Wiener Stadthallen Flügel award

Wiener Stadthallen Flügel © Thomas Eller Wiener Stadthalle launched the Wiener Stadthallen Flügel prize to acknowledge the people who have made a decisive contribution to the venue’s success. Winners are presented with an award designed by artist Tomas Eller. The decades of success that Wiener Stadthalle has enjoyed are down to the efforts of many different individuals – artists, promoters and pioneering figures. The Wiener Stadthallen Flügel award is an expression of our appreciation.

Art inspired by architecture

Architektur inspiriert Kunst © Bildagentur Zolles KG The award sculpture was designed by artist Tomas Eller, and is a modern artistic interpretation of Wiener Stadthalle’s wing-shaped roof. Made of Plexiglas and polished aluminium, each one is individually inscribed with the winner's name. Its unique design provokes fresh perspectives and thoughts on each viewing.

About the artist: Tomas Eller

Der Künstler Tomas Eller © Meinrad Hofer

Eller challenges the volatile relationship between nature and technology, and often employs reflections as a technical tool that fragments our perception. Many of his works are inspired by scientific phenomena. Using an almost experimental approach, he creates microcosms and macrocosms in order to question our perception of space and time, achieving a shift in the way we use our senses to perceive reality. Eller's formal language enters into a dialogue with scientific theories and formulas. This gives rise to new spheres of reflection that inspire mindsets and ways of representing seemingly disparate fields. However, his works do not become purely scientific experimental test set-ups as artistic elements are not subordinate to scientific ones, but takes it as a point of departure for thought experiments.

Born in Meran, Italy in 1975, Tomas Eller lives in Langtaufers in South Tyrol and Vienna. He studied sculpture, painting, graphic art and new media at the University of Applied Arts Vienna (under Alfred Hrdlicka and Brigitte Kowanz) and the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna (under Peter Kogler).

Exhibitions of his work have been held in numerous cities, including Belgrade, Berlin, Bolzano, Budapest, Dresden, Graz, Hamburg, Havana, Hong Kong, Linz, London, Maastricht, Meran, Munich, Naples, New York, Shanghai, Tokyo and Vienna.