Untitled, from the performance "Hochzeit" (Marriage)

Rudolf Schwarzkogler Austrian
Ludwig Hoffenreich Austrian?

Not on view

Along with Günter Brus and Hermann Nitsch, Schwarzkogler was among the leading artists associated with Vienna Actionism, a movement centered around anarchic, often violent and sexually charged performances that flouted the repressive sociopolitical conventions of postwar Austrian culture. Hochzeit, the first of Schwarzkogler's actions, was performed on February 6, 1965, for a handful of friends and the camera (all of his subsequent actions were performed exclusively for the camera). Standing before a table covered with a white tablecloth and accompanied by Gregorian chants, Schwarzkogler played the role of shaman/priest/alchemist, performing his private ritual with dead fish, a dead chicken, various animal organs, eggs, colored liquids, a knife, and scissors.

Untitled, from the performance "Hochzeit" (Marriage), Rudolf Schwarzkogler (Austrian, 1940–1969), Gelatin silver print

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.