Elisabeth Wild. Fantasiefabrik

The Museum of Modern Art in Vienna is dedicating a retrospective to the versatile Austrian-Swiss artist and textile designer Elisabeth Wild. Her life was marked by the turbulence of history, which made her flee twice for political reasons to spend decades of her long life in Argentina, Switzerland and Guatemala.

Until her death in 2020 she lived in a small house in Panajachel surrounded by a jungled garden. An abstract version of this unique house and furniture hosts her early figurative works which are hanged densely across two rooms, aiming to recreate the rich atmosphere of her universe.

The second floor is dedicated to her late work, collages, of which she made consequently one per day, revealing a glimpse of an intimate fantasy world. Elizabeth used to choose the wall colors and settings of her exhibition herself. Since she was unable to do so here for the first time, we decided to take the ideas she developed for Documenta 14 and other exhibitions and treat them as a theme that multiplies itself . A labyrinth of arches, that alternate in height, width and color. They carry 365 collages from Elisabeth Wild's late work as a walk-through diary for visitors to freely explore.

Both installations are made entirely of cardboard, which will be reused and partly remolded as furniture for the museum shop.

curated by Marianne Dobner
pictures by Klaus Pichler