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Opening: November 18, 2026, at 7 pm at the galerie gugging
Duration: starting November 19, 2026

The term Masterpiece – Meisterwerk in German – has its origins in the crafts. A masterpiece once served as proof of an apprentice’s skill and as a prerequisite for admission to a guild. Art brut, by contrast, in Jean Dubuffet’s sense of the term, denotes art that is unfiltered and immediate – raw, original art beyond academic rules and formal training.

MASTERPIECES brut brings these two seemingly contradictory concepts together and places them in a contemporary context. A masterpiece is no longer exclusively the result of training or technical perfection. It can also emerge from a completely independent and uninfluenced visual language. This exhibition is a personal selection of works that moved Nina Katschnig through their individuality, immediacy and/or the particular stories behind them. It is neither a survey nor an attempt to present a comprehensive account of Art brut.

The exhibition is about encounters: between generations, between historical pioneers and contemporary positions, and between the Gugging Artists and their international colleagues. Featuring 23 artists, the exhibition traces a path from early protagonists among the Gugging Artists to younger artists and international positions.