Circle Culture Gallery is pleased to announce its participation in the 2026 edition of art:badgastein, taking place during the Opening Weekend of sommer.frische.kunst. from 2. to 5. July 2026.
Our presentation at the former Grand Hotel Astoria brings together works by Ricky Lee Gordon, Kanta Kimura and Marco Reichert.
The Opening Weekend includes the opening of ASTORIA curated x art:badgastein with 12 selected galleries, exhibitions and special projects across Bad Gastein. There will be additional presentations at the Kraftwerk and Quellpark, the Artist-in-Residence program and further projects with Nives Widauer, the STRAAT Museum and Julius von Bismarck.
This year’s sommer.frische.kunst. takes place under the title Between Waters: Zirkulation, Reflexion und Imagination. In Bad Gastein, the theme feels very close to the place itself: the waterfall, the hot springs, the steep valley, the historic hotels and the constant movement between nature, architecture and public life. Across the town, works by more than 60 artists will be shown in spaces that are anything but neutral, from former hotel rooms to the Kraftwerk and outdoor locations.
At the former Grand Hotel Astoria, art:badgastein presents a format that moves away from the classic fair booth. The galleries will show their artists in the historic rooms of the building, allowing the works to respond directly to the atmosphere of the place. For us, this context feels especially fitting, as Circle Culture Gallery has always been interested in projects that bring contemporary art into dialogue with architecture, urban culture and unexpected spaces.
Our presentation approaches the theme through three distinct artistic positions.
Ricky Lee Gordon’s paintings are rooted in a deep relationship with the natural world. His works move between landscape and memory, taking forms from nature and abstracting them into something felt rather than documented. Using natural pigments sourced from soils, rocks and plants, his paintings carry traces of land, sea and sky. In the context of Bad Gastein, they speak to the beauty and difficulty of being alive and to the possibility of finding stillness within constant change.
Kanta Kimura’s works create a direct relationship between artwork, space and viewer. Through reflective surfaces, layered materials and shifting perspectives, they respond to the room around them and change with light, movement and the position of the person standing in front of them.
Marco Reichert’s sculptures bring a contemporary and highly physical presence into the historic setting of the Astoria. Their flowing forms and mirror-like surfaces pick up their surroundings, creating a subtle dialogue with the architecture while adding a precise, almost futuristic layer to the space.
Only one week after Ricky Lee Gordon’s solo opening at our Hamburg gallery, we are looking forward to travelling to Bad Gastein and presenting these positions within one of Austria’s most distinctive festivals for contemporary art.
We look forward to welcoming you during the Opening Weekend!