WHAT
In her first solo exhibition in Asia, the Austria-born LA-based artist displays a number of new paintings, which are presented alongside Art Basel Hong Kong. The artist was previously based in Vienna for 16 years, but made a move to Los Angeles in 2017. The relocation was the third in a series of residencies, with the artist also having lived at Red Gate in Beijing and in Kehinden Wiley’s Black Rock in Dakar. The different starkly-cultural circumstances paired with her life in Vienna have made for a transformative painting practice as Olschbaur challenges the ideas of representation and abstraction in her almost-surrealist works.

WHY
For those who are interested in Beethoven’s works, they’ll be delighted to know that Olschbaur created a set of portraits in the style of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor. Through the works, she attempts to convey tenderness, coldness, affection, and silent commiseration. Each of the movements depicted are a reflection of changes in rhythm, emotion, and light. Beyond classical music, Olschbaur finds inspiration in Rococo ornamentation, the history of drag costume, and Greek statues – all ideas that are scattered through her works.