CABINET OF EXHAUSTION. The Exhibition
KUNSTHALLE EXNERGASSE, Vienna, 2022
Concept / Objects / Installations: Otmar Wagner
Model making: Sophie Eidenberger, Otmar Wagner
Object building: Mathias Lenz, Otmar Wagner
Sounds for Hammer modules: Peter Koger
With the help of: Katharina Fischer
The project was co-produced by WUK performing arts
and funded by the City of Vienna’s Department of Culture.
The concept of the exhibition plays with the idea of the ›Wunderkammer‹ (cabinet of curiosities). Objects developed especially for the exhibition are combined with staged natural objects, reworked installations and ›relics‹ from earlier performances.
The centrepiece of the exhibition is the material archive from Otmar Wagner's studio – a shelf with over 100 white boxes and aluminium cases, which he uses during the actions taking place in the room (see CABINET OF EXHAUSTION. The Performances).
»The historical cabinet of curiosities relates to my cabinet of curiosities like sculpture relates to ›living sculpture‹, dominion over things becomes participation in things, the spatial installation becomes a spatial fluctuation.«
Further information can be found in booklet no. 12 from WUK performing arts: A few notes / random thoughts / quotes about the project.
THE SPACE
THE OBJECTS / INSTALLATIONS
14
Antiquitates: DON CARMEN – BULL DUMMY (object for performative use; in memoriam Simone Galati)
Steel, wood, cow horn, bicycle wheel, velvet, sex toy (vibrator)
5
THE SHELF
80 banana boxes, 16 aluminum cases, 18 other boxes, head-compatible mirror ball, cage, overhead projector, wood
4
Artificialia: PILLAR SCRUBBERS 1+2
Motor, battery, brush, plexiglass, steel
18
FITNESSLOUNGE – Work Growth Art
Wood, fabric, pumps, paddles, fins, midi trigger system, headphones (more about this here)
12
Mirabilia: THE FLYING PHALLUS (Gabinetto Segreto Privato)
Soft PVC dildo, goose feathers, motor, cord, pulleys
2
SEVEN BOOKS FROM THE APOCALYPSE CYCLE
BOOK AFTER ACHAO (seaweed; 24 pages) / BOOK OF MEMORY (quill feathers, lead; 26 pages) / BOOK OF FEELINGS (used oil, water, stamps; 124 pages) / BOOK OF LIGHT (woodblock prints, dust, grain, fire; 94 pages) / BOOK OF ASSIMILATION (fiberglass mat, hair; 60 pages) / BOOK OF KNOWLEDGE (gold spray, gold foil stamping; 124 pages) / BOOK OF THE REAR GUARD (468 dried anchovies, pencil; 26 pages)
8
Naturalia: LINCKIA LAEVIGATA (Blue Starfish)
Origin: Gili Nanggu (Lombok, Indonesia)
11
BLACK & WHITE 2 – Street/Gallery + accompanying booklet
MODEL, scale: 1:50; various materials (more information here)
9
Scientifica: OSSICULA AUDITUS 1-4
Wood, electromechanics, hammers, sound modules, snippets of voices (from conversations with and lectures by Theodor W. Adorno, Hannah Arendt, Ernst Bloch, Erich Fromm, Martin Heidegger, Max Horkheimer, Herbert Marcuse, Peter Sloterdijk)
1
Mirabilia: TURBO TONGUE
Sex toy (vibrator), motion detector
10
Exotica: FEATHER MACHINES 1+2
Aluminum rods, feathers, motor, tempera
20
Mind Map 02: IDENTITY
various materials
15
Naturalia: PINNA NOBILIS (Noble pen shell)
Origin: Gulf of Trieste (Italy)
3
Mind Map 01: TERRA / MARE
various materials
17
Scientifica: PLAYSTATION – Make it Rain / Hyperobjects etc.
Record player, various unique vinyl records, LED
13
Mirabilia: SUONO SEGRETO 1+2
Zinc tubs, rubber bands, modified fans, motion detectors
21
THE CROCODILE (Homage to Ferrante Imperato)
Hard plastic
7
EARTHOLE THEME PARK + Guidebook
Earth, various model-making materials, prints, wood, loudspeakers, etc. (more information here)
6
BLACK & WHITE 1 – PEOPLE DYEING (Homage to Peter Basseler)
MODEL, scale: 1:25; various materials (more about this here)
19
Artificialia: THE SEVEN PILLARS OF IDENTITY
MODEL, scale: 1:75; foam board, plaster, wood
16
BLACK & WHITE 3 – Theatre + accompanying booklet
MODEL, scale: 1:50; various materials (more information here)