Born in Klagenfurt, Austria in 1980, Zenita Komad studied stage design and graphics before working in painting, film, photography, performance, installation, and sculpture. In a witty, ironic manner, Komad’s paintings and collages often comment on spirituality, consciousness, and desire, referencing popular and higher culture. Through word play and collage techniques, Zenita Komad’s works raise questions about the relationships between symbols and meanings, and, consequently, about language, misunderstanding, and meaning in general. For Fünf Räume, Komad invited Austrian sculptor Michael Kienzer to collaborate. Kienzer, born 1962 in Steyr, Austria, is known for reimagining mundane materials to disturb their intended function. Their complex and allegorical installation has myriad layers of meaning and deep connections to mythology, poetry, spirituality, and mysticism. Based loosely on the fabled invention of chess, the work centers on the number 64 – the number of squares on a chessboard. The 16 mirrored chairs, positioned like dancers in a ballet, represent the pawns, which for Komad are the soul of the game. Upon entering the space, the installation becomes a situation of self-reflection. Both artists currently live and work in Vienna.
Zenita KOMAD & Michael KIENZER
The empty mirror (2011)
Chairs, vinyl on mirror
Dimensions variable
Courtesy Gallery Krinzinger, Vienna
(Click to enlarge):
- Image by David Plakke
- Image by David Plakke
- Image by David Plakke
- Image by David Plakke
