Austrian artist Thomas Hà¶rl came to Tirana in the context of a month-long studio scholarship by the province of Salzburg. He will complete this stay with the exhibition ‘To inflame myself, I recall Byron´s dress’ at the Zeta Gallery.
French painter Delacroix is said to have written in his diary while working on his Albanian-themed paintings: “To inflame myself, I recall Byron’s verses” . Austrian artist Thomas Hà¶rl however recalls paintings of Lord Byron in his Albanian costumes to get inspired to work on new collages where he mixes geometric and constructivist forms on traditional costumes in a dark romantic manner and his general folkloric research from Austria. In addition to the new works three video-reenactments of traditional dances are shown.
Thomas Hà¶rl is a visual artist. He works solo and as well in cooperation and is looking for stimuli for his artistic work in regional myths and narrations and transforms existing aspects of these traditions, like disguise, masks and processions, in various medial ways. His artistic work includes performance, video works, installation, object, collage and staged photography.
Born 1975 in Hallein, he studied visual art in Vienna, Reykjavík and Tokio. He took part in Artist-in-Residence-programs of Land Salzburg, City of Vienna and the Federal Chancellery of the Republic of Austria in Paris, Vilnius, Warschau, Frankfurt am Main, Tokio and Reykjavík. He is a member of the artists-group kozek hà¶rlonski. His works are displayed in public collections of Land Niederà¶sterreich, Ferdinandeum Innsbruck, City of Vienna and the Republic of Austria.
Zeta art gallery, Tirana, open from September 30 to October 7
