It lacked the innocent naiveté of the British and the negative dialectics of the Italians and saw technology very early as a kind of prosthesis – again in immediate contact with and immediately experienced through the body. Secondly, the Austrians had a different attitude towards technology.
The work was deeply indebted to the body art and performances of the Viennese Aktionists and more in general to the Austrian tradition of language skepticism, dating back to the nineteen twenties, which caused gestures, pantomime, and dance to take central stage. More than in England and even more than in Italy, the Austrians made 1:1 installations and working prototypes, in which the focus was on psychophysiological experiences. The human body, its bodily functions, gender and gestures are at the center of all work.
What characterizes Austrian radicals compared to Italian and English radicals of the same period?įirst of all, the physicality.
