Styrian Summer Art: Object art in small format

"Findings and materials such as wood, paper, tin, wire, and metal are my working materials. Processed and interacted with by me, they tell new stories in a new context or at least hint at them."

Inspired by the art movement of surrealism, we create small-scale three-dimensional objects in a kind of miniature display case.

Our personal found and collected items form the initial inspiration. Based on these, we will venture beyond the decorative and artistically represent our very personal themes with imagination, sensitivity, or even irony and wit. The goal is to explore image compositions, incorporate different materials and techniques, mix figurative and abstract elements, and work in a diverse manner.

We clean and process our collected oddities, creating them new space in old books, boxes, containers, and tins. Playfully, wonderfully, or poetically staged, the everyday takes on significance, encourages closer inspection, awakens curiosity or memories, and opens the eye to the hidden.

Please bring:

The tools and materials listed below are recommendations. Bring along the items you already have or can easily acquire and that you will likely need for your work.
Tools:
Scissors, cutter, cutting mat, ruler, sewing needle, glue (all-purpose), double-sided tape, pencil, colored pencils or acrylic paint, ink (black, brown, blue), gesso, brush, side cutter, bending pliers, small hammer

Materials:
Primarily old and used: books/book pages, images, photos, maps, newspapers, paper scraps such as wrapping paper, packing paper, cardboard, (remnants of packaging materials made of paper), fabric or felt scraps, wire, threads, twine, packing string,

Found and collected items such as: stamps, marbles, buttons, pins, twigs, small sticks, feathers, pressed leaves, beach finds, shells, snail shells, stones, keys, pens, spools of thread, game pieces, model figures …

Matchboxes or other small boxes, small tin containers (e.g., from mints), cardboard boxes, cigar boxes, cigarette tins, wooden painting bodies, object frames… The format should not exceed 20 cm in side length.

Some items can also be found locally in nature or at flea markets.

https://www.styriansummerart.at/de/kunstworkshops/2025/art-in-a-box-nbsp-objektkunst-im-kleinen-format-mit-doris-kaltenegger

Erna Doris Kaltenegger: Born in 1960 in Fürstenfeld, trained in tourism and tourism management, continuously engaged in passionate and creative work with materials and craftsmanship alongside employment and until today.

Since 2004, intensive engagement with painting and drawing. Regular training and further education at the Art Academy Bad Reichenhall in the fields of painting and drawing (Richard Allgaier, Stefan Wehmeier, Matthias Kroth, Andrea Rozorea, Alex Bär, Jupp Linssen), collage (Angelika Trojnarski), woodcut (Christofer Kochs), wire and paper (Elisabeth Bader); training in the master class for jewelry and metal design at Ortweinschule Graz.