There is a new destination for art lovers. The Lichtenfels Ruin is located in Austria on the shores of the Ottenstein Reservoir, just over an hour from Gmünd, Vienna, Krems and the Czech border. 

The beautiful castle ruins are home to the Lichtenfels Sculpture, an art project now in its second year. Olivia Thurn-Valsassina is the founder of the Lichtenfels Sculpture Park. Since 1872, the former Lichtenfels estate has been owned by her family, the Counts Thurn-Valsassina. Olivia Thurn-Valsassina is also co-director of the Galerie Layr in Vienna. This year she is working with Margherita Belcredi, art historian and deputy director of Phileas - The Austrian Office of Contemporary Art for Lichtenfels Sculpture.

This year, Lichtenfels Sculpture is showing an installation by the Lithuanian star artist Augustas Serapinas for the first time. His sculptures and installations challenge existing notions of built landscape and architectural elements and uncover hidden histories and concealed social relationships. Serapinas' work has been shown at the Toronto Biennial, the Riga International Biennial of Contemporary Art, the 58th Venice Biennale (2019), as well as Baltic Triennial 13, Vilnius, and Kunsthalle Wien.

29 June 2023

Interview Directory 

ART

Name: Olivia Thurn-Valsassina

Occupation: Founder Lichtenfels Sculpture, Director Layr, Vienna

Education: Universität Wien

Name: Margherita Belcredi

Occupation: Curator, Deputy Director at Phileas - A Fund for Contemporary Art

Education: Universität Wien, Goldsmiths, University of London

"The sculpture park provides a space for dialogue between the history and present of the site and the rich interplay between nature and culture that characterizes it."

How did you come to choose the Lithuanian artist Augustas Serapinas?

Margherita Belcredi: When Olivia approached me to co-curate the second edition, we sat down to think what we would like to achieve with the next project. The first show was supposed to introduce the project itself as well as contemporary art to the site. In a way it mapped out the site. We both wanted this year's edition to have a moment of development and participation throughout the season. 

Olivia Thurn-Valsassina: Both of us have been following Augustas Serapina'swork for a few years. His works are often created in direct relation to the exhibition site, tracing hidden structures or histories and making them visible. It quickly became clear that we would want to show his work in this context.

What else can you discover at Lichtenfels Sculpture at the moment?

OTV: Next to Augustas Serapinas „Greenhouse from Uzupis“, which is freely accessible until end of October 2023,visitors can also see Lena Henkes „Las Pozas“, permanently installed inside the ruin. And Dominique Knowles's „Ode to Tazz“ installed on a rock overlooking the lake. Both works were part of the first edition of Lichtenfels Sculpture.

MB: It is our aim that pieces remain here or stay longer than one edition to allow the site to become a fixture for contemporary art. Is has been really nice to see how the people who come regularly form an attachment to the works over time.

OTV Then there are the ruins of Lichtenfels Castle itself,which date back to the 13th century, rising plinth-like from the Ottenstein reservoir, the lake which was created in the 1950s. Today, the reservoir and castle ruins are a popular tourist destination including a nature camping site as well as fishing grounds and dense woodlands. I would say the sculpture park provides a space for dialogue between the history and present of the site and the rich interplay between nature and culture that characterizes it.

Courtesy: Lichtenfels Sculpture, Lichtenfels, Austria Photos: Benedikt von Loebell

"Since generations my family is very interested in the arts, from fine art to music just to name a few."

Ms Thurn-Valsassina, you are the founder of the Lichtenfels Sculpture Park. Lichtenfels Castle is owned by your family. How was it to push through the sculpture park in your family?

OTV: Since generations my family is very interested in the arts, from fine art to music just to name a few. I have grown up surrounded by art and it always played an important role. My whole family was therefore on board from the beginning, and they loved the idea of placing contemporary sculpture in Lichtenfels. My parents have always encouraged me with the project and are incredibly supportive of all my plans.

What artistic and curatorial goal are you pursuing with the Sculpture Park?

OTV: Lichtenfels Sculpture was conceived with the aim to bring international contemporary art to the WaldviertelRegion. Every two years a new exhibition or project of contemporary art is presented, offering different viewpoints of what art in the public realm can be. For each edition I invite someone to co-curate this with me and it is through these different dialogues that the artistic and curatorial concept keeps evolving. I believe this to be the most interesting way to develop shows in such a unique location. This can span from sculpture over performance to music …. I would not want to limit its format and we will see where the journey takes us from here.

Installation view, Augustas Serapinas, Greenhouse from Užupis, Lichtenfels Sculpture 2023, Lichtenfels, Friedersbach (Austria). Photo: Benedikt von Loebell Courtesy of the artist, Emalin, London and Lichtenfels Sculpture, Friedersbach

"Lichtenfels castle seemed to be the perfect fit."

Can you also say something about the cooperation with the Emanuel Layr Gallery?

OTV: It had been a long wish of mine to do something at Lichtenfelscastle and the Waldviertel region, where I spent most of my childhood. Everything started with the work Lena Henke „Las Pozas“, which I wanted to show after its initial presentation at Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt in 2017 - and Lichtenfels castle seemed to be the perfect fit. One thing lead to the next and Emanuel and I ended up organizing the first edition of Lichtenfels Sculpture in the summer of 2021, a show with 8 artists stretching beyond the gallery program and bringing together positions from a wide range of generations and geographical regions. Installed in the open air each work developed its very own relationship to nature and the surrounding region.

As Director of Galerie Layr the collaboration with Emanuel happened very organically and I could not have wished for a better co-curator to bring Lichtenfels Scupture to life. Originally I was not sure if a second edition would even take place but given the fact that it was such a success I decided to continue.

"Margherita and I have always had a sweet spot for sculpture and art in the public realm."

How did you two meet and how did you find your way into art?

MB: Olivia and I knew each other before we started our professional careers in the art world. We have shared a similar path these past years, having lived in London and worked ingalleries at the same time and both of us being based in Vienna now. My career started out in Modern Art working for institutions and galleries. I then worked for 10 years in the commercial contemporary art world in London and Berlin. Today, I am part of Phileas - The Austrian Office of Contemporary Art where I am the Deputy Director and amongst other things take care of our International Relations.

OTV: It is not often you get to collaborate with a colleague and close friend - which is lovely and fun. My career in the arts took me from Austria to London where I worked at Carlos/Ishikawa before returning to Vienna to take up the role of Director at Layr. Margherita and I have always had a sweet spot for sculpture and art in the public realm: Margherita having worked on numerous public art commissions during her time at White Cube and me though working closely on such projects with represented artists – a natural fit one could say.

What is the future of the park? How can you get there and where can you stay

overnight?

OTV: The next show is scheduled to take place in summer 2025. Until then one will be able to discover the sculptures which are permanently installed. Lichtenfels Sculpture can best be reached by car, drive to Lichtenfels, Stausee Ottenstein. There you can stay at Camping Lichtenfels, directly on site amidst the sculpture park. Alternatively, there are various hotels in the region. You will find a few recommendations on our website: https://www.lichtenfelssculpture.com/visit-lichtenfels

Installation view, Augustas Serapinas, Greenhouse from Užupis, Lichtenfels Sculpture 2023, Lichtenfels, Friedersbach (Austria). Photo: Benedikt von Loebell Courtesy of the artist, Emalin, London and Lichtenfels Sculpture, Friedersbach