schongenial: Why did the bank decide to collect art? How long has Sparkasse Oberösterreich's art collection existed?
Dr Maximiliane Buchner: Sparkasse Oberösterreich has been collecting art since it was founded in 1849 - albeit with varying degrees of intensity - and one of the first pictures shows the still-youthful Emperor Franz Joseph II in a short skirt and white leggings, who visited the Sparkasse a few months after it was founded. The large head office of Sparkasse Oberösterreich, which still exists today, was ultimately also the impetus to continuously collect art: The prestigious rooms wanted to be appropriately furnished. One example of this are the large-format paintings in the historic ballroom, which still hang in their original places today.
schongenial: What role does art play within the corporate culture?
Dr Maximiliane Buchner: The promotion of art and culture is anchored in the statutes of Sparkasse Oberösterreich and is therefore historically of great importance to the company. Today, we actively contribute to the art and culture scene in Linz and Upper Austria with our changing themed exhibitions and also specifically promote up-and-coming talent. In our autumn exhibition in 2023, for example, we showed around 50 works by students, graduates and teachers to mark the 50th anniversary of the University of Art and Design Linz - and ultimately purchased almost all of the works for our art collection.
schongenial: What criteria and considerations influence the selection of artworks for the collection?
Dr Maximiliane Buchner: Three criteria are decisive when selecting works of art for our collection: quality, quality, quality, just like in any other collection. In addition, we focus on artists who have a connection to Upper Austria, i.e. who live and work there, who studied at the Linz University of Art or who come from Upper Austria.
schongenial: How are these artists selected?
Dr Maximiliane Buchner: Our collection strategy follows two directions: Firstly, we collect a broad spectrum of contemporary positions in various genres, i.e. paintings as well as prints and hand drawings and sculptures. In the second direction, we endeavour to fill gaps in the collection, for example by presenting a meaningful cross-section of an artist's oeuvre.
alreadygenius: Is there a preference for established artists or are young up-and-coming talents also given a chance to be included in the collection?
Dr Maximiliane Buchner: Basically, the quality criterion is decisive, as already mentioned, for established artists as well as for up-and-coming talents. And of course, it's a particular pleasure to collect these up-and-coming artists and observe their development. Because we have to be aware of one thing: Good art needs a soil in which it can grow, i.e. collectors who buy the art and thus promote the artistic creation of a region.
schongenial: What goals is the bank pursuing with its art collection, both internally and externally?
Dr Maximiliane Buchner: We pursue one primary goal with our art collection: we bring art to the people. We pursue this motto both internally and externally.
schongenial: What steps are required to become an art officer at the bank and what qualifications are needed?
Dr Maximiliane Buchner: Initially, as part of a pilot project, I was only supposed to view and inventory an existing art storage facility. However, it soon became clear that we were talking about a veritable collection with around 1700 works of painting, graphic art and sculpture. And so one task led to another. Today, I fulfil all four classic pillars of museum work in the art collection of Sparkasse Oberösterreich: collecting, researching, communicating and preserving.
alreadygenius: What are the challenges of managing and maintaining an art collection within a financial institution?
Dr Maximiliane Buchner: Basically, the challenges are the same as with any other collection: it has to be meticulously cared for, i.e. kept in suitable rooms and in an optimal climate. Then a collection needs to be displayed and communicated, which we do in our various exhibition formats and with our art concepts in the shops.
schongenial: Can you give us an outstanding example of a collaboration between the bank and an artist or art organisation?
Dr Maximiliane Buchner: The best and most recent example of an outstanding collaboration was the exhibition "Art in Stone, Art on Paper", which was on display at our head office from October 2023 to the end of February 2024. We had the great pleasure of working with a large number of budding artists from the University of Art and Design Linz, who contributed works from a wide range of graphic fields to the exhibition. The combination with our more classic landscape engravings and drawings was really great - and the vernissage was a resounding success with more than 70 visitors.
already brilliant: Do you have any personal favourite artists or works in the collection, and if so, what makes them special?
Dr Maximiliane Buchner: Yes, of course I particularly like some of the works. I have two favourite works in our collection:
The first is a small-format Art Nouveau portrait of a young girl. The painting is called "Spring" and is by Johann Victor Krämer, a contemporary of Gustav Klimt.
Secondly, I particularly like our first new acquisition in more than 30 years. It is a large-format painting by Klaus Ludwig Kerstinger entitled "Together" and shows a fascinating urban scene in different techniques and on different levels. Klaus is one of the most interesting contemporary artists working in Upper Austria. We are delighted to be continuing our collection history with him.
schongenial.at: Thank you very much for the exciting interview.
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