The sculpture “Kairos,” named after the Greek god of opportunity and favorable moments, tells the history of Swarovski. The cast of an original-size Wilhelminian-style armoire from the boom years of industrial expansion symbolizes the moment when Daniel Swarovski had the idea to establish his company that is world famous today.
The geographical orientation of the cabinet to the areas of Georgenthal/Bohemia references the birthplace of the company founder.
In the artistic oeuvre of Tyrolian artist Martin Gostner, born 1957 in Innsbruck, it is the discourse with history and memories that is of foremost importance. It is not so much the facts that are of interest to him, but instead how the mechanisms of memory actually work. Gostner became famous for his “bay windows” (Erker in German): fleeting works of art that are erected unannounced in the middle of nowhere. Gostner lives and works both in Innsbruck and in Düsseldorf, where he holds a professorship at the Academy of Fine Arts.
