Josef Bauer Retrospective 'Demonstration' at Lentos Kunstmuseum Linz

The Lentos Kunstmuseum in Linz is hosting 'Demonstration', a major retrospective of Austrian conceptual artist Josef Bauer (born 1934 in Wels), curated by Brigitte Reutner and conceived by Harald Krejci. The exhibition runs until October 4, 2020, and explores Bauer's revolutionary and ironic approach to language and communication. Since the 1960s, Bauer has obsessively analyzed language, merging multiple media to subvert conventions. His works include sculptures of alphabet letters carried in a poetic procession, color-field paintings where signifier and signified clash (e.g., 'gelb' written on blue), and autonomous brushstrokes that exist without support. The show features paintings, installations, and photographs that blur boundaries between mediums—photographs that are also paintings, sculptures that double as design objects and performance relics. Bauer's practice makes poetry tactile and concepts tangible, inviting viewers into a perpetual dialogue of doubt.