Leo Schatzl: Stein vom schweigenden Stern

09.02. – 15.04.2026
TONSPUR_display | MQ Schauräume, free admission

Opening: Sun 08.02.2026, 17h

In the presence of the artist, Leo Schatzl
Welcome: Georg Weckwerth, TONSPUR Kunstverein Wien
Introductory remarks: Friedrich Schwarz, botanist

The object is an artificial replica of a boulder. It is not made of rock, but of silicone, a soft, body-like material. It has no geological origin and does not share the weight, coldness or ageing processes of natural stones. The object does not move in space. It merely generates an internal movement in the form of a pulsation. This movement has no purpose and conveys no information. It simulates activity without performing any action or reacting to anything.
Culturally, stones are regarded as carriers of time, traces and geological processes, as well as a prerequisite for biological development. At the same time, they are perceived as silent, immobile and indifferent bodies and, in many contexts, are understood as a medium or cult object. These meanings form the background for the perception of the object. The object itself expresses nothing. Meaning arises from the expectations of the viewer. Form and movement trigger interpretation without providing content. The body is read as an counterpart, although it is not one.
The title establishes a reference to a foreign origin. It describes the body as something that does not originate from here and connects it with the idea of unreadable information.

Leo Schatzl, born in 1958 in Obernberg am Inn, Austria, lives and works in Linz.

image © Leo Schatzl