ABOUT
Artist
and poet.
Toni Kleinlercher is an Austrian artist and poet based in Vienna. His practice moves between visual art, spatial intervention and poetry, investigating landscape through processes of framing, measuring, coding and absence.
He studied mathematics and geography at the College of Education in Innsbruck, followed by German literature and art history and later ethnology at the University of Innsbruck. From 2003 to 2009, he lived and worked in Tokyo, where he directed the intercultural artist-exchange project kuspace tokyo and taught at Rikkyo University.
Since 1985, Kleinlercher has presented publications, readings, lectures, exhibitions and projects in public space. Across sculptural installations, works on paper and literary texts, he explores how landscapes are constructed through perception, language and systems of measurement—and how emptiness can become a visible and material presence.
SELECTED TEXT
PROFILE
Born 1958 in Schwaz, Austria
Lives and works in Vienna
EDUCATION
Mathematics and Geography, College of Education, Innsbruck, 1978–81
German Literature and Art History, University of Innsbruck, 1982–84
Ethnology, University of Innsbruck, 1992–94
SELECTED ROLES
Director, Literaturforum Schwaz, 1992–95
Director, kuspace tokyo, 2003–05
Lecturer, Rikkyo University, Tokyo, 2005–09
EXHIBITIONS / PROJECTS / INTERVENTIONS
2026
Planeta Complejo DIVERSIDAD, Centro de Cultura Digital, Mexico City, Mexico
Pulkautal Biennale — Eine Sprache für das Land, Hadres, Austria
2025
etymdrawing, G.A.S.-station — Tankstelle für Kunst und Impuls, Berlin, Germany — SOLO EXHIBITION
Gasnebelpassagen, Alte Schmiede, Vienna, Austria
Gasnebelpassagen, Literaturhaus Wien, Vienna, Austria
2024
Ciidae, vitrina GaGa, Vienna, Austria — SOLO EXHIBITION
2023
Salon Zwischenstation Zukunft, MuseumsQuartier, Vienna, Austria
Ablichtungen, Schule für Dichtung, Vienna, Austria — SOLO EXHIBITION
le fantôme afrique, FOTO WIEN, STADTRAUM, Vienna, Austria — SOLO EXHIBITION
Exposición Planeta Complejo, Guayaquil, Ecuador
2022
Tierra in trasformazione, Porto Vecchio di Trieste, Trieste, Italy
zeichen/worte/körper, Kulturschloss Reichenau, Reichenau an der Rax, Austria
2021
Kunstautomat Retz, Hauptplatz Retz, Retz, Austria
private viewing 12, Eric Moinat, Studio Kleinlercher/Kosai, Vienna, Austria
private viewing 11, Georg Salner, Studio Kleinlercher/Kosai, Vienna, Austria
private viewing 10, Christian Steinbacher, Studio Kleinlercher/Kosai, Vienna, Austria
private viewing 09, Jeannot Schwartz, Studio Kleinlercher/Kosai, Vienna, Austria
2020
private viewing 08, Gerald Nestler, Studio Kleinlercher/Kosai, Vienna, Austria
#JapanRevisited202x: then–now–after
private viewing 07, Paul Albert Leitner, Studio Kleinlercher/Kosai, Vienna, Austria
private viewing 06, Christoph Luger, Studio Kleinlercher/Kosai, Vienna, Austria
2019
private viewing 05, Alexandra Reill, Studio Kleinlercher/Kosai, Vienna, Austria
beyond ikebana, explizit materiell, Servitenkloster, Vienna, Austria — SOLO EXHIBITION
private viewing 04, Julius Deutschbauer, Studio Kleinlercher/Kosai, Vienna, Austria
Österreichischer Grafikwettbewerb Nr. 36, Taxispalais Kunsthalle Tirol, Innsbruck, Austria
private viewing 03, Paul Divjak, Studio Kleinlercher/Kosai, Vienna, Austria
Japan Art Festival, Orangerie Schönbrunn, Vienna, Austria, and Tokyo, Japan
private viewing 02, Harald Gsaller, Studio Kleinlercher/Kosai, Vienna, Austria
2018
idiome, MAERZ — Vereinigung von Künstlerinnen und Künstlern, Linz, Austria
private viewing 01, Günther Selichar, Studio Kleinlercher/Kosai, Vienna, Austria
2017
arttirol, Tiroler Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum, Innsbruck, Austria
beyond ikebana, Studio Wolfgang Seierl, Vienna, Austria — SOLO EXHIBITION
2016
Im Kampfgebiet der Poesie, Kulturzentrum bei den Minoriten, Graz, Austria
traces, etyms, agglomerations, Galerie Akie Arichi, Paris, France
2015
etymdrawings, MAERZ — Vereinigung von Künstlerinnen und Künstlern, Linz, Austria — SOLO EXHIBITION
2012
Die Obdachlosen lesen Nietzsche, Kunstraum Bernsteiner, Vienna, Austria — SOLO EXHIBITION
The Nature of Disappearance, Marianne Boesky Gallery, New York, USA — group exhibition
2009
I Am Not Someone Else, Hybrid So+Ba Gallery, Tokyo, Japan — SOLO EXHIBITION
2007
When Too Perfect, lieber Gott böse, BOICE Planning, Tokyo, Japan
2006
ca. 1000m² Tiroler Kunst, Kaufhaus Tyrol, Innsbruck, Austria — group exhibition, curated by Stefan Bidner / Kunstraum Innsbruck
Karesansui 1:5, Destroyed Worlds, Center for Contemporary Art, Aarhus, Denmark — group exhibition
Karesansui 1:5, Zerstoerte Welten, Kunstraum Dornbirn, Dornbirn, Austria — group exhibition
Landschaft, Röntgenwerke, Tokyo, Japan — group exhibition
2005
reflexology reflected, Thailand 3rd New Media Arts Festival, Bangkok, Thailand
