29.05.2026 – 04.09.2026
In his 1963 poem “Die Zeit der Steine” (The Age of Stones), Erich Fried wrote: “Whoever hears the stones speak knows they will remain mere stones. Whoever hears people speak knows they will remain mere stones.” This poem and his enthusiasm for the granite boulders in the Wald- and Mühlviertel regions triggered a painterly and philosophical avalanche in the work of Hollegha’s pupil Walter Köstenbauer in the mid-1980s. Fifteen years later, the artist attempted to free himself from this thematic compulsion by concentrating on projects beyond interpretations of stone and rock. Yet his ‘life’s theme’ has increasingly found its way back into his painting in recent years. At the Funkhausgalerie, the artist acknowledges his ‘stony’ roots. At the same time, the Fried poem has once again taken on a frightening relevance. Through his painting, Walter Köstenbauer listens attentively to ‘stony’ elements and their narrative.
ONLY STONES – WALTER KÖSTENBAUER
29.05.2026 – 04.09.2026
Funkhausgalerie des ORF Landesstudio Steiermark
Marburger Straße 20
8042, Graz
steiermark.ORF.at
