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BIOGRAPHY[Download]

HERMANN NITSCH (d.1938, AUSTRALIA)


1957 The concept of the Orgies Mysteries Theater is created, a six-day play in which all his
ambitions are concentrated. The Orgies Mysteries Theater is a new form of a total
art (Gesamtkunstwerk). Real events are staged and all five human senses of the
performers are directly addressed.

1960 Action and exhibiton activities in Vienna result in several law suits and three prison sentences.

1962 1st action in Vienna

1966 Destruction in art symposium, London; 20th action

1968 25th and 26th action cinematheque, New York

1970 Actions in New York, Munich, and Cologne

1971 Prinzendorf Castle is bought

1972 Participation in Documenta V, Kassel

1974 50th action (24 hours: 1st day and 1st night of the six-day play) in Prinzendorf

1982 Participation in Documenta VII, Kassel

1983 Exhibitions: Stedeljik Van Abbe Museum, Eindhoven; participation in the exhibition
“der hang zum gesamtkunstwerk“ at Museum Moderner Munst, Vienna

1984 Exhibitions: Galleria Franz Paludetto, Turin , 80th action (72 hours: three days and
nights of the six-day play) in Prinzendorf

1987 Exhibition: Villa Pignatelli, Naples; 20th painting action Wiener secession, Vienna

1988 Participation in biennale, Sydney; Exhibitions: first big retrospective, Lenbachhaus,
Munich; Museum d. 20.jhdt.,Vienna

1989 Exhibition: Luhring Augustine & Hodes, New York; teaching at the Academy for
Visual Art (Städelschule) in Frankfurt, from now on regularly teaching a painting class
at the summer academy in Salzburg

1990 Exhibitions: Rupertinum, Salzburg; Nationalgalerie, Prague; Kunsthalle Krems;
participation in "Gegenwart- ewigkeit" Martin Gropius Bau, Berlin; performance of the
8th Symphony, Museum für Angewandte Kunst, Vienna

1991 Exhibitions: Galleria Mazzotta, Milan; Galleria Civica d´Arte Contemporanea, Trient

1992 Teaching action performance (lehraktion) Hackmuseum, Ludwigshafen

1994 Exhibition Raiffeisenhalle, Frankfurt

1995 Settings (sets and costumes) for the opera “Hérodiade” by Jules Massenet at
Wiener Staatsoper. Exhibition: Künstlerhaus, Vienna

1996 Exhibition “Retrospektive“ Casa Solleric, Palma de Mallorca; 96th action, 12 hours,
San Martino, Naples; 38th painting action, Schömerhaus Klosterneuburg

1997 Exhibition "Retrospektive" Konsthallen, Gothenburg, Sweden; 40th painting action,
Museum d. 20. Jh, Vienna

1998 Six-day play of the Orgies Mysteries Theater in Prinzendorf; participation at the exhibition
“out of actions“, Moca, Los Angeles; Valencia; Tokyo

1999 Exhibition of the relics of the six-day-play MMK Liechtenstein, Vienna and Kiscelli Museum
Budapest; concertante performance of the six-day play music Radiokulturhaus,
Vienna, in Museum F. Gegenwart Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin and in Kunst-und
ausstellungshalle der brd, Bonn

2000 Exhibition: L’Ultima Cena Palazzo Steline, Milano; participation in the exhibition
“lost paradise lost“ Stephansstift, Hannover

2001 Exhibitions: Österreichische Galerie, Oberes Belvedere, Vienna; Hamburger Bahnhof,
Berlin; actions: Hürlimann Areal, Zürich; Pöstlingberg Schlössl; Schloss Prinzendorf,
miscellaneous: settings for the opera “Satyagraha“, Festspielhaus, St.Pölten

2002 Exhibitions: Fondazione Morra, Naples; Kulturhaus, bruck a.d. mur; Museum Moderner
Kunst, Stiftung Ludwig, Mumok, Vienna; Galerie Curtze, Vienna; Galerie Krinzinger,
Vienna; Museum der Moderne, Rupertinum, Salzburg; Galerie Thoman, Innsbruck;
Galerie 422, Gmunden; action: Whitechapel Art Gallery, London

2003 Exhibitions: Haus der musik, Vienna; Galerie Gerasdorfer, Vienna; Galerie im Traklhaus,
Salzburg; Sammlung Essl, Klosterneuburg; action: Galerie Kunst & Handel, Graz; concerts:
organ concerts in Frankfurt and Bad Ischl; premiere: Sinfonia Punta Campanella; teaching:
summer academy in Salzburg

2004 Exhibtions: Mike Weiss Gallery, New York; Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig,
Mumok, Vienna; Galerie Curtze, Vienna; Brucknerhaus, Linz; haus der musik, Vienna;
Galerie am stein, Schärding; Graphische sammlung in städelmuseum, Frankfurt;
actions: two-day-play of the orgies mysteries theater, Schloss Prinzendorf;
teaching: visiting professor at the Insitute of Dramatic Art of the University of Vienna

2005 Exhibitions: Dokumentationszentrum für Moderne Kunst, St. Pölten; Saatchi Gallery,
London; Neue Galerie Graz, Graz; Galerie König, Vienna; Galerie Jünger,
Baden; Station Museum of Contemporary Art Houston, Texas; Slought Foundation,
Philadelphia; participation in the exhibiton: Arte Contemporaneo austriaco y pintura
de la postguerra, Mexico City; action: burgtheater, Vienna; teaching: summer academy,
Hortus Niger, Halbenrain, summer Academy Galerie Weihergut, Salzburg; miscellaneous:
receiving the golden medal of Stadt Wien; receiving the Austrian National Award;
setting for 'le renard', at Wiener Staatsoper

