Mediating Time and Charm

Frakno Castle's Chamber of Arts and Wonders, usually referred to as the Kunst- und Wunderkammer, is one of the oldest curiosity cabinets in the foothills of the Rozália Mountains in Burgenland, and has remained in pristine condition for centuries. Its first inventory was recorded in 1654, after the death of the Emperor Miklós Esterházy, of only 13 chests of family relics and curiosities.

After the death of the rector, his son, Pál I. Esterházy continued to enrich his father's collection. The collection was more aptly described as an encyclopaedia of objects than as an art collection, since the objects from all over the world included not only works of art - such as jewellery, sculptures, paintings and musical instruments - but also, very often, natural treasures, minerals, taxidermied animals or animal and plant remains of exotic origin (bone, tortoise shell, ebony, etc.).

In 1695, Pál Esterházy made the accumulated treasures the property of the Esterházy family, and the treasures of Frakno are still inalienable property of the Esterházy family. The Kunst- und Wunderkammer, established in the 17th century in the castle of Frakno by the Emperor and his son Pál, and the collection of weapons kept there, are still the largest collections of art and wonder preserved in their original location in Europe.

Thanks to the efforts of Pál Esterházy, representation in the Baroque period was supplemented by thematic art patronage and collecting. Thanks to the patronage of the Esterházy family, the collection was able to include fine and applied art objects, which are on display for the first time in this exhibition alongside contemporary works of art. In response to the curator's invitation, contemporary women artists have created reflections on a piece of their choice from the Wunderkammer in Frakno. The six exhibitors' choices include enigmatic objects such as a 17th-century bezoar made from animal faeces, which was still believed by superstitious people to have healing powers in the early 20th century. There will also be some illustrated pages from Historia Antipodum oder Newe Welt, a volume that for a long time served as the bible of European perceptions of South American people and cultures. Furthermore, contemporary reflections include stories about Artemis, the goddess of the hunt in ancient Greek mythology, and Venus, the goddess associated with the ancient Roman principles of love, beauty and fertility. The exhibition even includes a masterpiece such as Judith with the Head of Holofernes, a work by the artist Judith Holofernes, the head of the Virgin Mary, from the collection of the Vienna Museum of Fine Arts, by the late Venus de Véna and the Venus de Venaea. A 17th-century copy of Lucas Cranach's painting of the famous artist.

The exhibition's unconcealed intention is to create a dialogue between the historical artefacts selected by contemporary artists and the reflections on the exhibition in the exhibition space. This dialogue between historical and contemporary artworks, in addition to creating rare and interesting juxtapositions, fits well with Esterházy Art Echo's ambition to emphasise the importance of intergenerational links by bridging past and present, traditional and contemporary approaches. By supporting cultural projects, the Esterházy Hungary Foundation continues the cultural tradition of the historic Esterházy family, while keeping alive the transnational intellectual heritage and cultural influence of the famous family in the Pannonian region.