steirischer herbst

“Horror Patriae”: The dark side of the fatherland

In his video, Piotr Urbaniec dissects the post-romantic notions of the Alps.

(Bild: Piotr Urbaniec)

Director Ekaterina Degot describes the "Horror Patriae" exhibition curated by her and her team at the Neue Galerie in Graz as the centerpiece of steirischer herbst. It is an antithesis to the long outdated national museums and shows patriotism from a wide variety of perspectives.

The collection of the cooperation partner Neue Galerie, but also some other departments of the Universalmuseum Joanneum were a real treasure trove for Ekaterina Degot and her team of curators. Like many other "national museums", the depots contain pieces from days long gone that bear witness to racism, resentment and a good dose of megalomania.

Josef Feid's "Anastasius Grün on the Loser" (1835)

(Bild: UMJ/N. Lackner)

The arrogant "reconstruction" of a Slavic costume, the pathetic depiction of the German nationalist Anastasius Grün, who translated Slovenian poetry as a hobby, a commemorative plaque to protect the homeland, politically infused maps or a "Völkertafel" from the Ausseerland region, which lists the typical (and rather fictitious) characteristics of the respective peoples, are examples of this interwoven into the exhibition. They were all intended to promote national awareness and promote differentiation from foreigners.

Contemporary art as a counterpoint
In contrast, there are works by almost 30 contemporary artists, many of which are commissioned works that deal with patriotism and nationalism and question traditional narratives.

A still from "Noreia" by Jan Peter Hammer.

(Bild: Jan Peter Hammer)

Jan Peter Hammer's video, which tells the story of the Styrian village of "Noreia" (originally St. Margarethen) and the Germanic monument in Neumarkt, is fascinating. An incorrect historical classification as the most important Germanic battle site from the 1930s still has an impact today.

The "Heimattempel" as an exhibition chapter in the Neue Galerie.

(Bild: UMJ/J. J. Kucek)

Alina Kleytman's video "The Place to See Before You Die", which advertises trips to Kharkiv, is a tourism parody that will give you the creeps. Thomas Hörl's perchten-like "Ancestral Gallery", which greets you as soon as you enter the staircase, is also creepy. The icing that makes up Pablo Bronstein's infinite historicist building in Graz also tastes rather bitter here.

Feminine rebelliousness
Positions such as VALIE EXPORT or Renate Bertelmann show the female resistance against a dictatorship of patriotism. And Helene Thümmel's election campaign slogans cut out of newspapers or Hannes Priesch's flags oppose current nationalist tendencies.

Ekaterina Degot and her team have succeeded in creating an exhibition that clarifies the misconceptions and misunderstandings surrounding the concepts of homeland and fatherland, which are quite simply worth thinking about. It will be on display until February 16, 2025.

Ekaterina Degot with curators and artists in the Neue Galerie.

(Bild: UMJ/J. J. Kucek)

Eröffnung im Lesliehof

Wurzeln gegen den Sturm der Zeiten

steirischer herbst 2024 opened with the traditional speech by artistic director Ekaterina Degot under the motto "Horror Patriae". In it, she addressed the all-important concepts of roots and origins. "We want roots, we want to be firmly anchored in the ground so that the storm of time does not sweep us away."

The central concept here is roots, origins. It is not the place, not the homeland that is decisive, but the strong, indestructible connection to it, which will not be severed even if you live abroad.

herbst-Intendantin Ekaterina Degot

This also means that we oppose the new. Degot identifies a socially accepted conservatism. "Of course, the new has not completely disappeared from our horizons. But it has completely migrated to technology and is managed by a few super-rich managers."

Conservatism stands for preservation, and in matters of nature this is to be advocated. But not when it comes to art. "Art is a construction, an invention, a fake, a mirage." She also sees national identities as such, as collective dreams. "National dreams helped many, but also excluded many and left some dead. There are many tragedies in them, but also many comedies."

She sees the source of comedy in the artificial, in the construct. And this year's steirischer herbst is "one gigantic performance of national identities, which are funny simply because they are a performance and not real life".