Young Austrian artist Clemens Krauss, DNA - Die Neue Aktionsgalerie is presenting him and his actual art work from June 6 to July 6, 2003, is convinced that the human body perceive, register and reflect every single impuls somebody is exposed to. He is not only proceeding from the most elementary needs as eating, drinking or sleeping but as well from our mental engagements and the phenomenon of collecting and forgetting informations we are receiving from medias, books, streets, education, etc. Everything is impressed in different levels and forms in our memory and it is mirroring itself on our physical appearance (bodies).

The conviction of the performer and painter, but also doctor and biologist who is living between Berlin and Vienna brought him within last eight months to intensive observing and analysing his body and changes caused under all kind of external impulses. If we recall the fact that artists were irritated by their own faces and bodies already through centuries, it is not a coincidence that Krauss wanted to express his observations within the motive of self-portrait, too. But it happens in an obvious way of digression from traditional types of this genre. „Es kommt nicht darauf an, was ich male, sondern in welchem Kontext ich etwas male. Momentan ist es vor allem der eigene Körper, der mich interessiert und mir als sicherer vertrauter Ausgangspunkt jederzeit zur Verfügung steht. – It isn’t important what I’m painting but in which context I’m painting it. At the moment my own body is object of my interest and a safe and intimate starting point which is always available.“ He is showing around 30 abstractly arranged small oil/silicone canvases (30x30 cm) depicted with different details of his (changing) body. The paintings are accompanied – as an important equivalent - by prints in similar sizes and the opening performance.

Krauss, who loves irritations and provocations – the audience for example was faced with them on the Liverpool Biennial last year and later when he was cooperating with the Viennese group Gelatin - will embody and reflect his ideas of eight months researches further in the opening performance with the title 100 EURO Auktion.

The opening of the exhibition Teil eines langsamen Selbstporträts of Clemens Krauss will be on June 5, 2003 at 7pm in the DNA - Die Neue Aktionsgalerie on Auguststr. 20, 10117 Berlin.
Dr. Monika Krol from Kulturforum Österreichische Botschaft, Berlin articulates the greetings. In the words of his perceivings Johann Nowak, DNA gallery, will initiate us in the work of the artist.
Later the performance 100 EURO Auktion will follow.

A catalog is published for the exhibition.

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