Trophies

A statue of the Virgin Mary is sacredly enthroned in the corner of the room. The only thing separating it from the wooden shelf it is placed on is a self-crocheted lace doily. A bundle of dried and consecrated herbs also lies there. The family alter in the corner serves for devotion and contemplation. Just as sacred, a twelve-pointer hangs next to it - a multi-branched antler that testifies to a mighty stag and its mighty hunter. Once the headdress of a living creature, now a trophy on a board. By contrast, the skeletal antler of a “Krickerl”, the smaller version of a roebuck, serves as plain wall decoration. Come in and bring along good luck!

As a child, Anita Steinwidder learned about these traditions from her grandparents, whose house she grew up in. On the farms of neighbouring hunters and farmers, she also stared at antlers and into the glass eyes of dead foxes and capercaillies. Trophy collections bear witness to the triumph over the animal. Antlers or taxidermized heads are proudly presented in the parlours. An ambivalent feeling of disgust and curiosity aroused the interest of the child. She roamed the forest, aimlessly and without any sense of time. She collected found objects that, lovingly arranged in boxes, turned into little treasures. Her childlike fantasy world blended with the perceived reality. Wild animals and mythical creatures were humanised and given names. Everything has a soul.

Trophies is factually a collection of dead, taxidermized, preserved animals. In reality, STEINWIDDER creates fairy tale-like characters. Berta the Bird regains a floating lightness with her white pleated skirt. The unconventional body adornment of the drake Duff the Duck allows for even more alternative interpretations, ranging somewhere between crochet sado-maso mask and protective balaclava with tassels. Markus the Marten, who in his previous life as a fur scarf adorned the neck of an elderly lady as a fur scarf, received a type of doll’s dress. This pink knitted jumpsuit hides the taxidermized animal body underneath. In friendly devotion Anita Steinwidder creates mystical portraits of independent figures.

• Idea, concept and realization: STEINWIDDER, 2014 – 2022
• Photos: Klaus Fritsch, 2022; Bernd Preiml, 2014
• Text: Michaela Obermair, Anita Steinwidder
• Translation: Michaela Obermair