It started with a 250-year-old wooden wine press from the Wachau region in Austria. The wood was weather-beaten due to time and work. Its deep furrows, notches, grooves and cracks fascinated artist-designer Irene Maria Ganser. So she created the sculpture GV Kollmütz named after the Grüner Veltliner of the legendary Ried Kollmütz (Kollmütz Vineyard), where wine has been grown for hundreds of years. Irene Maria Ganser created an object with an archaic aura: solid yet complex, with its beaten surface like the stony primary rock in the Kollmütz Vineyard. GV Kollmütz brings the past into the present, recording the material’s history. Irene Maria Ganser translated the rugged grain and immortalized it in metal, with each side of the cuboid sculpture unique in its own right. The wood lives on in the metal object: deep grey with light reflections, nuanced edges. The rich texture is cast into the bronze body, showing its contrasts due to the artist’s craftsmanship working with the material. And, of course, her aspiration to create the perfect object with each piece. For hundred of years, winegrowers have worked on the mountain slopes along the Danube to gain cultivation areas. With their terraced vineyards, they have created a stunning cultural landscape. In this challenging terrain, viticulture remains hard for both the vintner and the vine. The wines of the Ried Kollmütz are only cultivated by hand as there is no other way. The vines are deeply rooted in the mineral-rich ground. As a result, wines with a very individual character thrive here and are consistently among the best in Austria.
Aluminium, silicon bronze, sand casting
