The mural »Nobility of Labor« by the artist Franz Kralicek, perhaps realized in collaboration with the artist Elisabeth Benedikt, at the corner of Faulmanngasse/Operngasse in Vienna's 4th district, presumably in 1937 or in 1938, is the starting point for my course. We will examine performative interventions, temporary memorials and historical monuments and co-negotiate the period of Austrofascism (1933/34 to 1938), historical continuities and the beginning of the Nazi era. We will ask questions about the meaningfulness of historical contextualization of sites/memorials which are marked as toxic. We will discuss arguments of cancel culture and rethink contemporary commemoration. Cooperation partner for the students and the course is KÖR Kunst im öffentlichen Raum Wien. Cornelia Offergeld, the curatorial director of KÖR, will be in constant dialogue with us.

* Elke Krasny used this wording at the conference »Marble. Bronze. Responsibility. Colloquium for Change at Lueger-Platz«, on November 7, 2021 at the Mumok in Vienna.

Participants are required to attend the course regularly, prepare the readings and join the discussions actively.

The goal of the course is to develop a performative intervention or a temporary memorial.

The course offers a limited number of participants.

Registrations will be confirmed on March 08, 2022.

The course will be presented at the Kick-Off event of the Department of Site-Specific Art on Thursday, March 3, 2022 at 10 am at Paulusplatz 5 in 1030 Vienna. All questions regarding the course can be discussed there.