Elfriede Mejchar (1924-2020) is considered the grande dame of Austrian photography. She only received the public recognition she deserved at an advanced age. The extensive anniversary exhibition honours the artist on the occasion of her 100^th birthday.

Elfriede Mejchar has worked for the Austrian Federal Monuments Office for almost four decades, overseeing the photographic documentation of monuments and works of art. In addition to a rich inventory of photographs that live up to the standards and aesthetics of documentary photography, Elfriede Mejchar’s œuvre includes a variety of studio works, whose motifs range from plant studies to bizarre still lives, collages and experiments with sandwich printing.

This retrospective displays 35 groups of works that showcase the photographer’s multi-faceted œuvre, ranging from documentary-style to staged works. Between objective architectural shots and experimental works, they offer insight into the life’s work of the artist and put the person and her artistic techniques in the spotlight.

The works belong to the State Collections of Lower Austria, who received the life’s work of Elfriede Mejchar as a donation in 2013.

Curated by: Alexandra Schantl, Edgar Lissel

Cooperation with Vienna and Salzburg
In 2024 the Wien Museum MUSA and the Museum der Moderne Salzburg will, in cooperation with the State Gallery of Lower Austria, dedicate exhibitions to the photographer Elfriede Mejchar, each focusing on different aspects of her work. The three museums are collaborating on publishing a photo book that will showcase the various facets of Elfriede Mejchar’s œuvre.

The Elfriede Mejchar Award for Photography
In the memory of Mejchar’s outstanding photographic creation, the community of heirs (Susanne Gamauf, Charlotte Gohs, Fritz Simak, Katalin and Robert Zahornicky) has established the Elfriede Mejchar Award for Photography. In line with the artist’s spirit, the award is created to encourage and recognise photographers who place the medium-specific essence of photography at the core of their photographic work. The award will be awarded for the first time during the opening of the exhibition on Saturday, 13 April 2024 in the State Gallery of Lower Austria, Krems.

Elfriede Mejchar Fotopreis