2006 Exhibitions: Galerie Curtze, Vienna; White Space Gallery, Peking; Galerie Lössl, Gmunden;
Yamamoto Genday Gallery, Tokyo; Mike Weiss Gallery, New York; Martin-Gropius-Bau,
Berlin; Galerie Weihergut, Salzburg; Primo Piano Livingallery, Lecce; participation
in exhibition: Sammlung Essl, Klosterneuburg, lectures: Akademie der
Bildenden künste, Tirana; Kulturwochen, Frankfurt; Hudson Valley of Contemporary Art,
New York, teaching: Summer Academy, Bad Reichenhall; Summer Academy,
Hortus Niger, Halbenrain; Summer Academy, Galerie Weihergut, Salzburg; miscellaneous:
Asolo Film Prize

2007 Exhibitions: Galerie Hilger, Vienna; Niederösterreichisches Landesmusem, St.Pölten;
Galerie Maringer, St.Pölten; Galerie am Stein, Schärding; opening of the Hermann Nitsch
Museum, Mistelbach; Galerie Fortlaan 17, Ghent; Fondazione Morra, Naples;
Marina di Ravenna, sale espositive Park Hotel, Ravenna; Galerie Publicbeaumont,
Luxembourg; Box Art Galleria d'Arte, Verona; Galerie Publicbeaumont, Paris;

Galerie Jünger, Baden; Galleria de Foscherari, Bologna; participation in exhibitions: Parma;
Künstlerhaus, Vienna; actions: Kunsthaus, Bregenz; lectures: Congesszentrum Frankenthal

2008 Exhibitions: Galerie Lelong, Zurich; Hermann Nitsch Museum, Mistelbach; Fondazione Morra,
Naples; opening of the Museo Archivio Labratorio Hermann Nitsch in Naples;
Yamamoto Gendai, Tokyo; Galerie Weihergut, Salzburg; participation in exhibition:
Galerie Fortlaan, Ghent; Triennale,Yokohama; miscellaneous: award of the
honorary doctor degree by the University Cluj


2009 Exhibitions: Gallery am Stein, Schärding; Gallery 422, Lössl, Gmunden; Gallery Gölles,
Fürstenfeld; 56. painting action at the Hermann Nitsch Museum, Mistelbach and
opening of the exhibition; exhibition in Kavernen 1595, Salzburg (40 years Hermann Nitsch);
Forum Alpbach 2009; De Pont Museum, Tilburg, Netherlands; Sant'Agostino, Galleria
d'Arte e Casa d'Aste, Turin; Gallery Boxart, Verona, Italy; Gallery Dirimart, Istanbul;
participation in exhibitions: Künstlerhaus, Vienna: "Hermann Nitsch, seine freunde,
lehrer und schüler", Gam, Turin, Italy; miscellaneous: opening of the Nitsch Foundation












































Museums and Collections

Museum of Modern Art, New York
Guggenheim Collection, New York
Metropolitan Museum, New York
Museum University of Yale
Walker Art Center, Mineapolis
Busch-Reisinger Museum Harvard University, Cambridge
Saint Louis Art Museum, St. Louis, Missouri
Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art, New York
Gallery of Ontario, Toronto
Tate Gallery, London
Musée Centre George Pompidou, Paris
Stedelijk Van Abbe Museum, Eindhoven
Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam
Castello di Rivoli, Turin
Museo Capodimonte, Naples
Galleria d´Arte Moderna, Bologna
Mart,Trento
Sammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf
Museum Ludwig, Cologne
Nationalgalerie Berlin
Lenbachhaus, Munich
Nationalgalerie München
Graphische Sammlung, Munich
Staatsgalerie Stuttgart
Kunsthalle Hamburg
Museum Neue Galerie, Saarbrücken
Schloss Moorsbroich, Leverkusen
Kunstmuseum Bern
Kunst-Museum Winterthur
Museum Moderner Kunst - Stiftung Ludwig, Vienna
Albertina, Vienna
Wolfgang Gurlitt Museum, Linz
Lentos, Linz
Rupertinum, Salzburg
Ferdinandeum, Innsbruck
Sammlung Essl, Klosterneuburg
Museum Zentrum, Mistelbach




Exhibitions, Actions and Lectures in
Bregenz, Graz, Innsbruck, Krems/Stein, Klagenfurt, Linz, Salzburg; Augsburg, Berlin, Bonn, Bremen, Darmstadt, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hannover, Hildesheim, Kassel, Cologne, Krefeld, Leipzig, Lübeck, Mainz, Mönchengladbach, Munich, Passau, Regensburg, Rosenheim, Speyer, Stuttgart, Tübingen, Wiesbaden; Basel, Bern, Winterthur, Zurich; Vaduz; Bergamo, Bologna, Florence, Genoa, Milan, Meran, Modena, Naples Padua, Palermo, Ravenna, Rome, Sorrent, Lecce, Trent, Turin, Verona; London; Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Oiron, Rouen/Caen; Ljubljana, Piran; Prague; Bratislava; Budapest; Torun, Krakow; Luxembourg; Ghent, Brussels; Madrid, Seville, Valencia, Palma de Mallorca; Lisbon; Amsterdam, Arnheim, Eindhoven, the Hague, St. Jost Breda; Copenhagen; Gothenburg, Stockholm; Los Angeles, New York, Binghampton, Cincinatti, Chicago, El Paso, Ridgefield, Taos; Rio de Janeiro; Vancouver, Toronto, Halifax; Sydney, Melbourne; Seoul, Shanghai, Tokyo, Peking