KLAUS KADA "NUANCES AND ATMOSPHERES - A BODY OF WORK, IN FRAGMENTS…"

Exhibition

KLAUS KADA "NUANCES AND ATMOSPHERES - A BODY OF WORK, IN FRAGMENTS…"

Opening: 01.10.2026, 7:30 PM

Foreword: LH a.D. HERMANN SCHÜTZENHÖFER

Lecture on the work of KLAUS KADA:

1.12.2026, 6 PM, Dr. THOMAS MACHO, cultural scientist

Exhibition: 02.10.2026-22.01.2027

Pflanzenphysiologie Universität Graz Photo: Angelo Kaunat

SIGRID PRINZ, Exhibition Curation

KLAUS KADA "NUANCES AND ATMOSPHERES - A BODY OF WORK, IN FRAGMENTS…"

This exhibition is not merely a presentation of [architectural] works in the sense of a classical retrospective. It aims to offer an [un]usual perspective on Klaus Kada's architecture: beyond the visible surface, into the depths of his architectural and artistic thinking. Architecture is presented not just as a finished and complete object, but as something provisional, fragile, process-oriented – in facets, nuances, atmospheres, which show how his works oscillate between the concrete and the poetic. It appears as a thought, as a perception, as an experiment with material, light, transparency, color, and form.

The free and applied artistic [side] productions unfold between art and architecture – these become a resonating space: What if the [architectural] form fragments, only hints remain, and the idea itself becomes the material? This exhibition opens up such intermediate and contemplative spaces.

The focus is not on the completed [architectural] work in its entirety, but on the fragmentation of the intellectual, artistic, architectural, and sensory process. What becomes visible is the process of becoming – as a snapshot or fragment of emergence – not the finished product with its claim to wholeness. Klaus Kada's approach connects different spheres and makes it experiencable how architecture could be conceived, developed, and experienced/understood as an artistic medium.

[Spatial] installations, [re]presentations, models – static as well as moving sequences – from individual [momentary] shots, as well as materialized slides, unfold a space of the imaginary, where matter and imagination, shadow and reflection, structure and openness, solidity and fragility come together both in their singularity and in a subtle dialogue. The exhibition content becomes a resonating space for perception and thoughts: perceptible/experiencable not as a finished [architectural] work, but as an expression of his intellectual stance, his approach, and the [creative] process, the reflection of which takes place in the respective artistic-architectural context – presented and exhibited for the first time in fragments, nuances, and atmospheres.

Klaus Kada says: “Something like that... pretty close.”

SIGRID PRINZ, Curator

KLAUS KADA “NUANCES AND ATMOSPHERES - A BODY OF WORK, IN FRAGMENTS…“

This exhibition is not merely a presentation of [architectural] works in the sense of a traditional retrospective. It aims to offer an [un]usual angle on Klaus Kada‘s architecture: beyond the visible surface, into the depths of his architectural and artistic thinking. Architecture is presented not merely as a finished and completed object, but as something provisional, fragile, and process-oriented - in facets, nuances, and atmospheres that reveal how his works oscillate between the concrete and the poetic. It appears as a thought, as a perception, as an experiment with material, light, transparency, color, and form.

His free and applied artistic [side] projects unfold at the intersection of art and architecture - becoming a space of resonance: What if [architectural] form were to disintegrate into fragments, leaving only hints, and the idea itself were to become the material? This exhibition opens up such interstitial and contemplative spaces.

The focus is not on the completed [architectural] work in its entirety, but rather on the fragmentation of the intellectual, artistic, architectural, and sensory process. What becomes visible is the process of becoming - as a snapshot or fragment of creation - rather than the finished product with its claim to wholeness. Klaus Kada‘s approach connects different spheres and allows visitors to experience how architecture might be conceived, developed, and lived as an artistic medium.

[Spatial] installations, representations, models – both static and in motion – created from individual snapshots, as well as materialised slides, unfold a space of the imagination in which matter and imagination, shadow and reflection, structure and openness, solidity and fragility come together both in their singularity and in a subtle dialogue. The exhibition‘s content becomes a resonant space for perception and thought: perceptible and experiential not as a finished [architectural] work, but as an expression of the artist‘s intellectual stance, his approach, and the [creative] process, which is reflected within the respective artistic-architectural context - presented and exhibited for the first time in fragments, nuances, and atmospheres.

Klaus Kada says: “Something like that… pretty close.”

KLAUS KADA Festspielhaus St.Pölten Foyer

Fotocredit Angelo Kaunat

KLAUS KADA, born on December 20, 1940, in Wagna, Styria. 1961 to 1971 Architecture studies at the Technical University of Graz, diploma in 1971. Since 1976, self-employed as an architect, initially in Leibnitz, from 1976 to 1985 in a partnership with Gernot Lauffer. From 1988 to 2019, office in Graz, since 1996 additionally in Aachen. 1999 founding of kadawittfeldarchitektur together with Gerd Wittfeld, since 2012 with Kilian Kada as another partner. 1995 to 2006 Professorship for Design of Buildings and Building Theory at the Faculty of Architecture of RWTH Aachen. More than 120 realized projects in the areas of housing, education, culture, health, industry, and administration, including the Leibnitz Surveying Office, the Bärnbach Glass Museum, the WIST student dormitory Graz, the Institute of Plant Physiology at the University of Graz, the Festspielhaus St. Pölten, the European Academy Bolzano, the Stadthalle Graz, the Urnenhain Linz, the corporate headquarters of the Pappas Group in Salzburg, the management building of AachenMünchener in Aachen, and the corporate headquarters of adidas in Herzogenaurach. More than 140 guest lectures at universities and specialist events in Europe, Asia, and North and South America. Former president of Europan Austria, honorary member of the Association of German Architects (BDA) and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. National and international architecture awards and state honors, including the awards of honor from the federal states of Styria and Lower Austria.

https://www.kadawittfeldarchitektur.de/team/klaus-kada/

ALEXANDER KADA, exhibition design Kadadesign/Kadaconcept, develops content and design concepts for exhibitions as well as projects in brand design and book design. Multiple recipient of design and state awards; clients from business, culture, and the public sector nationally and internationally. @kadadesignkadaconcept, www.kadadesign.com

SIGRID PRINZ, exhibition curator, combines curatorial practice with architecture, fine arts, and research. Trained in painting and studied architecture – from journeyman's certificate to doctorate in technical sciences. Since 2025, operational, organizational, and artistic director of the Architektur Haus Kärnten.