Monthly performance salon – die Dondrine, Vienna (AT)

Duration: March – June 2011

SHOWESQUE is a performance salon, taking place once a month in a Viennese bar, die Dondrine. Artists and students are invited to use the bar as a unique platform to perform in a public space outside of the institutional frame. The performance series emphasizes on pushing the boundaries between Fine Arts, Music and Literature. The site- specific characteristics gives the artists the opportunity to intervene in the everyday bar situation and to demonstrate their works to a different audience. For the performances it is possible to use the stage, which was especially built, in one of the bar’s shop windows. Therefore, an interaction with the passersby on the street can happen as well. SHOWESQUE is aiming to continue with a tradition of former Viennese performance salon projects, like the Salon Lady Chutney, or the Freitagsaktionen von Heimo Zobernig und Alfons Egger, etc. National and international stars of today’s performance art scene used to show their renowned works in front of a small audience in an often tiny space. Now, relics of these pieces – photo documentations, props, sound or video recordings- are very valuable and part of an important strand of art history. The organization team of Showesque is a group of women*- a graphic designer, three art students and a musician. We appear as hosts in grotesque costumes.

The project’s main focus is to investigate the cutting surface between the artistic live event, the documentation and its perception afterwards. Through narrative instruments and different media, we want to find out how we, as authors and initiators, can influence the mediation of the events and blur the boundaries between fiction and reality.

Performances, performative Installations and Interventions by:
Roman Achitz, Veronika Burger, Verena Duerr, GRIM VAN DANGO & Gerda von Gschissenberger, Judith Grünauer, Christoph Hoeden, Alfred Lenz, Alexander D. Martinz, Teresa Novotny, Ulla Rauter, Sarah Rechberger, Magdalena von Rudy, TUTTI FRUTTIE BLONDIE, Oskar Werner Zahrer, Nicole Weniger & Dorothea Zeyringer.

Photo and video documentary by:

Thomas Albdorf, Veronika Burger, Judith Grünauer, Suzie Léger, Irma Tulek & Anna Werzowa

Graphic design by:

Irma Tulek

Flyer images by:

Veronika Burger & Anna Werzowa