1938 born in vienna
1957 creates the concept of the theatre of orgies and mysteries, a six-day event which was to captivate him throughout his career and on which he has focussed his entire attention. the theatre of orgies and mysteries is a new form of an gesamtkunstwerk where real events are staged. all five senses of the performers are directly involved.
1960-66 actions and exhibitions in vienna resulting in various court trials and three prison sentences.
1966 destruction in art symposium, london, performance of his 20th action
1968 cinematheque, new york, performance of his 25th and 26th actions.
1971 purchase of prinzendorf castle
1974 performance of the 50th action lasting 24 hours (1st day and 1st night of the six-day play in prinzendorf)
1984 performance of the 80th action lasting 72 hours (3 days and nights of the six-day play in prinzendorf
1987 20th painting action in the vienna secession
1988 married rita leitenbor who was to become his main support in putting together his lifetime oeuvre.
1989-present teacher at the academy of vidual arts (städelschule) in frankfurt/main.
1995 worked as decorator and co-director for the production of jules massenet´s opera „hérodiade“ at the viennese staatsoper
1996 action in san martino, neapel,
38. painting action, schömerhaus klosterneuburg.
1997 40. painting action, museum d. 20. jhdt.s, wien
1998 6 day-play of the o.m. theaters in prinzendorf; group exhibition „out of actions“, moca, los angeles; valencia; tokyo
1999 exhibition of relicsof the 6 day-play 6-tage-spiels at mumok (formerly: mmk palais liechtenstein), vienna and kiscelli museum, budapest
concert: the music of the 6 day-play at the radiokulturhaus, wien, museum f. gegenwart hamburger bahnhof, berlin and in kunst- und ausstellungshalle der brd, bonn
presentation of the book: hermann nitsch. leben und werk, khm wien (author: danielle spera)
2000 video presentation of the 6 day play documentary in los angeles, portikus, frankfurt and museum abteiberg, mönchengladbach
exhibition: l’ultima cena palazzo steline, milano, group exhibition partici „lost paradise lose“ stephansstift hannover
2001 exhibitions: „das große bodenbild“ in österreichische galerie, oberes belvedere, wien; „das o.m. theater“ projects united at the hürlimann areal, zürich; „das 6-tage-spiel 1998“ hamburger bahnhof, berlin;
stage design and costumes for the opera „satyagraha“ by philip glass at festspielhaus st.pölten.
lecture actions at the hürlimann areal, zürich, galleria comnale d’arte moderna e contemporanea, rom; pöstlingberg schlössl, linz;
107. aktion schloss prinzendorf
2002 exhibitions: fondazione morra, neapel; kulturhaus bruck a.d. mur; mumok, wien;
lecture action at the whitechapel art gallery; video presentation of the most recent actions, kunsthalle krems;
2003 exhibitions: merano, wien, graz, köflach, frankfurt; presentation of the complete edition of the music of the 6 day-play, haus der musik, wien
lecture action in graz; in preparation: retrospective exihbition at sammlung essl, klosterneuburg (oct 2003)
2004 in preparation: action of the o. m theater (august 2004)
permanent work on the project of the o.m. theatre, extention of the pictorial and theatrical concept to an architectural and a musical concept.
