20.07.–23.09.2018
1 Picture in Café

Cafe Cult #85

As part of the exhibition series in Café Cult #85 the Salzburger Kunstverein is showing one of its editions.

Natalia Nikitin
Dmitri Prigow
2002
Fine Art Print, laminated
90 x 60 cm
Edition: 10/10
Price: EUR 500

A Poet in the Hell
The photograph shows the Russian poet Dmitri Prigov during the preparations for his performance in Vienna (2002). Already at that time he was not in good health—he died in 2007. Prigov sits at the table and fixes a construction that has to elevate him from his chair. At the end of his performance, he will be shouting his texts hanging high on this construction—almost under the ceiling. Behind him one sees an assistant that will operate the construction. That is what the photograph shows. It is not quite what it conveys and suggests.
The whole scene looks like a scene of interrogation and torture. Prigov is under an intense light as if he is going to be interrogated. The device attached to him looks like a torture machine—and the guy in the background looks like a guard. One has an impression that Prigov will not read his poetry but instead emit unarticulated sounds in a high pitch. In fact, this is what will happen. During his last performances Prigov produced shouts and cries forcing his voice as far as he could. In this sense, the photograph creates an atmosphere that perfectly corresponds to the atmosphere of Prigov’s late poetry. And, yes, it is precisely this particular photograph that creates this atmosphere. The same scene could be photographed in a different way—and the atmosphere would be also quite different. The gaze of the photographer was—consciously or unconsciously—informed by the filmic and TV scenes of forced interrogation. Prigov’s reading technique was informed by the same scenes. Every age has its specific image of the Hell – light, poses, voices, mechanical devices. The photograph shows its protagonist in the middle of our contemporary Hell—remaining quiet, concentrated and ready for everything that will come. Boris Groys

Shown and produced for the exhibition Punctum, 2014.

We offer art work for sale in the form of Editions. Often made specifically for our program by artists who have exhibited with us, these Editions range from prints to photographs. They make a great gift, or why not expand your art collection? To purchase an Edition, please contact our office or go our shop.