EVENT LANGUAGE: GERMAN

In his performances, the artist Alexander Hempel deliberately plays with the expectations and attitudes of his audience. Through his performative gestures, he addresses his audience directly and thus involves them in his critical reflection, which is often aimed at an examination of social conventions and the institutional context in which the performance takes place. The interaction results in a blurring of the boundaries between art and everyday life, between private and public.

Another couple of years have passed since the last show and I don’t have time to look up exactly when it was on because I have to concentrate on this little announcement text. The fried thoughts and ideas are already lying around somewhere. Some are well dried, a few are still quite damp, some are dripping wet. Just the way I like it. I can hardly wait to turn them into a successful evening of dancing and sharing them with you like sisters and brothers. For all of you who are new, there are, as always, a few best-offs to get to know each other and warm up. For all of you who have been with us for a while, i.e. you connoisseurs and those of you who have been part of the small scene from the start. There are fewer and fewer of us! Most are disappearing slowly, insidiously, like when you stop taking a drug that has done or failed to do its job. A few have left us abruptly, without a word of farewell. But we will meet again in Vienna and can finally relax. There is no longer any reason to look up from below or down from above, as I have to admit I did myself until very recently. I can’t do it anymore. I was wrong. I have lied. I have cheated. I have bent you to my will. I was full of love and now I can’t take any more. Let me finally drink from the water of your swollen skins! Atrophy here we go!That’s what I thought it would be like, only not quite so coherent, but drawn out with dead ends and pointless detours.
Simply Hempel, as always. One last time, as always.

I’ve missed you so much!
Alexander

Exact address: Schönlaterngasse 5, Staircase 8, 1st floor, 1010 Vienna