Austrian Sculpture Park

The History of the Austrian Sculpture Park
Emil Breisach sustained the notion that contemporary
sculptures and viewers need to be granted a lieu of interaction
in public space and not only in museums. In 1981 he
began to show works on the grounds of the Styrian ORF
studio which were the starting point for the idea
of creating an adequate placement for Austrian sculpture
in correspondence with international art. The ideal site
for a generously laid-out sculpture park was found in the 7
ha covering park designed by the well-known Swiss landscape
architect Dieter Kienast for the International Garden
Show held in 2000 in Unterpremstätten 7 km South of
Graz. The Austrian Sculpture Park Private Foundation was
founded in cooperation with the PORR GmbH and the Province
of Styria; its Board of Trustees consisting of Nikolaus
Breisach, Hermann Eisenköck and Ralph Schilcher.
It served as a basis for the concept of an international
sculpture park co-initiated by Christa Steinle and devised
by Peter Weibel which in 2003 could be presented to the
public. To protect the park which to date contains more
than 60 sculptures and to put it in a well founded scientific
context as well as place it in a wide spread art-culture
environment and at the same time make it accessible to an
even broader public, Kurt Flecker, Styria’s Cultural Consultant,
in accordance with the Private Foundation facilitated
the Sculpture Park’s takeover by the Landesmuseum
Joanneum under the management of Elisabeth Fiedler.
In addition to building up the collection and intensify the
accompanying scientific discourse, the Sculpture Park
intends to engage in an intense public relations dialogue,
offer specific guided tours as well as diverse special
events.
Elisabeth Fiedler, Head of the Austrian Sculpture Park
A9
Salzburg
Linz/D
B76
A2
Klagenfurt/I
B70
Graz
A9
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Arrival
→ Car: A9 Exit Schachenwald, parking spaces for cars and
coaches available, 10 min. drive from Graz Airport
→ Bicycle (Cycle Track): R2 Murradweg, R9 Erzherzog-Johann-
Radweg, R30 Kürbisradweg
→ Public transport: bus line 630 and 671 from the City Center
Graz (Jakominiplatz) directly to the Austrian Sculpture Park
(bus stop Schwarzl See / Lake Schwarzl IBC/Skulpturen-
park, walking distance 3 min.)
Timetable information T +43–316/820606
Accommodation
Hotel Courtyard by Marriott, T +43–316/8077–0,
www.courtyard.com/grzcy (walking distance 10 min.)
Urdlwirt Hotel Reif, T +43–3136/53 185,
www.urdlwirt.at (10 min. ride)
Education
Guided tours and workshops, booking required
(T +43–316/8017–9265), group and package offers on request.
Events
The Austrian Sculpture Park is a multifunctional venue available
for cultural organizers as well as individuals on request
(veranstaltungen@museum-joanneum.at).
Catalogue
garten der kunst – art garden
Publishers: Österreichischer Skulpturenpark Privatstiftung,
Hatje Cantz Verlag, 256 pages, 247 photos, order via E-Mail
(sculpturepark@museum-joanneum.at).
R2
B67a
Austrian
Sculpture Park
SLO
R9 B67 R2
A2
Wien
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