Venice Contemporary Art Biennale

At the 50th Venice Biennale in 2003, where Austria was represented by Bruno Gironcoli under the curatorship of Kasper König and Bettina M. Busse, visitors were offered a rare glimpse into the full scope of his visionary practice. Seven sculptures traced the evolution of his artistic language — from the installation Madonna (1975–76) and the iconic Table (1979), revisiting his early polyester experiments, to defining works of the 1980s and 1990s such as Iron Figure (1985–1990) and The Parents with Two Table Tops (1989–1990). At the center stood the monumental (Murphy) Figure in a Showcase (1972–1973/1995), a work embodying the essence of his figurative investigations. The exhibition extended into the outdoor space with two impressive casts from the 1990s, underscoring the scale and ambition of Gironcoli’s vision.