“In my independent work, I continue to explore the questions that arise from my other areas of work. The relationship between people, human figures, and space. How is a person’s character reflected in their clothing, or what conclusions can be drawn about the wearer based on their clothing or accessories? In the tradition of art history, pictorial types have been developed—whether in Orthodox icon painting, in Christian art more broadly, or in representational (ruler) portraits. Taking up or reversing this mechanism, I develop my portraits based on attributes or postures. Here, my focus is on the examination of the image and representation of the human being in its fragmentation. How much of a person is needed to create a portrait? In spatial installations, I respond to the individual spaces and their contents—whether they are of architectural-historical or functional significance. In doing so, I am guided by the questions: How can I visualize the tension of the space or establish the connection between content and form?”
“Exploring the Connection Between Content and Form”
Lent Installation 2008
Lent Installation
in St. Ruprecht, Vienna
in St. Ruprecht, Vienna
Schlaining Synagogue
Exhibition
in the former Schlaining Synagogue, Stadtschlaining
March 30, 2022
Former Synagogue in Stadtschlaining
With this restored synagogue, a place of remembrance and reflection has been created, but also a place of dialogue, curiosity, and “getting to know one another anew.”
The permanent exhibition, now complete, sheds light on the development of the Jewish community in Stadtschlaining. Through the objects and texts on display, Jewish life—both past and destroyed, as well as that lived today—here in Burgenland, as well as throughout the Jewish world, is presented and brought to life.
The central element of the exhibition is the symbolic form of a Star of David. The Star of David consists of six triangular black display cases. A black Star of David. But the display cases are illuminated—and so the star shines. A shining star that presents Jewish life, both historically and today. A glowing star representing the hope for a bright, shared future built on mutual understanding.
The former synagogue also houses a memorial dedicated to the Jewish population of Southern Burgenland, who were expelled and exterminated in 1938. The guiding principle, “Giving Space to the Absent,” is realized in the form of a fragmentary, stylized reconstruction of the interior furnishings—as a black shadow. The aim is to restore the spatial and synagogal context and to reconnect with the history of the synagogue and the Jewish residents of Stadtschlaining. By engraving the names and dates of birth, suffering, and death of the last Jews into the pews, these individuals and their personal histories are brought back to Stadtschlaining. In this way, they are rescued from the annihilation perpetrated by the Nazis. The memory of them, of their history, and of their fate remains alive. There is no gravestone bearing their names for the victims. Now that their names stand in the synagogue as a tribute to their memory, the installation serves as a gravestone and memorial. The installation defies any functionality or naturalism; it does not seek to be practical. It is black. Black as a shadow—the shadow of the past and the shadow of pain—as a hint of what once was here.
For a place like this—one that informs and moves people—to come into being, it takes people who develop and realize a shared vision and who work together intensively and with passion. The relevant institutions of the State of Burgenland, the lenders, as well as the Jewish Community of Graz, the Jewish Community of Vienna, LIKRAT, Misrachi Austria, the Austrian Jewish Museum in Eisenstadt, and the Burgenland State Museum.
Last but not least, I would like to thank the team led by Mag. Norbert Darabos for the trust they placed in my idea and concept! And to Prof. (FH) Mag. Awi Blumenfeld of the Jewish Community of Vienna, who, as the project’s academic and Jewish advisor, has guided the project with great passion.
Excerpts from the exhibition credits:
Chair of the Steering Committee for “100 Years of Burgenland”: Governor Mag. Hans Peter Doskozil
KBB – Kultur-Betriebe Burgenland GmbH, Franz Schubert-Platz 6, 7000 Eisenstadt
Friedensburg Schlaining Location
Management: DI Barbara Weißeisen-Halwax
Project Management and Overall Coordination: Mag. Tanja Stacherl, Christoph Langecker
Scientific Patron and Site Director: Mag. Norbert Darabos
Curated by: Mag. Christof Cremer
Academic & Jewish Advisor: Prof. (FH) Mag. Awi Blumenfeld
Exhibition Design, Artistic Direction, and Curation: Mag. Christof Cremer
Contribution to Preliminary Design: Mag. Franz Ehn
Detailed Planning, Bidding, and On-Site Construction Supervision: RIGEWA Riedner Gepp Waldhör Architekten ZT GmbH, Architect Matthias Riedner, Dipl. Ing.
