Art space in Gleisdorf

The life’s work of a passionate collector

Collecting is a passion that you cannot escape. Erich Wolf, one of Styria's most important art collectors, can confirm this. In order to display his works, he himself renovated the "Spiegelgitterhaus" in Gleisdorf and turned it into an art space.

For Erich Wolf, it was not the question of financial investment that was at the forefront of his collecting activities, but rather a pure passion for contemporary art. Over the years, he has amassed a considerable number of objects that are an impressive reflection of contemporary Styrian art. Last year, Wolf donated this collection - consisting of more than 1,300 works - to the Diocese of Graz-Seckau (or the Kultum - Cultural Center at the Minorites).

New exhibition space in Gleisdorf
In order to give it the appropriate presentation, Wolf has rescued a former Gleisdorf parish outbuilding, the "Spiegelgitterhaus", from decay and converted it into a new art space. In future, his collection - combined with new artistic positions - will be presented here in ever-changing exhibitions. The Kultum director Johannes Rauchenberger is responsible for this.

The first exhibition "Wendezeit/Zeitenwende" opens on Friday (May 3) at 6 pm and focuses on Styria. However, in times of multiple crises, the focus is on a supra-regional context. Works by G.R.A.M., Wolfgang Becksteiner and Oliver Ressler respond directly to the threats of our time, as do works by Richard Kriesche, Friedrich Aduatz, Clemens Hollerer, Alfredo Barsuglia, Werner Reiterer, Hannes Schwarz, Alois Neuhold, zweintopf and many others.

Rauchenberger has arranged the works of art into an exciting, sometimes depressing narrative that makes the debut of the new Gleisdorf exhibition space "Spiegelgitterhaus" an experience.