Brigitte Kowanz

Light is what we see

Until 9 November 2025

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ALBERTINA MUSEUM, VIENNA

The question, »What is light?« stands at the center of Brigitte Kowanz’ oeuvre. Her answer is: »Light is what we see«—an allusion to the paradoxical fact that light makes everything visible but itself normally remains invisible. The eponymous retrospective at the ALBERTINA guides viewers through works created by this important artist since the 1980s.

Light, characterized by ephemerality, boundlessness, and immateriality, plays a leading role in this exhibition. Her light-based artworks, shown in custom-created mirrored spaces, are reflected an infinite number of times or made visible to begin with through the employment of black lights.

Also on exhibit will be the iconic works Morsealphabet and Email 02.08.1984 03.08.1984, which anticipate the present-day themes of digitization, virtualization, and the information society.

The exhibition is on view from 18 July until 9 November 2025.