Multimedia: ZONE Media GmbH
Graphic Design: DI Julia Oppermann
Illustration: Jovan Sertić
Structural design, exhibition design, display cases, and scenography: Winter Artservice
Project Leaders: Benjamin Reichert and Herbert Herl
Media Technology: Winter Artservice and cat-x exhibitions Prix KG
Project Manager: Florian Prix
Arthandling: Vienna Arthandling
Further information
ORF: Burgenland Today - Report on the Synagogue's Opening
in the former Schlaining Synagogue, Stadtschlaining
March 30, 2022
Former Synagogue in Stadtschlaining
With this restored synagogue, a place of remembrance and reflection has been created, but also a place of dialogue, curiosity, and “getting to know one another anew.”
The permanent exhibition, now complete, sheds light on the development of the Jewish community in Stadtschlaining. Through the objects and texts on display, Jewish life—both past and destroyed, as well as that lived today—here in Burgenland, as well as throughout the Jewish world, is presented and brought to life.
The central element of the exhibition is the symbolic form of a Star of David. The Star of David consists of six triangular black display cases. A black Star of David. But the display cases are illuminated—and so the star shines. A shining star that presents Jewish life, both historically and today. A glowing star representing the hope for a bright, shared future built on mutual understanding.
The former synagogue also houses a memorial dedicated to the Jewish population of Southern Burgenland, who were expelled and exterminated in 1938. The guiding principle, “Giving Space to the Absent,” is realized in the form of a fragmentary, stylized reconstruction of the interior furnishings—as a black shadow. The aim is to restore the spatial and synagogal context and to reconnect with the history of the synagogue and the Jewish residents of Stadtschlaining. By engraving the names and dates of birth, suffering, and death of the last Jews into the pews, these individuals and their personal histories are brought back to Stadtschlaining. In this way, they are rescued from the annihilation perpetrated by the Nazis. The memory of them, of their history, and of their fate remains alive. There is no gravestone bearing their names for the victims. Now that their names stand in the synagogue as a tribute to their memory, the installation serves as a gravestone and memorial. The installation defies any functionality or naturalism; it does not seek to be practical. It is black. Black as a shadow—the shadow of the past and the shadow of pain—as a hint of what once was here.
For a place like this—one that informs and moves people—to come into being, it takes people who develop and realize a shared vision and who work together intensively and with passion. The relevant institutions of the State of Burgenland, the lenders, as well as the Jewish Community of Graz, the Jewish Community of Vienna, LIKRAT, Misrachi Austria, the Austrian Jewish Museum in Eisenstadt, and the Burgenland State Museum.
Last but not least, I would like to thank the team led by Mag. Norbert Darabos for the trust they placed in my idea and concept! And to Prof. (FH) Mag. Awi Blumenfeld of the Jewish Community of Vienna, who, as the project’s academic and Jewish advisor, has guided the project with great passion.
Excerpts from the exhibition credits:
Chair of the Steering Committee for “100 Years of Burgenland”: Governor Mag. Hans Peter Doskozil
KBB – Kultur-Betriebe Burgenland GmbH, Franz Schubert-Platz 6, 7000 Eisenstadt
Friedensburg Schlaining Location
Management: DI Barbara Weißeisen-Halwax
Project Management and Overall Coordination: Mag. Tanja Stacherl, Christoph Langecker
Scientific Patron and Site Director: Mag. Norbert Darabos
Curated by: Mag. Christof Cremer
Academic & Jewish Advisor: Prof. (FH) Mag. Awi Blumenfeld
Exhibition Design, Artistic Direction, and Curation: Mag. Christof Cremer
Contribution to Preliminary Design: Mag. Franz Ehn
Detailed Planning, Bidding, and On-Site Construction Supervision: RIGEWA Riedner Gepp Waldhör Architekten ZT GmbH, Architect Matthias Riedner, Dipl. Ing.
Multimedia: ZONE Media GmbH
Graphic Design: DI Julia Oppermann
Illustration: Jovan Sertić
Structural design, exhibition design, display cases, and scenography: Winter Artservice
Project Leaders: Benjamin Reichert and Herbert Herl
Media Technology: Winter Artservice and cat-x exhibitions Prix KG
Project Manager: Florian Prix
Arthandling: Vienna Arthandling
Further information
ORF: Burgenland Today - Report on the Synagogue's Opening
Tent of God
Lent Installation 2017
Client:
Municipality of St. Ruprecht
Artistic Directors:
Christof Cremer
ART INSTALLATION FOR LENT
“… I have moved about in a tent.”
