Acconci on the Mur - Front Page - floating exhibition space in Graz, Austria - Brief Article

Art in America, Feb, 2003 by David Ebony

Island in the Mur, a floating exhibition and performance space designed by Vito Acconci and situated in the middle of the Mur River in Graz, Austria, opened to the public on Jan. 11. Produced in collaboration with Austrian curator Robert Punkenhofer, the amoeba-shaped, 320-ton latticework construction, made of steel Lucite and glass, features an amphitheater, a children's playground and a cafe-bar. A permanent venue, the space can accommodate 350 people. On each side of the "island," a tubelike bridge for pedestrians connects with the riverbank, linking the ancient town center on one side with newer neighborhoods across the river. Acconci's initial designs, on view in December at New York's Austrian Cultural Forum, called for the structure to be connected to the riverbanks by underwater passageways. However, this part of the scheme was scrapped due to concerns about the river's unpredictable currents.

Island in the Mur's inauguration is the kick-off event in a broad program of exhibitions and performances that Graz, Austria's second largest city, is hosting as this year's cultural capital of Europe. As part of the festivities, the city has commissioned a number of public art works along with music and theater pieces set to open throughout the year. Also in the offing are several other architectural projects that will complement Graz's historic, UNESCO-protected city center. Among them are a train station, a concert hall and a venue for contemporary art, the Kunsthaus Graz, designed by architects Peter Cook and Colin Fournier, slated to open Sept. 27. More information about Island in the Mur and other projects may be found on the Graz 2003 Web site [www.graz03.at].