Hermann Nitsch

Painting Performance  37.malaktion kunsthaus mürzzuschlag  

Paint became blood, the pictorial surface turned into the reality of the wall, where a slaughtered sheep was hung and dismembered in an act of crucifixion. The painting performances overlap with the actions. The painting performances as well as the actual actions are numbered separately. I peform painting actions down to the present day, many of them public, i think of them as large theatrical ritual events. In 1984 a painting action took place in turin. in 1987 i was able to luckily perform a 14-day painting action in the vienna secession. For the 1988 biennale in sydney i was able to realize a painting action. In 1997 karlheinz essl invited me to realize a painting action in schömer haus. In the same year i performed my hitherto largest painting action in the museum of the twentieth century. The museum was filled with white canvases which were poured and splashed with blood and black paint. A painting action was also performed during the 6-day play of 1998 in prinzendorf.

Two College Roommates, Dorm Room Argument, Gay Man's Collection, 1980s