(2 Sam. 7:6)
During Lent, altarpieces are covered in many churches. It is not until the celebration of Jesus' resurrection that
they become visible again. The aim is also to sharpen our focus on what is essential.
This year, at Ruprechtskirche, nothing will be covered up; on the contrary, something will be
highlighted and brought to people’s attention. This, too, is meant to help us focus on what is essential.
Some associations that may come to mind when looking at the golden foil:
Canopies have been around for many centuries. On the one hand, they served as sun protection for the
ruler and as a clear indication of where his place, his seat, was.
Christians also adopted the canopy as a symbol of honor—for bishops, the pope, and
later also as a “heaven” above the tabernacle or during processions.
King David had the Ark of the Covenant, the sign of “I am here,” brought into a tent. The tent thus becomes
the place where God dwells.
In the Book of Revelation in the New Testament, we read: “Then I heard a loud voice from the
throne saying, ‘Behold, the tent of God (the dwelling place of God) among men!’”
The golden canopy above the altar is stretched like a tent over the place where, for
centuries, the death and resurrection of Jesus have been commemorated and the Lord’s Supper has been celebrated.
The golden foil appears to float, reacts to thermal currents, and is delicate and light as a feather. And yet, “
” offers protection: This tent was made using rescue foil, the kind used to wrap people in after accidents
. Rescue foil that refugees receive when they arrive on the mainland after a dramatic and life-threatening
journey across the sea.
The foil reflects light, casting a golden glow; it seems as though those seeking shelter and
safety beneath it are transformed into queens and kings.
The gold of the foil is also a reference to the upcoming Easter celebration, to the resurrection of Jesus.
The artist Christof Cremer, who created this art installation, says: “This tent, this foil
is also a symbol of Christ for me: He is our lifesaving foil.”
© Photo: Christof Cremer
Client:
Municipality of St. Ruprecht
Artistic Directors:
Christof Cremer
ART INSTALLATION FOR LENT
“… I have moved about in a tent.”
(2 Sam. 7:6)
During Lent, altarpieces are covered in many churches. It is not until the celebration of Jesus' resurrection that
they become visible again. The aim is also to sharpen our focus on what is essential.
This year, at Ruprechtskirche, nothing will be covered up; on the contrary, something will be
highlighted and brought to people’s attention. This, too, is meant to help us focus on what is essential.
Some associations that may come to mind when looking at the golden foil:
Canopies have been around for many centuries. On the one hand, they served as sun protection for the
ruler and as a clear indication of where his place, his seat, was.
Christians also adopted the canopy as a symbol of honor—for bishops, the pope, and
later also as a “heaven” above the tabernacle or during processions.
King David had the Ark of the Covenant, the sign of “I am here,” brought into a tent. The tent thus becomes
the place where God dwells.
In the Book of Revelation in the New Testament, we read: “Then I heard a loud voice from the
throne saying, ‘Behold, the tent of God (the dwelling place of God) among men!’”
The golden canopy above the altar is stretched like a tent over the place where, for
centuries, the death and resurrection of Jesus have been commemorated and the Lord’s Supper has been celebrated.
The golden foil appears to float, reacts to thermal currents, and is delicate and light as a feather. And yet, “
” offers protection: This tent was made using rescue foil, the kind used to wrap people in after accidents
. Rescue foil that refugees receive when they arrive on the mainland after a dramatic and life-threatening
journey across the sea.
The foil reflects light, casting a golden glow; it seems as though those seeking shelter and
safety beneath it are transformed into queens and kings.
The gold of the foil is also a reference to the upcoming Easter celebration, to the resurrection of Jesus.
The artist Christof Cremer, who created this art installation, says: “This tent, this foil
is also a symbol of Christ for me: He is our lifesaving foil.”
© Photo: Christof Cremer
Altar Covering – Lenten Installation
Lent Installation 2005
The project, conceived for Ruprechtskirche, explores the ancient ecclesiastical tradition of “veiling,” which dates back to the 10th century. As part of the 2005 Lenten installation, the altar was “veiled” using an artistically designed cover. Printed on the covering is an image of the altar in a color gradient ranging from purple to white.
