(23.6 x 29.9 x 31.5 in)
(23.6 x 70. 9 x 31.5 in)
PEANA is delighted to present its 2025 curated selection of works, featuring Lukas Gschwandtner.
Lukas Gschwandtner’s Freudian Seatings first came to life on the stage of Theater am Neumarkt in Zurich, in dialogue with Deborah Levy’s play 50 Minutes. Gschwandtner’s interpretation translates Freud’s iconic seating and furnishings into simplified canvas forms —what he describes as “almost undressed” versions of the originals. These pieces focus on the functional essence of the furniture and the distinctive body language they evoke.The works incorporate textile fragments from a historical seating set dating back to Freud’s time in Vienna.
These fragments are pressed onto the minimalist canvas forms and become a fossilized archive of Späthistorismus. Gschwandtner references the wall carpet from Freud’s study with a canvas backdrop that seems to cast a shadow of the original. The backdrop is balanced on a metal light rod which doubles as a lamp, and its height can be adjusted by two 19th-century weights hanging from thin metal threads. As part of the play, Gschwandtner introduces a reference to a horse—an important symbol in Freudian psychoanalysis. One pillow features a long horsetail made from Viennese horsehair, traditionally used for violin bows. During the performance of 50 Minutes, this tail invited interaction, offering the role of Freud something tactile to play with.