Re-Act, with Gerald Nestler, Nikolaj Copenhagen Contemporary Art Center, Denmark — group exhibition
up-date, with Gerald Nestler, Künstlerhaus Wien, Vienna, Austria — group exhibition
2004
Mogura Tataki, Kleinlercher/Urata, Gallery of the Austrian Embassy, Tokyo, Japan — SOLO EXHIBITION
2003
reflected, Gallery Splitter, Vienna, Austria — SOLO EXHIBITION
under construction reflected, Kleinlercher/Urata, Suntory Hall, Tokyo, Japan — collaborative project
2002
tatami landscape, Fuchu Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan — SOLO EXHIBITION
reflected in an unmarked space, MUMOK, Vienna, Austria — multimedia event
green house : blue box, Making Nature, Atelier Augarten, contemporary art centre of the Belvedere, Vienna, Austria — group exhibition
berge brauchen keine menschen, Schöne Aussicht, Kunsthaus Meran, Merano, Italy — group exhibition
lawnmower, Making Nature, Copenhagen Contemporary Art Center, Denmark — group exhibition
mull f kintyre, Making Nature, Haus am Waldsee, Berlin, Germany — video festival and symposium
2001
TAK-A-LITE, audiovisual performance with Clemens Gadenstätter, presented as part of HÖRGÄNGE, Wiener Konzerthaus, Vienna, 15 March 2001. Composition: Clemens Gadenstätter; video installation: Toni Kleinlercher
reflected, Intention und Zufall, with Ferdinand Schmatz, Alte Schmiede, Vienna, Austria
lawnmower, Making Nature, Museum Edsvik, Sollentuna, Sweden — group exhibition
drunk full moon, z-movie line, Schikaneder, Vienna, Austria — video screening
friends of the night, with Dieter Buchhart, art protects you, Vienna, Austria
2000
Decoding:Recoding, project space, Kunsthalle Wien, Vienna, Austria — multimedia event
demontage, Alpines Museum, Munich, Germany — SOLO EXHIBITION
drunk full moon, MAK-Nite, Vienna, Austria — video screening
1999
sexy curves, with Gerald Nestler, Sozialmaschine Geld, O.K. Contemporary Art Center, Linz, Austria — group exhibition
1998
Unter der Brücke fließt kein Fluß, Jewish Cultural Center, Kraków, Poland — SOLO EXHIBITION
1997
baumgrenze: die augäpfel nicht weit vom stamm, Galerie Freihausgasse, Villach, Austria — group exhibition
Fuji-san, Steinzeichen, Landesfürstliche Burg, Merano, Italy — group exhibition
1996
cairns into cubes, Rofenhöfe near Vent, Ötztal, Austria — intervention in the landscape
An der Grenze des Erlaubten — Kunst und Zensur in Österreich, Universitätskulturzentrum UNIKUM, Klagenfurt, Austria — group exhibition
1995
Verschachtelte Erinnerungslandschaften, Galerie der Stadt Schwaz, Schwaz, Austria — group exhibition
1994
berge brauchen keine menschen, Humanic TV advertisement, Austria
1993
wörter brauchen keine seiten, Literatur & Medien, Vienna, Austria
Biennale Intart, Austria / Slovenia / Italy
Durch die Wüste, une fiction lyrique, Literaturhaus Wien, Vienna, Austria — SOLO EXHIBITION
drawing a line at the arctic circle, Juoksenki, Finland — intervention in the landscape
1992
Landmarkierungen, Galerie Medienkunst Tirol, Innsbruck, Austria — SOLO EXHIBITION
Gipfelkreuzverhängung, with Gert and Ruth Gschwendtner, Austria / France — intervention in the landscape
1984–1988
Landmarkierungen — agk, Tyrol, Austria — interventions in the landscape
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Ritter Verlag · 2022
116 pages · softcover · numerous colour and black-and-white illustrations
PUBLISHER
2024 — Gasnebelpassagen. Zeuys Books
2022 — IM KONTEXT. Ritter Verlag
2016 — Im Kampfgebiet der Poesie. Edited by Toni Kleinlercher. Bibliothek der Provinz
2012 — Die Obdachlosen lesen Nietzsche: Takes aus japanischen Tagen. Klever Verlag
2003 — Reflected in an Unmarked Space. Edition Splitter
2000 — Decodierung:Recodierung. Edited by Toni Kleinlercher. Triton Verlag
1994 — Landmarkierungen. Sonderzahl Verlag
1985 — Drum nimm mir meinen Mund vom Mond. Bläschke
SELECTED PUBLIC AND PRIVATE COLLECTIONS
Artothek des Bundes, Austria
Artothek der Stadt Wien, Vienna, Austria
Collection of the State of Tyrol, Austria
Tiroler Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum, Innsbruck, Austria
Collection of the Kulturzentrum bei den Minoriten, Graz, Austria
Jeff and Leslie Fischer Collection, USA
Private collections in Austria, Germany, France, Denmark, Japan and the USA
36 Alpine Summits — A Demontage (Mountainwork VI) was acquired in 2016 for the Collection of the State of Tyrol at the Tiroler Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum, Innsbruck. The acquisition comprises the stoneware duplicates, summit-stone dust in metal containers and the shelving system; the original plaster production moulds were not included.
SELECTED COMMISSION
berge brauchen keine menschen, commissioned for the HUMANIC television campaign and broadcast on Austrian television and radio, 1994–95.
CONTACT
tokyo@kuspace.org BACK TO HOME