The Landesgalerie Burgenland is presenting the works of one of the most striking positions in contemporary Austrian painting until May 11, 2025. "SAŠA MAKAROVÁ. MALERIN" offers a comprehensive insight into the oeuvre of the artist, who was born in Košice in 1966 and has made a name for herself with her expressive visual language and unmistakable style.
With this exhibition, curator Birgit Sauer has created a space that honors both the technical virtuosity and the depth of content of Makarová's work. The show not only presents finished works of art, but also provides insights into the artistic process and working methods of the painter, who now lives and works in Vienna and Burgenland. The exhibition stages Makarová's works in a well thought-out room-within-a-room concept. Two open bunks, reminiscent of living situations, serve as narrative stages for her colorful paintings. A visual narrative unfolds in these walk-in pictorial spaces, taking the audience on a journey between dream and reality. The works are thus not only presented, but become elements of an immersive experience. The second part of the exhibition is particularly interesting, as it opens up a different perspective on artistic creation: An installation cites the artist's studio and shows used brushes, palettes covered in paint residue and working materials - silent witnesses to the creative process. This juxtaposition of finished works of art and the traces of their creation makes the creative act itself the subject.
Secret Longing, 2019 Saša Makarová © Bildrecht Wien, 2025.
Makarová's work is characterized by intense colours and expressive brushwork. The artist, who studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bratislava and later at the University of Applied Arts Vienna in Adolf Frohner's master class, is stylistically classified as French, German and Austrian Expressionist. Her paintings often focus on independent, fearless women - figures with memorable faces and immense strength.
The feminist perspective is a recurring element in Makarová's work. Her female figures are not passive objects, but self-confident protagonists of their own stories. In addition, fairy-tale figures, angels and mythical creatures populate her pictorial worlds, which always oscillate between reality and fantasy.
The program accompanying the exhibition offers further opportunities for in-depth exploration: in addition to weekly tours of the exhibition every Thursday at 4 pm, author Katharina Tiwald will present a literary reflection on the exhibition on 12 April. A special highlight promises to be May 3, when a guided tour with the artist herself and a discussion with gallery owner Gerlinde Szaal will take place.
Saša Makarová's exhibition at the Landesgalerie Burgenland is a must for anyone interested in contemporary painting. It offers not only aesthetic pleasure, but also an in-depth exploration of themes such as female identity, power and emotion in art.
February 22 to May 11, 2025
https://landesgalerie-burgenland.at
The Last Warrior, 2022 Saša Makarová © Bildrecht Wien, 2025
