Clemens Gachter

Clemens Gaechter (*2001, Hohenems) is a painter based in Innsbruck, Austria.

He works on large-scale, often repurposed textiles that retain visible traces of their past. Through layered applications of paint, stitching, and mixed materials, he creates dense, tactile surfaces marked by tension and contrast. Fragmented, sketch-like figures emerge and dissolve within the layered grounds, appearing at once present and fragile. The transience and abandonment of objects play a central role, intertwined with moments of captivity, grime, and imperfection. Despite this heaviness, a peculiar vitality persists—lurking, animalistic, or perhaps lonely. The recurring figure of the Peeping Tom, peering through cracks, plays with the ambivalence of closeness and distance, observer and observed. Subtle irony, often reinforced through the titles of his works, creates a tension between seriousness and banality. Alongside his individual practice, Gaechter is part of the Fluoro Fleece art collective. His work has been shown at MuseumsQuartier Vienna, Periscope Salzburg, Openspace Innsbruck, and Palais Thurn und Taxis.