Hermann Nitsch

​

Hermann Nitsch was born on 29 August 1938 in Vienna. He was a founding member of the Viennese Actionism movement and one of the most versatile contemporary artists: actionist, painter, graphic artist, composer (symphonies, organ concerts) and stage designer. Nitsch was considered an enfant terrible of the Austrian art scene with his performance and painting work, incorporating blood, flesh, and other materials. 

 

"my work should be a school of life, perception and sensation and should be experienced with all five senses." (Hermann Nitsch)

 

In the 1950s, he created his renowned Orgies Mystery Theatre, which has subsequently been transformed into the 6-Day-Play. His ‚Gesamtkunstwerk‘, the ‚Orgien Mysterien Theater‘, demonstrates the broad spectrum of his art and challenges all five senses of the audience.

 

Nitsch's paintings reflect his interest in these themes, as well as his exploration of the relationship between the body and the psyche. The artist’s ‚Black Cycle‘ paintings from the 1990s are a continuation of his exploration of the themes of sacrifice, ritual, and transcendence. These works are part of a larger series of paintings that Nitsch created over the course of his career, which are often associated with his controversial performance events. 

 

The ‚Black Cycle' paintings are characterized by their intense, monochromatic palette, with shades of black dominating the canvases. These dark tones are used to convey a sense of depth and weight, suggesting a sense of the sublime and the unknown.The paintings feature gestural brushstrokes and heavily layered textures, giving them a sense of physicality and presence. This materiality is particularly pronounced in the areas where the paint has been heavily applied, creating an almost sculptural effect.

 

Hermann Nitsch’s work has been displayed at numerous institutions across the world throughout the course of his career, including the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, the Leopold Museum in Vienna, the Albertina Museum in Vienna, and others. Also, his performances have been presented internationally in Vienna, New York, London, Havana, Leipzig, Hobart, and other cities. 

 

The multi-award-winning artist Hermann Nitsch lived and worked at his castle in Prinzendorf an der Zaya, Lower Austria as well as in Asolo, Italy. His works are exhibited in two monographic museums in Mistelbach and Naples, in the Nitsch Foundation in Vienna and in the most renowned international museums and galleries. Today his work is part of important private and public collections, among them the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Guggenheim Collection, New York; the Metropolitan Museum, New York; Museum University of Yale; tang, New York; Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art, New York Tate Gallery, London; Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris; Stedelijk van Abbe Museum, Eindhoven; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam and many others.

 

Hermann Nitsch passed away on the 18th of April 2022.