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 Palast de Probizer
Request information
![- Gonfiore h36-48-30 1974 - Tondeggiata h37-64-30 1974](../img/db/s/20191011152639.jpg)
![- Arrivato - bronze h 114 cm 1995](../img/db/s/20191011152658.jpg)
![- Forma Vegetativa - bronze h 105 cm 1969](../img/db/s/20191011152713.jpg)
![- Disperata - chalk drawing/ink 50 x 70 cm 1998](../img/db/s/20191011152734.jpg)
![- Distrutta - chalk drawing/ink 50 x 70 cm 2000](../img/db/s/20191011152758.jpg)
![- Eroe - bronze h 120 cm 1990](../img/db/s/20191011152819.jpg)
![- Eva - bronze h 106 cm 1988](../img/db/s/20191011152843.jpg)
![- Infiammata - chalk drawing/ink 50 x 70 cm 2009](../img/db/s/20191011152905.jpg)
![- Innamorati - ink/ water color 50 x 40 cm 1973](../img/db/s/20191011152929.jpg)
![- Quiete - bronze h 45 cm 1972](../img/db/s/20191011152955.jpg)
![- Rilassata - bronze h 68 cm 1973](../img/db/s/20191011153015.jpg)
![- Sfinge - ink/water color 50 x 40 cm 1971](../img/db/s/20191011153043.jpg)
![- crollata 1977 h62 86x52](../img/db/s/20191103235320.jpg)
![- Meisules 1970 h 57 78x31](../img/db/s/20191103235427.jpg)
![- Miniature 70s years left h8 11,5x5 - right h7,5 15,5x5](../img/db/s/20191103235513.jpg)
![- Miniature 70s years left h10,5 10x7 - right h6 18x7](../img/db/s/20191103235927.jpg)
![- Miniatures 70s years left h12 7,5x6,5 - right h11 18,5x7](../img/db/s/20191104000127.jpg)
![- rassodata in terra 1971 h35 40x18](../img/db/s/20191104000305.jpg)
![- scoprirsi il capo 1986 h43 51x29](../img/db/s/20191104000401.jpg)
![- voglia di comunicare 1966 h 62 73x13](../img/db/s/20191104000443.jpg)
![- accettazione 1992 h 68 40x43](../img/db/s/20191106131718.jpg)
![- apollo 1977 h87 26x29](../img/db/s/20191106131752.jpg)
![- attenzione 1993 h38 26x26](../img/db/s/20191106131810.jpg)
![- considerazione 1972 25x36](../img/db/s/20191106131831.jpg)
![- contemplazione um 2000 42x56](../img/db/s/20191106131855.jpg)
![- esitare l'austeritá 1977 h45 20x23](../img/db/s/20191106131921.jpg)
![- gonnella 1969 h 99 29x24](../img/db/s/20191106131938.jpg)
![- Homage a Claudia 1994 h73 46x30](../img/db/s/20191106131954.jpg)
![-](../img/db/s/20191106132010.jpg)
![- mettersi in scena 1971 38x50](../img/db/s/20191106132032.jpg)
![- relazione 1971 h125 55x31](../img/db/s/20191106132054.jpg)
![- speranza riposta 1977 h119 32x34](../img/db/s/20191106132111.jpg)
![- speranza svelata 1976 h116 33x30](../img/db/s/20191106132143.jpg)
![- svincolarsi da una condizone 90er Jahre 50x70](../img/db/s/20191107163926.jpg)
![-](../img/db/s/20191107164137.jpg)
![- Josef Kostner_Riaversi_h35x55x20 cm_1971_Bronze](../img/db/s/20221028133801.jpg)
![- Josef Kostner_Sopportare in silenzio_h45x35x20 cm_1975](../img/db/s/20221028133847.jpg)