Hermann Nitsch
Encyclopedia
Hermann Nitsch is an Austrian artist who works in experimental and multimedia modes.
Born in Vienna
, Nitsch received training in painting during the time he studied at the Wiener Graphische Lehr-und Versuchanstalt. He is called an "actionist" or a performance art
ist. He is associated with the Vienna Actionists, and like them conceived his art outside traditional categories of genre. Nitsch's abstract splatter paintings, like his performance pieces, established a theme of controlled violence, using bright reds, maroons, and pale greys that communicate organic mutilation. In the 1950s, Nitsch conceived of the Orgien Mysterien Theater (which roughly translates as "Theatre of Orgies and Mysteries" or "The Orgiastic Mystery Theater"), staging nearly 100 performances between 1962 and 1998.
Nitsch's work, which can be considered both ritualistic and existential
, first drew attention in the early 1960s when he exhibited a skinned and mutilated lamb. The lamb was crucified against a white fabric-covered wall, with the entrails removed and displayed below a white table, splashed with blood and hot water. This was accompanied by Nitsch's "Geräuschmusik". Nitsch's subsequent work has incorporated many similar elements, often combining slaughtered animals, red fruits, music, dancing, and active participants. Nitsch juxtaposed slaughtered animal intestines with quasi-religious icons such as staged crucifixion
s, satirizing and questioning the moral ethics of atavistic religion and sacrifice. Currently his work is often discussed in the context of our culture's fixation with violence seen on the news, movie screens, and in popular video games. Correlations have also been drawn to many instances of the intersection of violence and culture.3 These performance works, which have become known as "actions" have become more and more elaborate over the years. This highly elaborate work is exemplified by the 6-Day Play, which Nitsch considered to be his pinnacle piece.
In 1998, Nitsch staged his 100th performance (named the 6-Day Play after its length) which took place at his castle in Austria, Schloss Prinzendorf. In 2004, he held an abbreviated (2-day) version of the work.
By 1995 Nitsch had been so sufficiently embraced by the establishment, that the Vienna State Opera
invited him to direct and design the sets and costumes for Jules Massenet
's opera Hérodiade
.
Nitsch continues to publish articles and release CDs.
In 2009 Nitsch was the central guest of the Incubate
festival in Tilburg
, Netherlands
.
In May 2010 Nitsch held his 130th Action in Naples, Italy at the Museo Nitsch (Morra Foundation). A 12 hour long piece, this was Nitsch's first performance in Naples since 1996, and also first using the new museum facility dedicated to his work. The action proceeded from the museum, with a full procession through the streets, to the San Martino Vineyard overlooking the city and the Bay of Naples. The action coincided with the Nitsch/ Caravaggio show at the Pio Monte della Misericordia, where Caravaggio's Seven Works of Mercy is held.
On February 15th and 16th 2011, Nitsch held his first ever live painting action (60th Malaktion)in the United States at the Mike Weiss gallery in New York City.
Born in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Nitsch received training in painting during the time he studied at the Wiener Graphische Lehr-und Versuchanstalt. He is called an "actionist" or a performance art
Performance art
In art, performance art is a performance presented to an audience, traditionally interdisciplinary. Performance may be either scripted or unscripted, random or carefully orchestrated; spontaneous or otherwise carefully planned with or without audience participation. The performance can be live or...
ist. He is associated with the Vienna Actionists, and like them conceived his art outside traditional categories of genre. Nitsch's abstract splatter paintings, like his performance pieces, established a theme of controlled violence, using bright reds, maroons, and pale greys that communicate organic mutilation. In the 1950s, Nitsch conceived of the Orgien Mysterien Theater (which roughly translates as "Theatre of Orgies and Mysteries" or "The Orgiastic Mystery Theater"), staging nearly 100 performances between 1962 and 1998.
Nitsch's work, which can be considered both ritualistic and existential
Existentialism
Existentialism is a term applied to a school of 19th- and 20th-century philosophers who, despite profound doctrinal differences, shared the belief that philosophical thinking begins with the human subject—not merely the thinking subject, but the acting, feeling, living human individual...
