About this episode
The episode features an interview with Florentina Holzinger discussing her provocative performance at the Venice Biennale.
At the Venice Biennale, every two years, we expect big things from the artists picked to represent their countries. But I'm not sure anyone can quite prepare themselves for the universe of Florentina Holzinger. After years becoming a titan of the theater world, Holzinger is now getting one of the most visible slots in the art world, a national pavilion in the Giardini. She’s representing Austria this year for what is surely going to be one of the most talked about pavilions. Known for feminist performances that push the human body—and, by extension, the viewer—to their absolute limits, she does not shy away from nudity or sexuality. Flesh hooks, stunt artistry, live tattooing, bodily fluids, heavy machinery—all of it is in play, and none of it is trying to be polite. The physicality of her practice is not for the faint of heart, nor for her performers. Her work tends to divide a room, something Holzinger seems entirely unbothered by. Opening May 9th, her exhibition called “Seaworld Venice” fills the Austrian Pavilion with water, turning it into an underwater theme park and a fully functional sewage treatment plant. Audiences can be part of the work: they can urinate in the onsite…
People in this episode
Host: Kate Brown
Guest: Florentina Holzinger
Topics covered
- performance art
- Venice Biennale
- feminism
- ecology
- body art
Keywords
- Florentina Holzinger
- Venice Biennale
- performance art
- feminism
- ecology
- Seaworld Venice
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Austria
Books & works: Seaworld Venice
Places: Venice, Giardini
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