When the sun goes down and the contours of the world become softer, the garden of shadows begins to awaken. With the "Shadow Catchers" exhibition, the KinderKunstLabor St. Pölten transforms its rooms into a mysterious intermediate world in which light, movement, sound and smell form a poetic alliance.
The artists Robert Gabris, Iva Ivanova, Natalia Dominguez Rangel and Theodor Moise use drawings, delicate reliefs and a fascinating interplay of projections and mobiles to create an atmosphere reminiscent of the nocturnal liveliness of a garden. Shadows do not appear as mere companions, but as actors in their own right: they expand, overlap, disappear and reappear in a new form.
"Shadow catcher" © Max Kropitz
At the heart of the exhibition is a 17-metre-long film installation that is kept in constant motion by transparent objects and shadow plays. This visual spectacle is complemented by 27 drawings and 14 large-format mobiles that move gently in space and are modeled on the creatures of the garden. Natalia Dominguez Rangel contributes a finely nuanced sound installation that acoustically intensifies the feeling of a nocturnal garden. "With Shadow Catcher, an immersive world has been created in which children and adults can fully immerse themselves," describes artistic director Mona Jas. The exhibition is not intended as a silent experience, but as a co-creative space in which visitors can actively participate. Flashlights invite them to create their own shadow plays, and a white wall with chalk provides space for spontaneous drawings.
This turns the exhibition visit into a field of experimentation: visitors are participants, not just observers. Workshops run by the art education team under the direction of Eva Leutgeb address the topics of light and shadow, insects, animals and shared habitats. Children and adults can draw, project, play with mirror images or create their own mobile shadow landscapes.
Schattenfänger makes it possible to experience that the fleeting and incomprehensible itself becomes a source of inspiration, play and insight - and that art begins precisely where you expect the unexpected.
September 19, 2025 to February 8, 2026
www.kinderkunstlabor.at
Workshop formats © Max Kropitz