solo exhibitions (excerpt)
- 1983
- van-abbe museum, eindhoven
- 1987
- villa pignatelli, neapel
- malaktion und ausstellung, secession wien
- 1988
- david nolan gallery, new york
- städtische galerie im lenbachhaus, münchen
- 1989
- museum moderner kunst, wien
- kunstverein, salzburg
- luhring & augustine, new york
- galerie donguy, paris
- 1990
- gemeente museum, den haag
- galerie heike curtze, aktionsmalereien 1960-63, 1989-90 düsseldorf hafen
- galerie maeght lelong, zürich
- rupertinum salzburg
- 1991
- st. petri zu lübeck
- festspielhaus bregenz
- traklhaus salzburg
- galleria civica d´arte contemporanea, trient
- 1992
- retrospektive anlässlich der weltausstellung in sevilla, pabellon de las artes
- galerie heike curtze, schloß prinzendorf
- galerie ursula krinzinger, wien
- galerie taddaeus ropac, paris
- 1993
- nationalgalerie, prag
- galerie fred jahn, münchen
- galerie heike curtze, düsseldorf
- 1994
- raiffeisenhalle, frankfurt
- kunsthalle krems
- casina vanvitelliana (org. v. studio morra), fusaro, neapel
- kärntner landesmuseum, klagenfurt
- galerie fred jahn, münchen
- 1995
- retrospektivausstellung, künstlerhaus wien
- galerie barlach, halle-k, hamburg
- ausstellung und aktion in der trinitatiskirche, köln
- 1996
- galerie stefania miscetti, rom
- museum moderner kunst stiftung wörlen, passau
- palazzo delle exposizioni, rom (retrospektive)
- kunstverein gmunden, hipp-halle
- retrospektive, sala parpalló, valencia
- malaktion u. ausstellung, schömerhaus, klosterneuburg
- galerie giuseppe morra, neapel (fondazione morra)
- retrospektive, casal solleric, palma de mallorca
- 1997
- retrospektive, konsthallen göteborg
- retrospektive, musée d’art et d’histoire, luxembourg
- st. peter an der sperr, wiener neustadt
- galerie beaumont, luxembourg
- neue galerie der stadt linz
- underwoodstreet gallery, london
- kunstraum, innsbruck
- galerie prantl, oberlech
- 1998
- galerie frank hänel, frankfurt/m
- 1999
- mumok, vienna; kiscelli museum, budaest
- 2000
- palazzo steline, milano, galleria communale d’arte moderna e contemoranea, rom
- 2001
- oberes belevedere, vienna, hürlimannareal, zürich, haburger bahnhof, berlin
- 2002
- fondazione morra, napoli; gallery fortlaan, ghent
- 2003
- art scarplin, merano, fondazione morra, napoli
group exhibitions (excerpt)
- 1970
- happening und fluxus, kunstverein köln
- 1972
- documenta v, kassel
- 1982
- documenta vii, kassel
- 1983
- der hang zum gesamtkunstwerk, ausstellung von harald szeemann u. a.
- museum mod. kunst, wien
- 1986
- rennweg, sala pablo ruiz picasso, madrid
- dal profondo, padiglione d´arte contemporanea, mailand
- beuys zu ehren, städtische galerie im lenbachhaus, münchen
- 1988
- teilnahme an der biennale in sydney
- 1990
- gegenwart-ewigkeit, gropiusbau berlin
- 1991
- liljevalchs konsthall, stockholm
- 1992
- casula, kunststation st. petri, köln
- 1993
- akademie der künste, berlin
- 1994
- malfiguren, museum moderner kunst, wien
- hors limits, centre georges pompidou, paris
- l´incanto e la transcendenza, castel ivano, trento
- il paese della meraviglie e le tavole della legge, castello di volpaia
- 1995
- stedelijk museum, amsterdam
- kunsthalle budapest
- l´art contemporain autrichien, rouen/caen
- 1996
- artisti austriaci a roma, palazzo braschi rome
- malerei in österreich 1945-95“, künstlerhaus, wien
- „mysterium wein“, historisches museum der pfalz, speyer
- „chaos, wahnsinn“, kunsthalle krems
- „l´art au corps“, musée d´art contemporain, marseille
- 1997
- „die epoche der moderne - kunst im 20. jhdt.“, martin gropius bau, berlin
- „sinnlicher sommer“, künstlerhaus, wien
- „body“, the art gallery of new south wales, sydney
- institute of contemporary art, london
- 1998
- „out of actions: between performance and the object, 1949-1979“, moca, los angeles
- 2000
- paradise lost, stephanssift, hannover
- 2003
- good morning balkan, athens
the following collections and museums own works of hermann nitsch:
- museum of modern art,new york;
- guggenheim collection, new york;
- metropolitan museum, new york;
- museum university of yale;
- gallery of ontario, toronto;
- tate gallery, london;
- musé e centre george pompidou, paris;
- stedelijk van abbe museum, eindhoven;
- castello di rivoli, turin;
- sammlung nordrhein-westfalen, düsseldorf;
- museum ludwig, köln;
- lenbachhaus, münchen;
- nationalgalerie münchen;
- graphische sammlung, münchen;
- staatsgalerie stuttgart;
- kunsthalle hamburg;
- museum neue galerie, saarbrücken;
- schloss moorsbroich, leverkusen;
- museo capodimonte, neapel;
- kunstmuseum bern;
- kunst-museum winterthur;
- museum moderner kunst - stiftung ludwig, wien;
- wolfgang gurlitt museum, linz;
- rupertinum, salzburg;
- ferdinandeum innsbruck;
- sammlung essl, klosterneuburg;
- stedelijk museum, amsterdam;
- galleria d´arte moderna, bologna;
- walker art center, mineapolis;
- mart, trento.