„Second Nature“ – Exhibition at Kalsdorf Castle

Martin Roth at Kalsdorf Castle – A Tribute on the Sixth Anniversary of His Passing. On the sixth anniversary of his untimely death, Kalsdorf Castle opens its doors to honor the extraordinary artistic legacy of Martin Roth (1977–2019), a visionary whose work continues to echo across the fields of contemporary art and environmental activism.

Roth, born in Graz and later based in New York City, was an artist who masterfully fused poetic sensitivity with socio-political urgency. His installations, often ephemeral and site-specific, navigated the fragile intersections between nature and civilization, between human impact and ecological resilience. Whether growing lavender in gallery spaces or importing rubble from war zones to nourish birds, Roth employed subtle gestures to provoke reflection on the world’s contradictions.

This commemorative exhibition not only presents Roth’s internationally recognized works, but for the first time offers access to a curated selection of his early creations. Archived with care by his parents, Hans and Margret Roth, these formative pieces reveal the depth of his social consciousness from the very beginning. In them, we see the emergence of questions that would guide his life’s work: What is the value of a life, a tree, a broken object? How do we measure worth in a world driven by consumption?

The setting of Kalsdorf Castle, both serene and historic, provides a fitting contrast to Roth’s often fragile and transitory materials. Here, visitors are invited to engage with the artist’s evolving language—one that is rooted in care, confrontation, and vision.

Martin Roth’s voice may have fallen silent too soon, but his art continues to ask us the hardest questions. And in doing so, it offers us a glimpse of a future still waiting to be shaped.

Source: Martin Roth