The print resembles an X-ray; it makes the altar visible, brings it “to light,” and is thus translucent in a certain way. Through this design, the structure of the altar—the masonry block—is brought closer to the viewer in terms of its form and complexity; the viewer is guided toward a new way of seeing. The altar is veiled and yet—or perhaps precisely because of this—
particularly present. The veiling of the altar creates a new sense of space for visitors and participants in the liturgical celebrations; it enables a new, profound
experience of what is to come. The covering also alludes to the Book of Zephaniah, the biblical text read during the 2005 Lenten season at the services in St. Ruprecht
, which leads from repentance to hope. During the Easter Vigil, the altar is unveiled. The altar is rediscovered.
The project is a collaborative effort by Julia Oppermann and Christof Cremer.
The project, conceived for Ruprechtskirche, explores the ancient ecclesiastical tradition of “veiling,” which dates back to the 10th century. As part of the 2005 Lenten installation, the altar was “veiled” using an artistically designed cover. Printed on the covering is an image of the altar in a color gradient ranging from purple to white.
The print resembles an X-ray; it makes the altar visible, brings it “to light,” and is thus translucent in a certain way. Through this design, the structure of the altar—the masonry block—is brought closer to the viewer in terms of its form and complexity; the viewer is guided toward a new way of seeing. The altar is veiled and yet—or perhaps precisely because of this—
particularly present. The veiling of the altar creates a new sense of space for visitors and participants in the liturgical celebrations; it enables a new, profound
experience of what is to come. The covering also alludes to the Book of Zephaniah, the biblical text read during the 2005 Lenten season at the services in St. Ruprecht
, which leads from repentance to hope. During the Easter Vigil, the altar is unveiled. The altar is rediscovered.
The project is a collaborative effort by Julia Oppermann and Christof Cremer.
Rule of St. Benedict
Installation
at the Benedictine Abbey of Admont, 2007
Approximation
The fundamental idea underlying this work is the statement from the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy of the Second Vatican Council: In the earthly liturgy, we participate as a foretaste in that heavenly liturgy which is celebrated in the holy city of Jerusalem, toward which we are journeying as pilgrims (Sacrosanctum Concilium I,8).
The installation symbolizes the journey of humankind, of Christians, and of pilgrims. The baptismal font and the altar serve as a link between Paradise as the origin—as described in the Book of Genesis in the Old Testament—and the promise of Paradise in the New Testament. They represent the source—the Eucharist—from which the Christian’s life draws sustenance. But they also represent the beginning and the end.
A path made of sand—a reference to the journey of the people of Israel through the desert—leads the viewer, accompanied by excerpts from the text describing the Garden of Eden in Genesis, from the baptismal font to the altar, which bears texts from all four Gospels (Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Morning), as well as the Lord’s Prayer. Surrounding the altar are the vestments—as used in the celebration of the Eucharist—symbolizing, as it were, a foretaste of the heavenly liturgy. Integrated into the installation are quotations from the Rule of St. Benedict as wisdom for life and faith, serving as signposts on the pilgrimage to God and thus to Paradise.
at the Benedictine Abbey of Admont, 2007
Approximation
The fundamental idea underlying this work is the statement from the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy of the Second Vatican Council: In the earthly liturgy, we participate as a foretaste in that heavenly liturgy which is celebrated in the holy city of Jerusalem, toward which we are journeying as pilgrims (Sacrosanctum Concilium I,8).
The installation symbolizes the journey of humankind, of Christians, and of pilgrims. The baptismal font and the altar serve as a link between Paradise as the origin—as described in the Book of Genesis in the Old Testament—and the promise of Paradise in the New Testament. They represent the source—the Eucharist—from which the Christian’s life draws sustenance. But they also represent the beginning and the end.
A path made of sand—a reference to the journey of the people of Israel through the desert—leads the viewer, accompanied by excerpts from the text describing the Garden of Eden in Genesis, from the baptismal font to the altar, which bears texts from all four Gospels (Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Morning), as well as the Lord’s Prayer. Surrounding the altar are the vestments—as used in the celebration of the Eucharist—symbolizing, as it were, a foretaste of the heavenly liturgy. Integrated into the installation are quotations from the Rule of St. Benedict as wisdom for life and faith, serving as signposts on the pilgrimage to God and thus to Paradise.
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