Studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Innsbruck from 1952 to 1955 and the University for Applied Arts in Vienna from 1955 to 1959, Pichler was a key figure in the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism, known for his use of minimalist, geometric forms and medium including metal, wood, air-dried clay, and other ephemeral materials. His work reflects a deep interest in utopian visions and the fusion of art, architecture, human forms, ancient history, and philosophical concepts. Pichler had solo exhibitions at the Arthur Ross Architecture Gallery, Columbia University, New York; Tiroler Landesmuseen, Innsbruck, Austria; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; Generali Foundation, Vienna; Galerie Museum, Bolzano, Italy; Museum fur Angewandte Kunst, Vienna; Haus der Kunst, Munich, Germany; the Museum der Moderne, Salzburg; the Belvedere, Vienna among others. He has also been included in group exhibitions at institutions including: MAK Study Collection Furniture, Vienna; Austrian Cultural Forum, New York; Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb, Croatia; Museum of Modern Art, New York; Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai; and the Kunsthalle Wien, Vienna. Pichler participated in Documenta 6 (1976), Documenta 4 (1968) in Kassel, Germany, and Venice Biennale (1982) in Venice, Italy.