Review: "Holiday Show: Favorite Pieces"

"Theia" by Fernando Paloma (acrylic on gallery canvas) (Courtesy of Unchained.Art)

Christina Hiltscher, the director and founder of Unchained.Art, developed the concept of "Holiday Show: Favorite Pieces" to best showcase each of the creators she currently represents. Fourteen artists – three photographers, two sculptors, and nine painters – from 10 different countries were asked to choose the most exceptional work from their portfolio for this year-ending group show.

The worldly artists shown contributing to the show and represented by Unchained.Art include Juliette Lepage Boisdron (France), Alex C. (Germany), Denise Cornelius (Switzerland), M.J. Hale (England), Caroline Micaela Hauger (Germany), Magnus (Denmark), Peter Mueller (Switzerland), Luise Neuner (Austria), Fernando Palomo (Austin, TX), Jacqueline Racle (Switzerland), Raeanne Schachter (Canada), Sara Sepulveda (Spain), Monica Vaccari (Italy), and Witty, aka Erica Wittenwiler (Switzerland).

An artist's work can often be confounding to its viewers. With so much left for interpretation and mystifying messaging, it's not uncommon to walk out of a showroom and wonder what the hell you just witnessed. But this show offers more clarity and emphasizes the creator's voice. Accompanying each piece are words from the artist explaining why they selected it: While still leaving plenty of room for interpretation, the makers share their intentions, their emotions, and what they're proud of. "The show offers a glimpse behind the artwork and conveys what moves the artists, what informs their work, and how they think," explains Hiltscher. "Art goes beyond the piece and becomes one with the artist's story and the viewer's perception."

Marking the sixth show since the gallery moved into its Cesar Chavez location in March, the exhibit intimately introduces Hiltscher's collaborators, varying from emerging to established. Viewers can observe an interesting amalgamation of mediums, styles, and messaging expressed through forms like vivid nature photography, enigmatic colorful paintings, and a portrait produced with ink on rice paper.

Hiltscher's mission is to progress the evolving art scene in Austin by bringing in more international creators. A German globe-trotter who has lived in several different countries, she founded Unchained.Art in Zurich before she and her husband decided on the U.S. as their next adventure and moved to Austin in 2022. Her European artistic sensibilities continue to guide her as the vast majority of the creatives on display at the gallery formed their bonds with Hiltscher while she still lived abroad. To Hiltscher, a crucial aspect of her gallery and interacting with an artist's work lies in knowing the artist personally.

"The reason it is called Unchained.Art is that I wanted to do things a little differently, create a platform for visibility and access, a very personal and approachable atmosphere," she adds. "It is about the art an artist creates but as much about the person itself. My artists don't have to create a certain look or style, I want them to create in the freest way possible and I create the shows around them."

"Holiday Show: Favorite Pieces"