Padhi Frieberger
The Boat, the Bed and the Rest of the Sky

PADHI — Exhibition opening closed to the public. (In absence of an audience)
24 March 2020, GALERIE Himmelpfortgasse 22, 1010 Vienna, Austria

The GALLERY Himmelpfortgasse 22, 1010 Vienna will make the exhibition “Padhi Frieberger: das boot, das bett und der rest des himmels”, also announced in the art magazine “Parnass” (March 2020), available immediately after the current regulation of the austrian federal goverment is lifted. For the friends of the gallery and for the public.

„Inspired by peter noever, who wrote a text specifically for this exhibition about PADHI, this exhibition will actually take place at the announced date beyond the commonly used online-presentation, even there is no audience. in the spirit of padhi frieberger, who avoided crowds. The opening will take place without visitors.

After “without artist no art”, the title of his show in 2007 at MAK Vienna and the dictum/winged words “padhi does not show up” and in contrast to the standard phrase “the artist is present” PADHI can look forward posthumously to an exhibition without visitors. Thus the exhibition space becomes an imagination for PADHI’s philosophy and his poetry. With it we move into a meta-space, a poetic bubble, which padhi frieberger, the eternally unadjusted rebel, fed with pleasure.”
— excerpt of the exhibition-text by the curators annette tesarek and elisabeth foissner.
gallery management: lorenz.estermann@gmx.at

<p><span class="txt10bold">Back cover of catalogue </span><span>“</span><span>Ohne Künstler keine Kunst!</span><span> </span><span>PADHI Frieberger”</span><span class="txt10">, published by Peter Noever, with text contributions by Peter Noever, August Ruhs, Markus Mittringer, Friedrich Achleitner, Herbert Kuhner as well as an interview - Text from UMRISS architecture magazine 2/83, conversation with Peter Noever. German/English, 56 pages, many colour and b/w images, MAK Vienna 2007</span></p>
<p>In his mail-art letters Padhi thus creates pictorical works by converting existent as well as arranged linguistic material into quotes or collages. Since the mid 1970s PADHI has considered Noever in a multitude of his mail-art manifestos. — archive peter noever</p>
<p>In his mail-art letters Padhi thus creates pictorical works by converting existent as well as arranged linguistic material into quotes or collages. Since the mid 1970s PADHI has considered Noever in a multitude of his mail-art manifestos. — archive peter noever</p>
<p><span class="row"><span class="content">“Es gibt sogenannte Optimisten, die sich ständig am Rande des Schwachsinns bewegen” alias “WIENER KALB PADHI”, Padhi Frieberger, 1963</span></span></p>

Today’s avant-garde of young researching artists vs Padhi

Is it about that? Is it about the intersection of contemporary ideas and ways of seeing to art, the “special universe of art”?

Padhi's relationship with art is direct and unconditional. Living art. Every moment of his thoughts, his doing and actions were marked by it. The indispensable passion and love for art. A deep, almost painful unison, an unprecedented harmony with his art was always a quality of his. He was at the height of his time, he resisted all seduction, such as media success and official recognition for a lifetime. He even went so far that he considered it presumptuous if his work was put on display in an art institution (he never attended his exhibition opening in 2012 at Kunsthalle Krems). He knew and was convinced that art is priceless. Accordingly he behaved, organized his life in asceticism, lived. He never bowed. He went his way steadfastly and consistently.

“I feel like an artist — even as the artist. My artistry is essential for me, it is also more important to be an artist than to paint. If I had met van Gogh in the forest I would have gone to him because I would have recognized his genius. Probably also his skills, what he can give and convey to others. In contrast to any gallery owner or art historian, they always need proof of such a claim. But that’s not true. An artist is also an artist even if he does not execute his ideas.”
— Padhi in conversation with Peter Noever, from: UMRISS 2/83

It’s probably about that. Especially at a time when art has to serve more and more for quotas, entertainment and all sorts of current socially relevant topics and events, the memory of the dissident of the adapted, the uncorruptable non-conformist, the artist and pioneer gives strength. Power also to be able to decipher what surrounds us today.

Peter Noever

Die heutige Avantgarde junger forschender Künstler vs Padhi

Geht es darum? Geht es dabei um die Schnittstelle zeittypischer Vorstellungen und Sehweisen zur Kunst, dem „Sonderuniversum Kunst“?

Padhis Verhältnis zur Kunst ist direkt und bedingungslos.
Gelebte Kunst. Jeder Augenblick seiner Gedanken, seines Tuns und Handelns waren davon gezeichnet.
Die unabdingbare Leidenschaft und Liebe zur Kunst.
Eine tiefe, nahezu schmerzhafte Harmonie, ein beispielloser Einklang mit seiner Kunst war ihm seit je eigen.
Er war am Höhepunkt seiner Zeit, jeglicher Verführung, wie medialem Erfolg, offizieller Anerkennung leistete er ein Leben lang Widerstand.
Er ging sogar so weit, dass er es als eine Anmaßung betrachtete, wenn seine Arbeiten in einer Kunstinstitution zur Schau gestellt wurden (zu seiner Ausstellungseröffnung 2012 in der Kunsthalle Krems kam er nicht).
Er wusste, war davon überzeugt: Kunst ist unbezahlbar. Dementsprechend hat er sich verhalten, sein Leben in Askese organisiert, gelebt.
Er hat sich nicht, nie gebeugt. Er ging seinen Weg unbeirrt und konsequent.

„Ich fühl’ mich als Künstler – sogar als der Künstler. Mein Künstlertum ist für mich wesentlich, es ist auch wichtiger Künstler zu sein, als zu malen.
Hätte ich van Gogh im Wald getroffen, wäre ich zu ihm hingegangen, denn ich hätte sein Genie erkannt. Wahrscheinlich auch seine Fähigkeiten, was er anderen geben und vermitteln kann. Ganz zum Unterschied von irgendwelchen Galeristen oder Kunstgeschichtlern, die brauchen immer Beweise für so einen Anspruch. Das stimmt aber nicht. Ein Künstler ist auch dann ein Künstler, wenn er seine Vorstellungen nicht zur Ausführung bringt...“
— Padhi im Gespräch mit Peter Noever, aus: UMRISS 2/83 

Vermutlich geht es darum. Gerade auch in einer Zeit, in der Kunst mehr und mehr für Quoten, Unterhaltung und alle möglichen aktuellen gesellschaftsrelevanten Themen und Ereignisse herhalten muss, spendet die Erinnerung an den Dissidenten des Angepassten, den unkorrumpierbaren Nonkonformisten, den Künstler und Pionier - Kraft. Kraft auch, um das was uns heute umgibt, überhaupt dechiffrieren zu können.

Peter Noever