INGRID WIENER

In her oeuvre, Wiener focuses on weaving tapestries. Characteristic of them is her method of working: picking up seemingly insignificant things – discarded memos, drawings and grocery lists as well as objects like spectacles or butter knives – and translating them into weaving. She seemingly looks at the things that are being woven at a different speed in order to comprehend them better.

About the choice of her method, Ingrid Wiener stated: “I wanted to make something new out of this old-fashioned art form, since ‘anyone can paint’.”

And Oliver Koerner von Gustorf wrote: “... The dauntlessness and modesty with which Wiener approaches this Sysiphean task is unsurpassable in its radicality.”

Wiener studied textile design in Vienna, took part in the actions of the Wiener Gruppe (Vienna Group) and in experimental films. From 1971 –1984 she was the co-owner and cook of several artists’ venues like the legendary “EXIL” eatery in Berlin.

She worked together on singing- and cooking performances, records and films with Valie Export and Oswald Wiener. In the 1970s, she created large scale tapestries with Dieter Roth, that are amongst others in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In addition to her weavings, Wiener investigates her dreams in an ongoing series of watercolour and pencil drawings since 1998.

Courtesy Barbara Wien