Treadwell’s in the village of Aigen, Austria is not another cold and holier-than-thou art gallery. It succeeds in entertaining even those who are not that interested in the general run of the mill of the art world. The 700 square metres of exhibition space in a former courthouse and prison is geared up to display emotionally provocative art.

Nicholas Treadwell, the body and soul of the undertaking, defines it as Superhumanist, a spontaneous art movement reflecting and criticising the urban life and the human condition in all its beauty and ugliness.

The exhibition is a refreshing change from normal (and sometimes termed boring) landscape views and conceptual or abstract act. Everything here has a quirky twist, which seems to be Treadwell’s main criterion for what he puts on his walls. Perhaps there is not enough room for the eclectic collection of sculptures, paintings, prints and drawings. In places they seem huddled together too much, and you may find yourself bumping into a Quasimodo in a skirt (Quazi Modo by Nicholas Monro), while admiring giant green ceramic shoes (The Brogues by Francis Hewlett).

Some of the displayed artwork is a bit of an acquired taste, for instance Dean Barrett’s gory human sculptures and the macabre pencil drawings of distorted human bodies by Liz Atkin. But the serious topics are often rendered with a tinge of humour, as is the case with some of the more accessible works, for example, Alun Jury’s colourful and detailed paintings and Graham Ibbeson’s sculpture of a well-endowed housewife ironing her husband’s suit with the husband still in it, titled Woman Flattens Husband after he comes home from the Pub.

There is a lot more to see of the 500-piece collection exhibited just 5 kilometres from the Czech border. The Gallery is open at any time by appointment and is well worth it. The cost, including a personal tour by Nicholas Treadwell, is 5 euros.

Teele Ehasalu