!!!Wiener Aktionismus

Wiener Aktionismus (Viennese Actionism), independent Austrian form of 
the international happening and fluxus movement between 1960 and 1970. 
It maintained close contact with the literary avant-garde ( Wiener 
Gruppe). From 1958 the artists started developing intentionally 
provocative ways of performing in order to bring about social changes. 
G.  Brus, H.  Nitsch, O.  Muehl and A.  Frohner performed actionist 
happenings - mixtures of graphic art, theatre, political demonstration 
and religious rites - in a studio from 1962 and from 1965 in public 
areas, calling themselves "Wiener Aktionsgruppe". The artists´ 
bodies became the fields of artistic expression (ranging from body 
painting to self-inflicted injuries), and extremely realistic forms of 
aesthetics including colour (blood) or materials (made of 
misappropriated articles in daily use and animal carcases) were the 
focus of interest through which traditional forms of art were 
dissolved. These artists exerted strong influence on the development 
of the Austrian branch of concept art. (e.g. V.  Export, P.  Weibel). 
The actionist happenings were photographed or filmed in most cases. 
Thus photographic documentation was of major importance, especially 
for the work of R.  Schwarzkogler. Some participants of the actionist 
happening "Kunst und Revolution" (Art and Revolution) at the 
University of Vienna were arrested and convicted of disparagement of 
national emblems in 1968, which finally led to the end of the movement 
in Austria.

!Literature
D. Schwarz, Aktionsmalerei - Aktionismus, 1988; Von der 
Aktionsmalerei zum Aktionismus. Wien 1960-65, ed. by Museum 
Fridericianum Kassel, 1988; H. Klocker (ed.), Wiener Aktionismus, 
1989; Aktionismus. Aktionsmalerei 1960-71, exhibition catalogue, Wien 
1989; F. Schmatz, Sinn & Sinne. Wiener Gruppe, Wiener Aktionismus und 
andere Wegbereiter, 1992.


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