Nitsch. Life and Work (English)

As a pioneer of the Viennese post-war avant-garde and a famous member of the Viennese Actionists, Hermann Nitsch (1938–2022) united performance, painting, and musical composition in dramatic, often blood-soaked rituals.

This autobiography in interview format, translated here from German into English for the first time, offers readers Nitsch’s life story in his own words.

Over the course of an in-depth interview with Austrian journalist Danielle Spera, he recounts his family history, his early childhood, and the development of his artistic practice, as well as his various romantic and financial struggles.

The interview is illustrated by images of his works, shots from the studio and of his Aktionen, archive photographs, and further material such as flyers and newspaper clippings. Excerpts from Nitsch’s writings complement the conversation between Spera and the artist.

To mark his 80th birthday, the revised third German edition of the biography was published, supplemented by an interview conducted by author Barbara Sternthal with Rita Nitsch in 2018.

Softcover, 439 pages

Publisher: Pace Publishing

Year: 2023

Language: English