In an interview for the Neue Vorarlberger Tageszeitung on 24 April 2016 BRIGITTE KOWANZ (Vienna 1957) stated, “I concentrate on light and space, the spatial quality and informative content of light”, thus describing in a nutshell her artistic creativity.

Light is immaterial; it can neither be grasped nor seized. From a scientifc point of view, according to Albert Einstein it is a matter equally of a partial current and an electro-magnetic wave phenomenon. Yet despite this explanation, for us it remains mysterious and fascinating, has a strong attraction and symbolic force, and is associated with knowledge and enlightenment. Light is manifested only when it hits matter. Vice versa, matter only becomes visible by absorbing light. Only few materials are transparent and translucent. BRIGITTE KOWANZ uses these qualities of glass in her works. In combination with refected rear walls and neon or LED lighting the artist creates illusionistic artistically aesthetic glass cubes.

In BRIGITTE KOWANZ's art, along with light and space, the third essential element is language and its partial coding. In eight of the twelve wall and foor objects exhibited in our gallery, the artist’s handwriting, transferred to neon or LED letters is used. AS WELL AS, ATTITUDE, and SWITCH OVER can be read through dyed glass cubes in green, lilac and blue writing. In order to be able to grasp the concepts in their entirety, the observer has to stride around the works. Thus SWITCH OVER indirectly becomes a direction for use. The light of the writing as well as the observers themselves are repeatedly refected in varied manner in a full-length mirror which forms the rear wall of the work of art. The dynamism of the work consists of constant transformation: one stands opposite a scenery which can never be clearly comprehended.

Brigitte Kowanz