Installation, Performance and Stories

Happy Death is a project about our fears of the unknown. Many of us feel uncomfortable speaking to strangers in the streets. Therefore I created this project, which relies entirely on the spontaneity and generosity of random people I meet in the streets. First time staged in Vienna, a city I had never visited before, nor knew anyone, I dressed in a uniform to take on the appearance of a functionary working for an official organization. I would walk around and approach strangers and ask them to participate in my project by donating a piece of personal clothing and tell me the story of the garment's significance. For this I would visit the donors at an agreed time at their homes or offices. These collected garments were then sewn together to create a big web-like installation.

The society Web

This sculpture comprised of mostly donated pieces of clothing is the web of people I met on my rounds in Vienna.

Getting lost in the society web

This installation is easy to get lost in. The structure of it also resembles the structure of the brain of the nerve synapsis.

Ich

Main protagonist of the Society Drama

Ich

A prisoner’s overall and a bell to be awoken by.

On the day of the Performance

Beginning of performance. Individual trapped in the stories and hierarchy structures of the society web.

Talking angry nonsense.

Completely lost in the unconscious dream, the main protagonist talks incessantly, laughing and screaming and banging the floor angrily with her fists.

She does not see the real world around her

She is deeply absorbed in her stories. To an outsider it just sounds like nonsense babbling.

The dream isn't a pretty one

Being lost in this dream can be pretty painful.

The ringing of the bell

Everything is suddenly interrupted!

Where am I

The protagonist wakes up and is completely disoriented.

Waking up

The bell just rang!

Slumber on....

She sings the cantata by Bach #82 “It is Enough” and liberates herself from her imprisonment little by little.

To see you I have to die a little

To really see one another each of us has to let go of the stories wo carry in our heads and surrender to the open moment. This feels like a little death.

dismantling the society dream

All the voices and shadows of the dream need to be ripped down and pulled away t make space for reality.

Der Abschied ist gemacht, Zeit, gute Nacht

I have taken leave, time good night (excerpt from the last aria of Bach’s Cantata 82 “It is Enough”)

Death of the society web

At the end of the performance the overpowering society structure has been dismantled and all that’s left is a little pile of fabric.

U.K.

I bought these pants in Paris. Originally it was supposed to be tiger pants, which then mutated into a zebra. Maybe this is also better in life to become a zebra, a wise, bearable being. Maybe I was looking for the stamina, gentleness, wisdom and beauty of the zebra. Then, however, my pants had become too tight.
July, 5th 2007

Peter Krüger

Works at the Pharmacist’s Association.
Received us nicely and even rebooked a meeting!
To this suit: “Office suit that has served well for many years. actually the son wanted to have it...” To the question, what the son’s occupation was: “ Unfortunately nothing real, somehow photography! I thanked explicitly for the donation and the support of my project and he adds, that he certainly wouldn't have given this suit to just anyone, This might be politically incorrect, but he certainly wouldn't have given it to a Negro! To my question why? Those people indeed don’t need suits!!!
Monday June 11th 2007

Ilya Shinkar

Ji and Erwin Wurm

Ji, my former-Husband.

Erwin Wurm: Down jacket too short and slips up while skiing, Monday, June 4th 2007

Christoph Raitmayr and Cyrille Zola-Place

Christoph Raitmayr:
Turtleneck sweater dark blue. He likes to wear turtleneck sweaters because they give him a feeling of security. He feels safer with them. This has now been worn out. June 8th, 2007

Cyrille Zola-Place ( Munich):
(The beautiful one with the long eyelashes, who also likes to bathe in mercury lakes)
Der Anzug ist elf Jahre alt (1996 gekauft am Flughafen Roissy für eine kurzfristig am Flughafen erhaltene Einladung zu einer New Yorker Hochzeit. Er trägt diesen Anzug seit sechs Jahren nicht mehr. Das Jackett hat eine drei-viertel Länge, darum seit Jahren nicht mehr trendy. June 12th, 2007

Claudia Plank and Flavio Bezzola

Claudia Plank: partner in Life of Werner Poschauko (the one with the orange flag-shirt) Today is her birthday. Happy Birthday!!!
The green shirt fits well to the pants.
June 11th 2007

Flavio Bezzola: My dear brother-heart.
Baggy Jeans: You don’t have any wide jeans, without that, you can’t listen to Hip-Hop!!!
June 16th 2007

Ernst Würdinger und Alexander Karner

Ernst Würdinger:
He always pronounces his name very clearly.
Semi-lined, slightly summery jacket, worn out. He bought it in Vienna. It was very expensive and he had a very bad conscience! Probably bought at Braun.

Alexander Karner:
Favorite pants for a year. Then, unfortunately, the rear end was ripped open. The last journey was to the travel agency. The flyer of possible journeys is still in the pocket.
June 8th, 2007

Dorothee Golz and Eva Schlegel

Dorothee Golz:
Bought these pants in a fit of good humor. But then she realized that she was never in a good enough mood for such yellow pants! Over a glass of red wine on Monday evening.
June 4th, 2007

Eva Schlegel:
Pants from Lucca (Italy) from 1997. At that time she was in Tuscany with friends. On the last evening they all sat together, and suddenly they could hear a little owl:Kiwitt, Kiwitt…!!! One of the friends then explained that this was a bad sign, because that meant, come along, come along. Someone will die tonight! Then everyone went to sleep in a somewhat tarnished and gloomy mood. The next morning the same Owl was lying dead in the swimming pool.
June 6th 2007

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