Works of art turn the garden into something altogether exceptional. But the reverse is also true, gardens lend works of art a special aura. A natural environment creates a green and invigorating frame, it reduces the distance between the visitor and the artistic element, it takes away the fear of touching (especially for children) and it offers a somewhat surprising view of a work. Artworks found in the show gardens in Lower Austria, the South Moravia Region, and the Highlands Region are presented in a variety of ways, from classic to modern, from sculptures to installations, from bonsais to busts. And sometimes even the show garden is an accomplished artwork in itself!

The whole garden as an artwork in itself

In the Baroque period, garden art was one of the most widespread kinds of art of all, including architecture, sculpture and painting. Beautiful examples are to be found at the chateau Hof with its impressive fountains and sculptures, at Melk Abbey, whose Baroque garden pavilion is decorated with exotic frescoes by Johann Baptist Wenzel Bergl, or at Chateau Lysice with its unique colonnade and sala terrena. A garden artwork of a completely unique kind can be seen at the Cave of the Knights of Blanik with its statues of 16 knights, which were created by Stanislav Rolínek in the 1930s. The cave includes the Garden of the Senses, where sound and ceramic elements bring visitors closer to nature.

Contemporary art in the garden

How art and nature can live well in symbiosis is demonstrated at the park of the Kunstmuseum Waldviertel in Schrems. Here, colourful and spectacular objects also provide the background for art workshops. The Botanical Garden in Brno is a place where various art exhibitions are held several times a year. In the caricature garden (Karikaturengarten) in Brunn am Wald, apart from the ever-changing caricatures by the artist Brunno Haberzettl, one can find numerous humorous and spiritual works of art made of stone, wood, ceramics, iron and hemp. Modern art objects also adorn the English park at the Grafenegg Castle and the Melk Abbey gardens.

Art in the private garden

Art can also be found in private gardens that have been opened up to visitors. The artist Helmuth Mahr and his wife Brigitte have founded a show garden in Breitstetten, which serves as an exhibition area for his objects from old-iron, alluvial-wood, glass, and other items he found. The Garden of Ingrid and Johannes Kralovec in St. Leonhard am Forst is a real treasure trove for ceramic objects and bonsais. And the garden of Uschi and Herbert Weber in Langenlebarn is a jewel set in the midst of ceramic art objects created by this couple and other artists.