Exhibition open: April 19 - May 3
Vernissage April 19, at 8 pm
Austriacki Konsulat Generalny - Gallery
9 Cybulskiego Street, Cracow
Tel. 012 42 49 930
Krakau-gk@bmaa.gv.at

In years 1965-1975 Heinz Cibulka has been working as a model in Rudolf Schwarzkogler's and Hermann Nitsch's actions. Contact with Vienna actionists circle was for a young artist decisive experience. It has determined his own further artistic path. Since 1975 Cibulka has been photographing Nitsch's actions. From single shoots, made of two-four pictures he creates compositions in which he gives the atmosphere of orgiastic and mystic theatre.

Vienna actionists were treating body as an artistic "material" as equivalent to canvas, oils or other artistic means of expressions. That is the way the body appears in photos from actions of Nitsch, Schwarzkogler and as well Günter Brus and Otto Muehl.

In Nitsch's actions naked human body is spilled over with blood, covered with animal's entrails and tied to the cross near slaughtered cows and pigs. The reference to ancient mysteries is supposed to cause katharsis effect and help to get rid of aggression and that should lead to mystic submersion in the universe.

The photographs from Schwarzkogler's project, where near the balls made of bandages, razor blades and scissors the body of Cibulka appears, are perfect configuration of elements presented in black and white poetry. Soft, vulnerable body meets the hardness of metal. It occurs bloodstained, fettered, full of suffering.

The photos from so called "material actions of Muehl show the body among foodstuffs sprinkled with flour and "used" just like any other substance.

In case of Brus, photos present his own body, often painted white and given in to self-aggression. Brus in the age of doubting in any moral values attacked the human who he embodied himself.

The exhibition "Body in Viennese Actionism" presents the works of Heinz Cibulka connected with Nitsch's actions, photos from Schwarzkogler's actions, where the body is a main mean of expression and also pictures from Hummel's collection, showing the works of Muehl and Brus.

Heinz Cibulka - born in 1943. In years 1957-61 he studied in Graphische Lehr- Versuchanstalt, in Vienna. Through ten years 1965-75 he was a model in Hermann Nitsch's actions. His body was "used" also in actions of Rudolf Schwarzkogler. Since 1972 Cibulka has started creating photo cycles and pictures-objects in searching of his own artistic way. He has never lost the connection with some aspects of Viennese Actionism (like sensuality, life as a mystery, putting accent on a body). Since 1975 he has been photographing Nitsch's actions. Now Heinz Cibulka is preparing cycle of collages about Poland.

I am my body
My body is for itself
Just like the universe is for itself
My body is a place of conclusion of the universe being thought by me
My body is an incident
Between my inner cosmos and the outer cosmos (.) Everything is in me
As I am in everything
I am constantly excited
And because of my excitement
My body is the universe's touch

Heinz Cibulka ( about taking part in Hermann Nitsch's actions - as a model)