Gottfried Bechtold is one of Austria’s most important contemporary artists. The roots of his work lie in sculpture, and he is concerned with expanding the concept of art in the tradition of European and American art of the 1960s and 70s. Minimalism, Land Art and above all Conceptual Art characterize Gottfried Bechtold's work. His versatile and experimental way of working and the consistent handling of material and technique are important elements in Bechtold's art. Equally important is the inclusion of the immediate present – everyday or commonly understood images and objects. The viewer's perception is always an important frame of reference.

One of his best-known works is a 1:1 scale concrete cast of a Porsche from 1971, which in public spaces always causes intense contemplation and lively discussion. Gottfried Bechtold has collaborated with illwerke vkw AG in Vorarlberg on several commissions. In 2002, the artist's 14-meter signature in stainless steel was drilled directly into the wall of the Silvretta Dam.

Gottfried Bechtold takes up this idea again in the wallpaper designed for the evn collection. As a young man, he worked for an upholsterer during a stay in Great Britain and became familiar with what are considered typically English floral ornaments. The artist has sketched his signature on a wallpaper from that period, which is still produced today and is popular in English households. As such, he draws on the wall as if on paper. The opulent flowers with the lettering are both work and support material. By “ennobling” the industrially produced wallpaper with his handwriting, Gottfried Bechtold subtly makes us think about the mechanisms of the world of commodities and about the meaning of exclusivity.

evn collection, 2020 (translation: Virginia Dellenbaugh)