Bruno Gironcoli (*1936 in Villach) occupies a unique position in the field of international contemporary sculpture. The Austrian artist has developed an unmistakable form of expression which he continues to cultivate, from his early heads through to the enormous sculptures of the past two decades. Existential themes - such as the relationship between man and woman, sexuality, violence, and subjugation - are areas upon which he reflects in his machine-like sculptures. Along with these, Gironcoli has also created a broad spectrum of works on paper. (Bettina Busse in: Bruno Gironcoli, The Sculptures 1956-2008)

In this latest solo exhibition at the gallery we will present five new aluminium sculptures, created since 2006, in which Gironcoli attains a formal clarity and expressive stringency that further underline the original power of these works. The compact, mostly symmetrical structures, the few elements of his formal vocabulary deployed in each case, and also giving them titles, something the artist has not done for more than ten years, all this links these objects directly to his sculptures from the sixties, the Köpfe (heads) and polyester works, two of which we will also present in the exhibition, as well as a number of graphical works from the sixties, seventies and eighties.

Organized by the sculptor Alois Schild, scholar of Gironcoli, the Kunstforum Kramsach shows in cooperation with us two big outdoor sculptures by Bruno Gironcoli in the garden of Schild’s studio.

Looking at his work his constantly changing formal idiom is highly authentic and symbolic of the state of the individual today. What a number of critics have interpreted, namely that Gironcoli's works only represent obsessive and narcissistic bachelor machines serving to give heightened expression to his individual fears and traumata, in a sort of abreaction process, is only true to a certain extent.

I have always seen them as reflecting the artist's intention to respond to both individual and social problems. Over the years there has been a shift in the themes he deals with. But these themes always have something to do with issues of alienation, sadomasochistic modes of behaviour as well as everyday fascism, such as the political realities of torture and repression, with gender and genetic problems, issues of homosexuality, relationship between men and women and between mother and child, the hierarchy within the family, etc.

Gironcoli finds allusive visual imagery for all these themes. In the past two decades, he has developed his own very unique language which not only depicts these topical issues but also seeks to overcome them by means of his own harrying imagery. (Peter Weiermair, Hinweise auf einen großen Außenseiter, in: Bruno Gironcoli, Biennale di Venezia 2003)

Bruno Gironcoli