Hermann Nitsch (29 August 1938 – 18 April 2022) Born in Vienna, Nitsch is regarded as one of

Hermann Nitsch (29 August 1938 – 18 April 2022)

Born in Vienna, Nitsch is regarded as one of the most versatile contemporary artists, whose practice ranged from performance, to painting, composing (symphonies, organ concerts), and set design. 

The artist is known for staging radical and controversial performances as part of the Viennese Actionism movement, of which he was a crucial founder. 

His performances and paintings often incorporated blood, flesh and viscera, among other materials. 

His painting actions first took place in the 1950s, when he conceived his famed Theatre of Orgies and Mysteries (O.M.Theatre), a provocative, intensive sensory experience of various substances and fluids.

Hermann Nitsch, Schüttbild (action painting), 20th painting action, Secession Vienna 1987. Oil on canvas, 200 x 300 cm. Photo by Liesl Biber. Courtesy of the Nitsch Foundation. ©Atelier Hermann Nitsch.