Exhibition documents disappearing facade paintings in southern Burgenland

An exhibition at the museum in the Kukmirn distillery is documenting Lüftl-Malerei, a form of facade painting found in parts of southern Burgenland, ORF reported. The photographs are intended to preserve works that could otherwise disappear.

The paintings depict a wide range of subjects, including work activities, animals, plants and patron saints. One artist who decorated numerous houses in southern Burgenland was master painter Julius Zenz.

His daughter, Evita Zenz, said he had painted churches and was inspired by the tradition in Bavaria. He then began creating similar images on people’s houses.

Lüftl-Malerei originally came from Bavaria and western Austria. Zenz and other painters brought the facade art to southern Burgenland.

The regional art initiative Südlicht documented the paintings. Curator Kilian Franer said he was fascinated after seeing typical images on various houses, adding that he had previously encountered them only there.

The resulting exhibition at the Kukmirn distillery museum features large-format photographs of traditional and modern versions of the facade art.

Another Lüftl painter was Eduard Bauer from Königsdorf. Franer said both men considered themselves artists but worked as facade makers and master painters because they had been unable to establish themselves as artists. They offered house owners facade paintings as an added extra, he said, and sometimes had to persuade them to allow the work.

Some of the paintings have survived in villages across southern Burgenland. Evita Zenz said her family had repaired the facade of their house in light grey while leaving the images untouched so they would be preserved.

The heyday of facade painting has long passed, but the exhibition in Kukmirn could help bring the tradition back into focus.