painter who subtly displays the surreal reference and wit in her paintings. For what at first glance appears to be a perfectly depicted pansy turns out to be a structure with an overlong stem, a stem that becomes entangled and lies tangled on the ground just like a garden hose, and whose end manifests itself in the shadow of the flower. Shadow and flower are one, connected by green entanglements. In earlier paintings, Holländer called these symbioses "liaisons". A romantically transfigured view of the inseparable - but infinitely tangled - bond.
It is these everyday objects that Karen Holländer always has in her sights and with which she populates her pictures. They are fantastically beautiful works, full of sophistication and stories, and not at all infrequently they leave questions unanswered that do not inevitably belong answered, for the beauty and effect would not be countered by the answer. The answer to why four discarded gutters ooze colour - yellow, green, blue and pink - what would it give us? Nothing! Because the pictures are perfect enough as it is!
Karen Holländer lives and works in Vienna
born 1964 in Tübingen, Germany
1983/84 Study stay in Paris, Académie Peninghen
1984-89 Study of painting at the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna
Publications
2016 Body & Soul, Essl Collection, Klosterneuburg
2015 Nach Picasso - auf Spurensuche in der jungen österreichischen Kunst,
Forum Frohner, Krems
2014 Die andere Sicht - Sammlerin und Künstlerin, Essl Collection, Klosterneuburg
2013 Karen Holländer, Exhibition catalogue, bechter kastowsky gallery
2013 2. Biennale of Painting, Vienna Calling, Zagreb
2013 Wo Kunst sich sammelt - eine Privatsammlung wird öffentlich,
Museum Angerlehner, Thalheim
2006 Österreich: 1900-2000, Essl Collection, Klosterneuburg
Books and illustrations for books
2007 Ach hätte - könnte - wäre ich, Karen Holländer, Residenz-Verlag (City of Vienna Recognition Award)
2006 Das Geschenk des Feuervogels, Käthe Recheis, Dachs–Verlag
2004 Bulemanns Haus, Theodor Storm, Verlag der Provinz
2004 Winzig gross und riesig klein, Karen Holländer, Dachs-Verlag
1999 Nimm mich mit, großer Adler, Käthe Recheis, Gabriel-Verlag
1997 Die Stimme des Donnervogels, Käthe Recheis, Gabriel-Verlag (was chosen among the most beautiful books in Austria)
1994 Wolfsaga, Käthe Recheis, Herder-Verlag
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Karen Holländer
Geometrie des Alltags 16 Nov 2024 - 1 Feb 2025 bechter kastowsky gallery. SchaanThe trees and plants she encounters become Hollander's friends during her everyday walks through the city. The artist saves the raindrops, which are accidental products of puddles of water, drops...Read more -
Welcome 2023
group exhibition 21 Jan - 4 Mar 2023 bechter kastowsky gallery. Schaanwe start the year with a great selection of works by our artistsRead more -
10 years bechter kastowsky gallery!
Mario Dilitz / Jakob Gasteiger / Aurelia Gratzer / Karen Holländer / Petar Mirkovic / Klaus Mosettig / Ahmet Oran / Drago Persic / Hanna Roeckle / Hubert Scheibl / Christoph Schirmer / Martin Schnur / Anneliese Schrenk / Liliane Tomasko 10 Sep - 29 Oct 2022 bechter kastowsky gallery. ViennaRead more -
Karen Holländer
seen in light 20 Aug - 29 Oct 2022 bechter kastowsky gallery. SchaanRead more -
Summer 2022
Karen Holländer. Liliane Tomasko. Hubert Scheibl. Jakob Gasteiger 13 Jul - 13 Aug 2022 bechter kastowsky gallery. SchaanRead more -
Karen Holländer
Last Summer 5 Nov - 18 Dec 2021 bechter kastowsky gallery. ViennaRead more -
Karen Holländer
25 Apr - 1 Jun 2013 bechter kastowsky gallery. ViennaThe artist wants to tell stories with her works and thus builds up her pictures dramaturgically, as it were. First there is the idea! This is meticulously prepared in a...Read more
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Autumn Leaves. Plants in contemporary art
Karen Holländer and Martin Schnur at kunsthaus köflach 16 Sep - 26 Oct 2023Hardly any jazz standard has been interpreted as often as 'Autumn Leaves', a song that is about love, transience and the seasons. Floral motifs such...Read more -
„her*spectives“
Kunstraum. Konrad-Patzenhofer-Gasse 1. 7011 Siegendorf 7 May - 29 Oct 2023Sunday, 7 May 2023, 10:00 to 18:00 In the exhibition, the Kunstraum shows works by international women artists who place their own bodies at the...Read more -
Museum Angerlehner. Art. Life. Passion. 10 Years Museum Angerlehner
with works by Martin Schnur, Karen Holländer, Xianwei Zhu and others 1 May - 15 Oct 2023The collection show celebrating the museum's tenth anniversary provides an in-depth insight into the diverse holdings of Austrian and international art. The familiar meets the...Read more
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ART SALON ZURICH 2024
Dilitz. Holländer. Luger. Zhu 23 - 27 Oct 2024For the second time, we are showing a selection from our gallery program in Zurich. media release - Art Salon Zurich 2024 (in German)Read more -
LIHGA 2022
Mario Dilitz. Karen Holländer. Hubert Scheibl. Martin Schnur 16 - 24 Sep 2022For the first time we are taking part in the LIHGA. Not an art fair, but a fair for Liechtenstein and the neighbouring regions.Read more