Austrian-American Art Exchange

In its 11th year, the Austrian-American Art Exchange is hosted jointly by the City of Innsbruck's cultural department in Austria and by the University of New Orleans' Fine Arts Department and by Center Austria in the U.S. It offers young artists from both cities the opportunity to showcase their work to an international audience. This year’s program was kicked off with an opening reception of the exhibit Interior Frontier by U.S. art students Natalie Tobacyk and Nina Schwanse at the Andechs Gallery in Innsbruck, Austria.  For this exhibit, Tobacyk created a series of monoprints using fur. The idea of pelt links with flesh and primal instinct, with evolution and genealogy. The material speaks of connectivity with a long history, and fluid continuation over time. Nina Schwanse also explores archetypal imagery in her work, focusing on Lacan’s theory concerning the self, the other, and the gaze. Both artists explore unification of disparate parts and reference trends in globalization and connectivity. Founded in 2000, the Austrian-American Art Exchange program has contributed significantly to the cultural and academic exchange between the cities of Innsbruck and New Orleans.

from left: UNO President Dr. Peter Fos, Dr. Patrizia Moser, City of Innsbruck, artists Natalie Tobacyk and Nina Schwanse, Mr. Horst Burman, Cultural Office City of Innsbruck