N.D.C.M. Froehlich: Contemporary Collage Art

N.D.C.M. Fröhlich, an acronym for Nikolaus Dominik Cyril Merlin Fröhlich, is a contemporary artist based in the Mariahilf district of Vienna, Austria. Born into a family of significant artistic heritage—including his grandfathers, the painter Rudolf Polanszky and the sculptor Josef Pillhofer—he has developed a distinct visual language through the medium of collage. His work is characterized by the meticulous combination of diverse historical materials, such as 19th-century glass plate negatives, fashion magazines from the 1960s and 70s, and high-quality fine art prints. These elements are often finished with hand-applied leaf gold, elevating each piece into a unique, one-of-a-kind object. His artistic practice focuses on the intersection of reality and fantasy, often placing animals like pumas, foxes, and giraffes within iconic architectural settings such as the Vienna Secession, Schönbrunn, or the Belvedere. This surreal juxtaposition creates a portal effect, a recurring theme in his work that invites viewers to escape the mundane and enter a world of imagination and joy. N.D.C.M. Fröhlich follows a philosophy of total dedication to his craft, operating from a historic 18th-century studio where he restores and reimagines forgotten historical fragments into complex, layered masterpieces.