Wolfgang Rahs: Seven Skills and a Lot of Wilderness

• A new perspective on jewelry art turning into performance
• The first monograph on Austrian artist Wolfgang Rahs

As early as the 1970s, Wolfgang Rahs (*1952) was inspired by the avant-garde art scene in Graz by the contemporary art festival Steirischer Herbst and the Forum Stadtpark collective, one of the action groups and joint ventures of artists from different genres; he is also member of the artists' union Gruppe 77. Educated in metalcraft and goldsmithing at the Ortweinschule in Graz, Rahs alternates in his works between jewelry, installation, performance, and processual pieces ― free works that reflect the concept of jewelry in an all-embracing manner. His examination of myths (Skythisches Stillleben), of conditions he encounters (Verdammte Brosche), and of his own existence (Mauspfad Köln) plays a key role. An impressive publication on this exceptional artist whose work challenges and therefore expands our traditional understanding of jewelry. Text in English and German.