With the eyes in the sky
by Francesco Butturini

Two images come to mind when I think of Josef Kostner’s works: his slight, yet penetrating grin and the landscape that seems to be born of that grin. They are two apparently distant existential facts, which are actually deeply permeated with each other, because in order to understand his sculpture and graphic art, you have to understand the time and situation in which the sculpture and graphic art where created.
They seem to be the fruit of desperation, or of a dark vision of the world, pervaded with hostile mysteries, deformed shapes that have emerged from their inner selves, fears and anxieties.
But none of this is true.
Kostner’s sculpture and graphic art are the fruit of a knowing vision of the world and life, of a subtle and ironic attention that acknowledges the roughness of everyday existence and life. They are not expressions of the fear of it and do not turn daily life away, with its anxieties, expectations, pain and joy. They accept everything with the wisdom of time and memory, which cancels nothing and mitigates everything.

 Exhibitions:

1960    Galleria Ruscel, Ortisei

1965    Galleria Goethe, Bolzano

            Galleria Selene, Cortina d`Ampezzo

1968    Galleria Domenicani, Bolzano

            Galleria Ruscel, Ortisei

1974    Mostra d`Ert, Ortisei

1981    Galleria Willi, Vilpian

1983    Galleria Domenicani, Bolzano

1994    Galleria Prisma, Bolzano

            Itituto Culturale Micurà de Rü, S. Martino Badia

1995    Galleria Ghelfi, Verona

1996    Albergo Tirol, Val di Funes

1999    Museo Statale, Chiusa

2000    Galleria Prisma, Bolzano

            Tiroler Kunstpavillion, Innsbruck

            Galleria am Gries, Lana

2001    Galleria Volksbank, Merano

2002    Kaiserliche Hofburg, Innsbruck

            Galerie im Kies, Altach – Feldkirch

2005    Museo Gipsoteca Canova, Possagno (Ala Nuova e Parco)

2008    Atelier im Kärrnerwaldele, Landeck

2009    Digart, Ortisei

2010    Circolo Artistico, Ortisei

            Presentazione della monografia Digart,Ortisei

            Galeria Prisma, Bolzano “Lebenswege”

            Mostra scultorea Pasqua a Campo di Brenzone sul Garda

            Galeria Ghelfi, Verona

2011    Labyrinthgarten Kränzelhof, Tscherms “Moti dell’anima”

            Ragenhaus, Bruneck “Köpfe und sture Köpfe”

            Natale a Campo di Brenzone sul Garda  

2012    Galerie Maier Innsbruck “Primitivismus und Moderne”

            Galerie Maier Innsbruck  „Josef Kostner Skulpturen“

            Galerie Pizzinini S. Kassian “L’ëila,cuer y ana”

            Kunst Meran Fußgängerzone Meran Homage an Josef Kostner

            Natale a Campo di Brenzone sul Garda

2013    Fussgängerzone St. Ulrich zum 80. Geburtstag

            Galerie Maier Innsbruck zum 80. Geburtstag

2015    Galleria Spazio 6 Verona

2016    Hotel La Perla Corvara Badia

2018    Südtiroler Künstlerbund Retrospektive

2018    Circolo culturale Ortisei Josef Kostner “Peccati”

2018    Albergo Posta Marcucci Bagno Vignoni Toscana

2019/20 Isera/Rovereto Palazzo de Probizer

 Collective Exhibitions

Dal 1950 al 1968 ha esposto regolarmente alle Mostre del Circolo Artistico Culturale di Ortisei e con il gruppo artistico "Ruscel" a Ortisei, Bolzano, Trento, Bressanone, Innsbruck, Vienna, Monaco, Firenze, Ancona, Roma

1954    Galleria Domenicani Bolzano

1955    Circolo Artistico Ortisei

1957    Gruppo “Ruscèl” Kunstpavillon Innsbruck

            Mostra Regionale d`Arte Sacra, Ancona

            Circolo Artistico Ortisei

1958    Mostra Regionale d` Arte, Bolzano

1960    Mostra Provinciale a Bolzano

            Gruppo “Ruscèl” casa Cinema Dolomiti Ortisei

            40°Anniversario di Fondazione Circolo Artistico Ortisei

1963    Galleria “Ruscèl” Ortisei

1964    Mostra Nazionale del Presepio, Roma (1. Premio)

1965    Mostra Premio Bolzano (segnalato)

            Concorso per Opere d`Arte da collocare nell` Ist. Artigianelli, Reggio Emilia (2.   Premio)

1966    ,Der Menschliche Kopf in der Sculptur”, Innsbruck (1. Premio)

1967    Biennale  "Premio Bolzano"

            Galleria  "Ucai" Brescia

            "Kunstpavillon", Innsbruck

1967 e 1968  Concorso  "Francesca da Rimini"

1968 e 1969  Biennale Naz. Arte Sacra

             Contemporanea  "Premio Federico Motta" a Roma, Bologna e Milano

1971     Fr. – Bair. Berufsverband, Gersthafen (Ger.)

1980     Bildhauer des Südt. Künstlerbund

1981     Internazionaler Kleinplastikwettbewerb, Innsbruck (3. Premio )

1987     Sassaferrato Palazzo Oliva

1997     Pittura – Grafica –Sculture del Südtiroler Künstlerbund

1999     Presenze Oggi, Centro Culturale  "C. Trevi" Bolzano

2003     2° Schweizerische Triennale der Skulptur in Bad Ragaz und Vaduz - Schweiz

2005     Museo Gipsoteca Canova, Possagno (Ala Nuova e Parco)

2008     "Simbiosis"  Südtiroler Künstlerbund

             Parallelevents to Manifesta 7, Bolzano

2010     Art Forum Bologna, Ortisei

2011     "Figura" Forte di Fortezza Una storia della scultura in Alto Adige/Tirolo/Trentino dopo il 1945

2012     5° Schweizerische Triennale der Skulptur in Bad Ragaz und Vaduz - Schweiz

2014     Disegno degli Scultori LanaART & Kunsthalle Eurocenter Lana Kuratrice Camilla Martinelli

2015     Web ART Treviso Sara Stuflesser, Josef Kostner und Gregor Prugger

             3Dimensionale Josef Kostner, Magnus Pöhacker, Simone Turra, Castello di Castelbello

2015/16   "Köpfe am Korber Kopf"  Skulpturenrundweg in der Gemeinde Korb ( Deutschland )  

  Artworks in public space   

                        
                         Community  Ortisei

                         Provincia di Bolzano

                         Messner Mountain Museum Firmian

                         Museum Sankt Martin in Thurn