PERSONA

The exhibition PERSONA explores how artists stage their own persona as a work of art, raising questions about identity, the body, and self-image.

Arnulf Rainer experimented with the expressive distortion of his face and body in his Face Farces and Body Poses. Irene Andessner reflects on visual perception and identity attribution in her staged self-portraits. Michael Horsky integrates himself as a mutable motif into his paintings, presenting identity as a continuous process of transformation.

The term persona, originally referring to the mask in ancient theater, here represents an artistic strategy oscillating between authenticity and fiction. The exhibition brings together artistic positions that do not view identity as static but as constructed and ever-changing.

In addition to works by Arnulf Rainer, Irene Andessner, and Michael Horsky, the exhibition features pieces by Carolee Schneemann, Maria Lassnig, and Kiki Kogelnik, as well as photographs by René Magritte, Jean Cocteau, Robert Mapplethorpe, and Man Ray.

We warmly invite you to the opening on April 10, 2025, and look forward to welcoming you!

 

 

Exhibition: PERSONA – Arnulf Rainer, Irene Andessner, Michael Horsky & others
Duration: April 10 – May 16, 2025
Opening: April 10, 6–9 PM | Opening remarks by Christa Armann & Johannes Faber. Artists Irene Andessner and Michael Horsky will be present.
Venue: Galerie Ruberl, Himmelpfortgasse 11, 1010 Vienna
Opening hours: Tue–Fri, 10 AM – 6 PM & by appointment
Program: VIENNA CITY GALLERY WALK