At the same time, Viennese Actionism shocked Austrians, forever transforming the country’s conception of what art could be. Blood, nudity, and excrement characterized its anti-bourgeois performances that sometimes saw its chief protagonists hauled away by the police. Galerie Krinzinger’s Viewing Room features works by some of the movement’s most well-known representatives: photographs of performances by Günter Brus (b. 1938), Otto Mühl (1925–2013), and Rudolf Schwarzkogler (1940–1969) as well as a painting by Hermann Nitsch (b. 1938). The Viennese Actionists’ visceral oeuvres influenced performance grandees such as Chris Burden (1946–2015) and Marina Abramović (b. 1946), whose works are also included in the booth. 

The later decades of the 20th century saw many Latin American artists address the continent’s political turmoil in their practice. Six eloquent examples compose Galería Isabel Aninat’s Viewing Room. The emancipation of Brazilian women is central to the work of Analivia Cordeiro (b. 1954), while Chilean artist collective C.A.D.A. (Art Actions Collective, founded 1979) and Carlos Leppe (1952–2015) address the oppression of marginalized individuals, such as the widows of the Pinochet regime’s opponents and members of the LGBTQI+ community. In addition, two lush paintings by Eugenio Téllez (b. 1939) hint at the region’s colonial conquest and its irreversible consequences.

The 1980s and 1990s were also a period of newly found freedom in Brazil, which transitioned from a military dictatorship to a democracy in 1985. Fortes D’Aloia & Gabriel will show works by five female Brazilian artists who emerged during these years – all of which have since then achieved recognition. What unites the sculptures, paintings, and installations of Leda Catunda (b. 1961), Jac Leirner (b. 1961), Beatriz Milhazes (b. 1960), Valeska Soares (b. 1957), and Adriana Varejão (b. 1964) is their exploration of Brazilian history, identity, and heritage, often by using organic or found materials.

Michael Rosenfeld Gallery titled its presentation ‘Figuring America’. Featuring paintings by Benny Andrews (1930–2006), Milton Avery (1885–1965), Beauford Delaney (1901–1979), a charcoal drawing by Charles White (1918–1979), as well as sculptures by Richmond Barthé (1901–1989) and Nancy Grossman(b. 1940), it forms a small survey of striking Postwar American portraiture. By showcasing a diverse group of artists, many of which actively expressed their political views throughout their careers, the gallery’s ‘OVR:20c’ presentation not only reflects on the past but also resonates with the present.

'OVR:20c’ opens to designated VIPs on Wednesday, October 28, 12 noon CET. Public days will follow from Friday, October 30, 12 noon CET to Saturday, October 31, 12 midnight CET.

Discover all galleries participating in ‘OVR:20c’ here.