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Further
to our exhibition Heroines, concerning the 1970’s work of the
performance artists Ana Mendieta, Carolee Schneemann and VALIE EXPORT, we
now turn our attention to the Viennese artist Elke Krystufek. Her
spiritual pedigree is impressive given that she grew up with, among other
things, the tempestuous work of the Vienna Actionists. For instance, in
1997 she performed a much-discussed striptease at the Galerie Nikolai
Wallner in Copenhagen. The shocking aspect of this act was that it did not
represent any traditional striptease act, but rather was ‘restricted’ to
the act of removing clothes. The highlight was when she shoved a large cup
between her thighs and urinated in it – only to drink its contents a short
while later.
Over the
years Krystufek has continued to expand her artistic repertoire. Aside
from her subversive performances, her search for ‘self exploration’
manifests itself primarily in her paintings. In the countless
self-portraits she had made in the past, Krystufek has ‘exposed’ herself
to the viewer – literally and figuratively. Her autobiographic search in
her paintings has now reached the point where past and present
personalities who fascinate her are intermingled, personalities she has
never met personally but appeal to her nonetheless.
In this 2nd
exhibition at Akinci Krystufek uses the portrait of Vivienne Westwood to
make a link with her sweeping approach, which she has striven to achieve
in her recent exhibitions. For instance, in our exhibition entitled
Samadhi (meditative absorption, whereby the meditating
individual gives up his or her identity) she not only exhibits paintings,
but also presents an installation with video, collages, furniture and
clothing she has designed herself. Needless to say, it’s not about a
traditional design, but rather playing with forms and their meaning, such
as a Swastica as a bookcase meets ‘Menorah’ a Jewish giant candelabrum.
The clothing is partly found at flea markets, pieces of material that she
has enriched with applications, paintings and text, comparable with her
collages.
What is
the portrait of Vivienne Westwood doing in this collection? Elke
Krystufek has a connection with the personalities who occur in her
portraits, because she identifies with their mentality: the enfant
terrible Westwood returns in the extravagant objects of Krystufek...
Elke
Krystufek was born in 1970 in Vienna where she lives and works. Despite
her youth, she already has an extensive and versatile career behind her.
In 1989 she exhibited her work for the first time at the group exhibition
‘Sie betreten die Akademie’ held at the Akademie der Bildenden Künste in
Vienna, from which she graduated in 1988. Since then she has contributed
to a large number of solo and group exhibitions all over the world. Her
first large retrospective exhibition was held in 2003: ‘Naked & Mobile
–Elke Krystufek’ at the Sammlung Essl, Vienna and the GEM in The Haque.
Other solo exhibitions include ‘Needs’, Galerie Georg Kargl, Vienna, 2004
; ’Communifrontationsilence’, Galerie Akinci, Amsterdam, 2003; ‘He can’t
make babies, so he eats them’, Emily Tsingou gallery, London, 2002; ‘In
the Arms of Luck’, Galerie Drantmann, Brussels, 2001; ‘Nobody has to
know’, Portikus, Frankfurt, 2000; ‘I am your mirror’, Secession, Vienna,
1997. Elke Krystufek’s contributions to group exhibitions include her
participation in ‘Men in Contemporary Art’, Nikolaj Udstillingsbygning,
Copenhagen, 2001 and the Bienal de Sao Paulo, 1998. Elke Krystufek is also
famous for her performances, the most widely talked-about being
‘Satisfaction’, Kunsthalle Wien, Vienna, 1994 and ‘The Golden Show’,
Galleri Nicolai Wallner, 1997.
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