The balancing act between past and present is an integral part of the work of Marianna Gartner (* 1963). Suggestions and conceptual background for your figurative painting is the Canadian artist in portraits from the early days of photography. The dialogue between painting and photography is always present in Gartner's work. The quote character is emphasized by the static positioning of the figures and their mostly colorless appearance, with which the artist refers to the black and white photography as a source. The figures appear in such foreign objects into the image space and settle sometimes clearly, sometimes subtly on the coloured background. At the same time the artist combines faces, dress and attitude of different templates or sets such as in the work Oh, Deer head of an animal to a human body. Gartner sees the image as a two-dimensional surface like a toy theatre figures appear, accessories and props.

For their intervention in Belvedere, Gartner paintings from the late 15thCentury to the early 20th Century selected from the collection of the Belvedere and pendants created in which she translated several aspects of the "pre-images" in their own visual language. The mostly new works will be presented in the Gartner's permanent collection in the Upper Belvedere in addition to their reference frames. The references range from direct references to characters from the works of reference to subtle references in posture or facial expression. Gartner transferred the historic paintings in their own, often dreamlike imagery and acting style and content parameters newly interpreted on an individual way.