Rudolf Schwarzkogler

Born 1940 Vienna, Austria

Died 1969 in Vienna, Austria

Rudolf Schwarzkogler (*1940 in Vienna and died 1969 in Vienna, Austria) left behind a very impressive oeuvre after his tragic and premature passing at only 28 years old.

Born in Vienna in 1940, he attended the Graphic Teaching Institute there and later enrolled at University of Applied Arts. His artistic work consists of paintings, montages, drawings and textual works. Actions were also part of his oeuvre, mostly documented photographically and performed without an audience. Except Hochzeit, his first action, which took place in front of a small circle of invited friends. From the mid-1960s on, he created many of his works and collaborations within the framework of Viennese Actionism (Wiener Aktionismus) as one of the co-founders of the movement. The works often had a ritual, spiritual character. They dealt with medical as well as psychological themes, for which clinical utensils were used. Beyond the circle of Viennese Actionism, Rudolf Schwarzkogler’s artistic expression was considered an important role model for artists both nationally and internationally.

Although the artist struggled with opening his work to a wider audience during his lifetime, his artist friends and life partner have been able to bring his work to the public posthumously. In retrospect, works by Schwarzkogler have been presented at important art festivals, like Documenta 5, the 46th Biennale di Venezia or the 4th Biennale de Lyon. His work has also been shown in group and solo exhibitions at Austrian institutions such as MUMOK, Belvedere, Neue Galerie Graz, Galerie nächst St. Stephan, as well as renowned international institutions like MoMa, Centre Pompidou, Ropac gallery and Hauser & Wirth. The first solo show of Schwarzkogler at Galerie Krinzinger took place in 1976 at its then location in Innsbruck. Since then, the galley has hosted several solo and group shows presenting the artist’s legacy.