Simon Wachsmuth
Evil Spirits – Measures for Revitalization
The exhibition takes as its inspiration the play Mother Courage and Her Children, one of the most famous anti-war dramas of the 20th century. Bertolt Brecht’s legendary work is set in various locations of the Thirty Years’ War. The main character is modelled on “Courasche, the vagabond” from Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen’s picaresque novel Trutz Simplex published at the end of the 17th century. Wachsmuth’s works reflect the impact of violence and war on people. Violence and power are also issues addressed in the work entitled Saligia, a cluster of cast bronze human arms symbolising the seven deadly sins. Saligia is, in fact, an acronym formed from the initial letters of the Latin terms for these sins.
Wachsmuth adopts and alienates theatrical forms in order to determine, in the Brechtian sense, how historical narratives can be deconstructed and how their as yet untapped potential for resistance to authoritarian conditions can be unlocked. To this end, he makes use of chassis, puppets and hand gestures, not forgetting an evil spirit that also has a hand in the proceedings.
Curator: Brigitte Reutner-Doneus
Date | Title | Time |
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Tue 08.04 | Baby Tour: Was würde Mutter Courage tun? Auf den Spuren ihres Spirits durch Vergangenheit und Gegenwart Ein entspannter Rundgang durch die Ausstellung, der ganz auf die Bedürfnisse von Besucher*innen mit Baby abgestimmt ist. Kosten: nur Museumseintritt | 10:30 am–11:30 am |
Sat 12.04 | Guided tour in Austrian Sign Language (ÖGS) through “Simon Wachsmuth” Tour with a sign language interpreter in Austrian Sign Language (ÖGS). Duration: 1 hour. Free for individuals with hearing impairments. No registration required. | 4:00 pm–5:00 pm |
Thu 17.04 | Artist talk with “Simon Wachsmuth” The artist Simon Wachsmuth in conversation with Christian Dewald (historian, educator and senior researcher at the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Digital History, Vienna) Cost: € 4 plus admission, registration requested | 6:00 pm–7:00 pm |
Sun 27.04 | Family workshop: Thinking about war with children.![]() Together with the artist Osama Zatar, we transform our (toy) weapons into things that don’t destroy life, but make it more beautiful. We will develop peace utopias and get to know our different life experiences and cultural backgrounds. The workshop is aimed at people of all ages with and without experience of war. Admission free, registration requested | 2:00 pm–4:00 pm |
Publication
On the occasion of the exhibition Simon Wachsmuth. Seven Deadly Sins, a catalog was published in 2022 by Zilberman Gallery Berlin. It features contributions by Andris Brinkmanis, Bettina Klein, Lotte Laub, and Simon Wachsmuth. 78 pages, €19.
This and other publications will soon be available at the Lentos Shop or online at shop.museenderstadtlinz.at.
Cooperation
The exhibition was created in collaboration with Galerie Zilberman, Istanbul/Berlin.
Collaboration
The exhibition was realized in cooperation with Zilberman Gallery, Istanbul/Berlin.