Galerie bei der Albertina ▪ Zetter is celebrating its 50-years existence

Founded by Christa Zetter in 1973, the Galerie bei der Albertina ▪ Zetter established itself subsequently as one of the top addresses worldwide for Viennese Jugendstil and art of the Wiener Werkstätte (1903-1932). Internationally important artists such as Josef Hoffmann, Kolo Moser, Gustav Klimt or Egon Schiele were deeply embedded in the gallery’s programme. Since 2003 the expansion in terms of contents into Austrian visual arts of the 20th and 21st century already introduced by Christa Zetter has been continued with great success by her daughter Katharina Zetter-Karner. Following three conversions, tantamount to expansions (1982/83: Boris Podrecca, 2010: Bodo Rehak and 2017), the Galerie bei der Albertina ▪ Zetter presents painting, sculpture and design on three floors and 400 sq. metres, with works by Friedensreich Hundertwasser, Kiki Kogelnik, Oskar Kokoschka, Maria Lassnig, Alfons Walde, Fritz Wotruba, and many more besides. This year, this veritable institution of the Viennese art market is celebrating its 50 years of existence with three special exhibitions. The curtain to these events rises with an Adolf Loos exhibition unique in nature.

April 28 – July 1

From April 28 to July 1, unique items of furniture are on show in the Galerie bei der Albertina ▪ Zetter created by the Austrian (interior) architect, architectural critic and cultural publicist Adolf Loos, who is regarded as an important pioneer of Modernism. With the phenomenal re-discovery of the bedroom interior décor from Georg Roy’s flat, we have succeeded in presenting for the first time in public this complete room furnishings by Adolf Loos as part of the current exhibition. In this, the special atmosphere of a Loos interior is brought to life once again.

The interior decoration of the flat belonging to the machine manufacturer Georg Roy clearly showcases the outstanding talents of Adolf Loos as an interior designer. His aesthetic is based on minimalist, elegant designs that are still practical, guaranteeing comfort and homeliness to the user. These designs were carried out with great precision using high-quality materials, always keeping in mind individual needs. The furnishings for the gentleman’s room in the Roy apartment have been exhibited since 2019 in the permanent exhibition at the Möbelmuseum Wien.

Loans from important collections and a scientific publication with documentary photos complement this extraordinary ADOLF LOOS presentation. With its museum-like character, the show also includes a rare wall clock from Prof. Rudolf Leopold’s collection and Loos’ iconic designs, the ‘Elephant Trunk Table’, the ‘Dodekaeder’ hanging lamp and the so-called ‘Knee Swimmer’ (‘Knieschwimmer’) armchair.

Both with his oeuvre and his writings, including the essay ‘Ornament and Crime’ (1908), Adolf Loos left a permanent mark on the development of architecture in the 20th century. Among his works are numerous important buildings and interior designs in Vienna, elsewhere in Austria and abroad; these include the Looshaus on Michaelerplatz, the Café Museum on Karlsplatz, the Knize shop on the Graben or the American Bar located in a street off Vienna’s Kärntner Straße. Adolf Loos’ ideas are influenced by the Anglo-Saxon interior design culture he had become familiar with in America and London, on the one hand, and by a critical engagement with the theory of decorative arts of the 19th century and of his contemporaries, on the other.

The success story that is the Galerie bei der Albertina ▪ Zetter begins in 1973, when Christa Zetter, having completed her studies in sculpture, metal-working and goldsmithing at Vienna’s Academy of Applied Arts and in iron sculpture in Berlin, and following years as an independent artist, takes over her mother Gertrude Kovacek’s antique business in Vienna’s inner district. The proximity to the Albertina lends itself naturally to re-naming the shop the Galerie bei der Albertina. In terms of contents, Christa Zetter initially focuses on Viennese Jugendstil and the art of the Wiener Werkstätte (1903-1932). The gallery’s programme is continually expanded, however, and meanwhile extends as far as contemporary art. In 1999, Christa Zetter’s daughter Katharina enters the business upon completing her business studies. In 2003, Katharina Zetter-Karner then becomes the managing director and owner. The Galerie bei der Albertina ▪ Zetter has owed its success, now spanning 50 years, to cooperations with other galleries, a network of scientists, experts and professionals, as well as loans and purchases from museums, institutions and collections both domestic and abroad.

 

April 28 to July 1, 2023

Galerie bei der Albertina ▪ Zetter

Lobkowitzpl. 1, 1010 Vienna

Mon-Fri 10 am - 6 pm, Sat 11 am - 2 pm

September 11 to October 7, 2023

Galerie bei der Albertina ▪ Zetter

Lobkowitzpl. 1, 1010 Vienna

Mon-Fri 10 am - 6 pm, Sat 11 am - 2 pm

Mid-October 2023

Galerie bei der Albertina ▪ Zetter

Lobkowitzpl. 1, 1010 Vienna

Mon-Fri 10 am - 6 pm, Sat 11 am - 2 pm

www.galerie-albertina.at