, first drew attention in the early 1960s when he exhibited a skinned and mutilated lamb. The lamb was crucified against a white fabric-covered wall, with the entrails removed and displayed below a white table, splashed with blood and hot water. This was accompanied by Nitsch's "Geräuschmusik". Nitsch's subsequent work has incorporated many similar elements, often combining slaughtered animals, red fruits, music, dancing, and active participants. Nitsch juxtaposed slaughtered animal intestines with quasi-religious icons such as staged crucifixion
Crucifixion
Crucifixion is an ancient method of painful execution in which the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead...
s, satirizing and questioning the moral ethics of atavistic religion and sacrifice. Currently his work is often discussed in the context of our culture's fixation with violence seen on the news, movie screens, and in popular video games. Correlations have also been drawn to many instances of the intersection of violence and culture.3 These performance works, which have become known as "actions" have become more and more elaborate over the years. This highly elaborate work is exemplified by the 6-Day Play, which Nitsch considered to be his pinnacle piece.
In 1998, Nitsch staged his 100th performance (named the 6-Day Play after its length) which took place at his castle in Austria, Schloss Prinzendorf. In 2004, he held an abbreviated (2-day) version of the work.
By 1995 Nitsch had been so sufficiently embraced by the establishment, that the Vienna State Opera
Vienna State Opera
The Vienna State Opera is an opera house – and opera company – with a history dating back to the mid-19th century. It is located in the centre of Vienna, Austria. It was originally called the Vienna Court Opera . In 1920, with the replacement of the Habsburg Monarchy by the First Austrian...
invited him to direct and design the sets and costumes for Jules Massenet
Jules Massenet
Jules Émile Frédéric Massenet was a French composer best known for his operas. His compositions were very popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and he ranks as one of the greatest melodists of his era. Soon after his death, Massenet's style went out of fashion, and many of his operas...
's opera Hérodiade
Hérodiade
Hérodiade is an opera in four acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Paul Milliet and Henri Grémont, based on the novella Hérodias by Gustave Flaubert...
.
Nitsch continues to publish articles and release CDs.
In 2009 Nitsch was the central guest of the Incubate
Incubate (festival)
Incubate is a multidisciplinary arts festival in Tilburg, the Netherlands. On June 16, the festival changed it name into Incubate after a request by the Austin, US based festival SXSW to change its name. Between 2005 and 2008 the festival was called ZXZW....
festival in Tilburg
Tilburg
Tilburg is a landlocked municipality and a city in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of Noord-Brabant.Tilburg municipality also includes the villages of Berkel-Enschot and Udenhout....
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
In May 2010 Nitsch held his 130th Action in Naples, Italy at the Museo Nitsch (Morra Foundation). A 12 hour long piece, this was Nitsch's first performance in Naples since 1996, and also first using the new museum facility dedicated to his work. The action proceeded from the museum, with a full procession through the streets, to the San Martino Vineyard overlooking the city and the Bay of Naples. The action coincided with the Nitsch/ Caravaggio show at the Pio Monte della Misericordia, where Caravaggio's Seven Works of Mercy is held.
On February 15th and 16th 2011, Nitsch held his first ever live painting action (60th Malaktion)in the United States at the Mike Weiss gallery in New York City.
Controversial aspects
Hermann Nitsch has been repeatedly charged, tried, and even condemned to prison.External links
- UbuWeb Films Hermann Nitsch (b. 1938)
- Hermann Nitsch's Homepage
- „Hermann Nitsch“ on SAST REPORT Culture
- Video of Hermann Nitsch in America
- The Saatchi Gallery - Hermann Nitsch, Gallery In London with images, information, text and biography about Hermann Nitsch
- Exhibition in the Demeter Gallery (Hungary)
- Hermann Nitsch - The Movie, HN The Movie - a documentary film about Hermann Nitsch
- Nitschland Napoli Film by Roberto Paci DalòRoberto Paci DalòRoberto Paci Dalò is an Italian composer and musician, film and theatre director, visual artist.After musical, visual, and architectural studies in Fiesole, Faenza and Ravenna, in 1993 he has been recipient of the “Berliner Künstlerprogramm des DAAD” Fellowship...
- http://www.museonitsch.org/