Concurrent with Hermann Nitsch’s exhibition, Leo Koenig Inc. Projekte is pleased to present a solo exhibition by Austrian artist Paul Renner. “The Consecration of the Bar” is an exhibition in dialogue with the “Die Apotheke / The Pharmacy”. This is Mr. Renner’s second show at Leo Koenig Inc. At the center of Renner’s installation is a bar filled with various kinds of Austrian Schnapps, homemade pates and marinated fruits contained in laboratory vessels, distillation flasks, and Murano glass. Inspired by Renner’s designs, the art... Read more

Concurrent with Hermann Nitsch’s exhibition, Leo Koenig Inc. Projekte is pleased to present a solo exhibition by Austrian artist Paul Renner. “The Consecration of the Bar” is an exhibition in dialogue with the “Die Apotheke / The Pharmacy”. This is Mr. Renner’s second show at Leo Koenig Inc.

At the center of Renner’s installation is a bar filled with various kinds of Austrian Schnapps, homemade pates and marinated fruits contained in laboratory vessels, distillation flasks, and Murano glass. Inspired by Renner’s designs, the artist Roland Adlassnigg created the bar counter, and Murano glass expert Massimo Lunardon designed various glass vessels and a special schnapps glass. The bar will remain open, serving drinks until the stock has run out, that is until it has been drunk dry, and all the food has been devoured. This process is what Renner refers to as an applied form of social sculpture and could last several days. This work carries on Renner’s interest in those historical moments when the culture becomes so refined that it falls back into itself…Decadence.

The exhibition also presents Renner’s latest series of paintings, “Tableau Personnel.” These works revolve around the most essential concepts of Renner’s creative work and aim to transform the bar into something of the sublime.

The pairing of the artists Paul Renner and Hermann Nitsch is no accident. The two artists have a long history. Mr. Renner was Hermann Nitsch’s assistant in the 1970’s and directed Nitsch’s three-day action performance in 1984. He has been cooking at Nitsch’s actions since 2000. The artists collaborated in Renner’s Theatrum Anonomicim at the Kunsthause Bregensz (Austria) in 2007. In 2004, Paul Renner, Medlar Lucan and Dorian Gray staged special performances called the “Hellfire Touring Club” which traveled through locales in Europe, including the Kunsthalle Wien. Paul Renner will be creating another social sculpture at the Timken Museum of Art, San Diego.