04715nam a22005895i 4500 978-3-031-74017-6 DE-He213 20251030114649.0 cr nn 008mamaa 241229s2024 sz | s |||| 0|eng d 9783031740176 978-3-031-74017-6 10.1007/978-3-031-74017-6 doi BH1-301 HPN bicssc PHI001000 bisacsh QDTN thema Guðmundsdóttir, Sólveig. author. aut http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/aut 89825 Subversive Esotericism and Aesthetic Radicalism [electronic resource] : The Myths and Rituals of Viennese Actionism / by Sólveig Guðmundsdóttir. 1st ed. 2024. Cham : Springer Nature Switzerland : Imprint: Palgrave Macmillan, 2024. IX, 315 p. 1 illus. online resource. text txt rdacontent computer c rdamedia online resource cr rdacarrier text file PDF rda Palgrave Studies in New Religions and Alternative Spiritualities, 2946-2665 1. Introduction -- 2. The Myth of the Blood Organ -- 3. The Nature of the Aesthetic Panorama -- 4. Performative Satanism and Pornographic Gestures -- 5. Radical Androgyny and Shamanic Rites -- 6. Conclusion. "An ambitious and illuminating work on one of the key movements of the neo-avant-garde. Sólveig Guðmundsdóttir sheds light on the important but hitherto neglected role of esoteric currents in Viennese actionism, tracing the links between esoteric notions and practices, political radicalism, aesthetic experimentalism and the countercultural milieu of the post-war period." – Benedikt Hjartarson, Professor of Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies, University of Iceland “Guðmundsdóttir’s research makes a valuable contribution to the academic field of art and esotericism. It illuminates the profound and complex ways in which late 20th century art, less studied in this context, has engaged with esotericism.” — Nina Kokkinen, Research Doctor at the Donner Institute for Research into Religion and Culture, Finland In this book, Sólveig Guðmundsdóttir uncovers the crucial role of esotericism in the art of the Vienna Actionists—a group of Austrian neo-avant-garde artists, infamous for their transgressive performance art. Addressing this frequently overlooked aspect of Actionism, Guðmundsdóttir traces, historicizes, and examines the esoteric discourses in selected works: the collective manifesto Die Blutorgel (1962), Rudolf Schwarzkogler’s text Das Ästhetische Panorama (1967/68) and the performances Abreaktionsspiel (1970) by Hermann Nitsch, and Zerreißprobe (1970) by Günter Brus. Mapping out the various discursive entanglements as they appear in the works, i.e. between esotericism and psychoanalysis, fascism, gender, sexuality, aesthetics, science, orientalism and religious discourses, the author illustrates and establishes the importance of esoteric traditions for the Actionists’ art and subversive practices. The historical analysis of the artworks reflects on the cultural nexus of post-war Austria, as well as the relations between radical politics, countercultures and esotericism, and how they appear in Actionism. Guðmundsdóttir argues that to survey the historical placement of esotericism is vital for understanding not only the context of their works, but also the contradictory image of the Actionists as both anti-authoritarian and reactionary artists. Sólveig Guðmundsdóttir is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Iceland. Aesthetics. 64000 Art Philosophy. 68956 Art History. 68955 Spirituality. 81338 Culture Study and teaching. 66082 Aesthetics. 64000 Philosophy of Art. 78989 Art History. 68957 Spirituality. 81338 Cultural Studies. 58745 SpringerLink (Online service) Springer Nature eBook Printed edition: 9783031740169 Printed edition: 9783031740183 Printed edition: 9783031740190 Palgrave Studies in New Religions and Alternative Spiritualities, 2946-2665 76749 https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-74017-6 ZDB-2-REP ZDB-2-SXPR 66171 66171