“Colors divided. Fields united”, installation by Heidi Zednik & Xenia Ostrovskaya, St. Michael’s Church, Steyr, 2025

Photos by Walter Ebenhofer

This installation reflects on the period in 1945 when Steyr was divided between the Soviet and the American military forces — a historically loaded time that continues to shape the experiences of Russians living in Austria today. In her works Ostrovskaya uses the symbolism of the red carnation, whose Christian and political meanings intertwine, to evoke themes of sacrifice, resistance, and remembrance. The flower’s evolution—from a symbol of Christ’s suffering to an emblem of proletarian struggle and later of wartime mourning —anchors the work’s narrative.

Historical postcards of Steyr from the 1930s and 40s become carriers of memory, overgrown with unsettling clusters of red carnation blossoms. These blooms mark sites of spilled innocent blood, forming raw, wound-like structures. Through an interplay of archival imagery and symbolic flora, the installation reflects on the divided city, shared histories, and the human lives lost during these difficult times.