Hermann Nitsch

Born in Vienna, Austria in 1938, Hermann Nitsch studied graphics at the Institute of Graphic Arts in his hometown. As a painter, performer, composer, photographer and scenographer, he was one of the most influential artists of his generation. He lived and worked at the Prinzendorf Castle in Austria. He passed on April 18^th, 2022 in Mistelbach at the age of 83.

Recognized as a pivotal figure in the Viennese Actionism movement of the 1960s, Hermann Nitsch,  continued to employ this groundbreaking approach to painting throughout his artistic journey, primarily through his creation of the Orgien Mysterien Theater, a concept akin to Wagner's Gesamtkunstwerk (total artwork). This comprehensive art form engages all five human senses and encourages profound existential contemplation.  Hermann Nitsch crafted his paintings by engaging his entire body, making them both the genesis and culmination of his performances. Employing a blend of oil and acrylic paints in specific shades, he applied them to the canvas using unorthodox implements and his own hands, feet, and bodily movements, resulting in expressive abstractions that emerged through a highly physical and gestural process. Through these actions, Nitsch revealed his vibrant, spiritual, sensual, and fervent persona. The apparent chaos and violence that accompany his work actually serve as a celebration of life and a reflection of the human soul.

His artworks are permanently exhibited in the two Nitsch Museums located in Mistelbach, Austria and Naples, Italy as well as in the Nitsch Foundation in Vienna, Austria. His paintings are displayed in many major art galleries and museums in the world and are included in the permanent collections of the MOMA, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim Museum, New York, in the Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, in the Tate Gallery, London and in the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam as well as in the Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich, just to name a few.