Judith Fegerl - calorie

In her exhibition "calorie," the artist Judith Fegerl (*1977 Vienna) addresses the complex topic of warmth, combining technology, material, and feminist discourse. As a process of exchange and movement, the concept of warmth permeates private, social, and political spaces alike, raising the question of the right temperature for the living and functional conditions of both the living and technological environment. In this sense, the exhibition title "calorie" refers to the historical unit of energy, defined as the temperature rise of one gram of water by one degree Celsius. Currently, the calorie is synonymous with human consumption and frequently serves as an instrument of measurement, power, and control in shaping the body. The creative and destructive potential of heat determines the central discourses of the present – from global warming and technological questions of energy production to heat as a mode of social coexistence and a counterpoint to "bourgeois coldness." Heat flows – always from the warmer body to the colder. It is invisible to the human eye, accessible through sensory, physical perception. As a theme, medium, and material, heat and energy transfer have always played a central role in Fegerl's oeuvre. The exhibition at OK presents works from different creative periods in new spatial and conceptual contexts and extensions. In current works conceived for the Linz OK, the artist reflects on the contemporary relevance of thermal factors and makes them perceptible on various levels. Furthermore, the body of the museum itself becomes an actor in Fegerl's artistic exploration of thermals and their trans-spatial, transformative power.