Bound by Authority KREMS 2013

In the summer of 2013, I had the unique opportunity to artistically transform the entire former district office building in Krems. This administrative building became my creative playground and significantly influenced my artistic approach. The idea of using graffiti colors in a former government office sparked conversations during the opening. Some people from Krems were particularly surprised to see the room where they used to retrieve their driver's licenses now covered from floor to ceiling with spray paint. During the summer, I invited ten other artists to participate in the exhibition "Bound by Authority," which explored authoritarian thinking. This mindset confines the average citizen, leading many to develop patterns in their daily lives that stifle their potential for growth. For nights on end, I was able to experiment. Despite the appearance of chaos, my approach was anything but disorganized. Over the years, I had created hundreds of stencils, all in the same A3 format. Anne Vieth writes about how I utilize modern hieroglyphs in the form of stencil fragments. The overall effect gives the impression of being based on scientific systematization. Perhaps my background in business administration influenced my inclination towards analytical and systematic thinking, turning me into an artistic bureaucrat. It was graffiti akin to stamping at the market office, just on a larger scale. In the first room, I ran a grid with Fuchsia Pink throughout the space. It was particularly efficient in areas where I didn't need a ladder – I practically sprinted through the room. A friend observed me and remarked that I resembled a character from a Kafka novel. In the second room, I changed my approach and painted overlapping circles with Macrew Purple, enhancing the stamping effect. Eventually, I became exhausted, but I knew my way around. The third room allowed for more freedom in design and took the longest to complete. In the end, a 30-minute video was created to showcase the entire exhibition.