Vienna: Jakob Lena Knebl

Jakob Lena Knebl is an Austrian contemporary artist recognized for her boundary-pushing and multidisciplinary artistic practice. Blurring the lines between various mediums, Knebl's work spans sculpture, installation, performance, and fashion, reflecting a commitment to challenging conventional artistic boundaries. With a background in fashion design, her art often incorporates elements of the surreal and the theatrical, exploring themes of identity, gender, and societal norms.

Knebl's unique and bold approach to art has garnered attention both nationally and internationally, making her a notable figure in the contemporary art scene and leading her to represent Austria along with her longtime collobrator, Ashley Hans Sheirl, at the Venice Biennale in 2022 – and leading the duo to be featured in this fall’s exhibition season at the Palais de Tokyo (more on that in a separate article). 

We visited Knebl’s studio on our last day in Vienna. Entering the neoclassical building surrounded by forest felt like transcending from Vienna’s bustling cityscape into a different world.