Once I had presented work by Günter Brus in my gallery several times and had included ‘Aktionsfotos’ (Actions pictures) by Otto Muehl and Hermann Nitsch in group exhibitions, I was included in the mailing list of the Friedrichshof, Otto Muehl’s commune.
One day, I received a visit by a girl. She was interested in the drawings I owned by Brus and Nitsch. According to her, these belonged in the Friedrichshof archive and she proposed an exchange with recent work by Muehl. I didn’t want to make a deal.
Shortly afterwards, I got in touch with Theo Altenberg, editor of the magazine AA Kommune Nachrichten (commune news). He told me that Muehl intended to make a film about Vincent van Gogh and also said to me that I could be part of the cast, the only condition being that I had to stay in the Friedrichshof commune for a while.
Undoubtedly, it would have been an interesting experience. As I had my sincere doubts about whether my relationship with my girlfriend would be able to withstand a stay in the commune, I decided not to accept this offer. In hindsight, to some extent, I do regret this decision.
The film Vincent was ready by 1984.
This and much more on Otto Muehl in: ART, NO-ART & ANTI-ART (160pp, ed. Galerie A, 2019).
NOW IN THE SHOP:
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• Otto Muehl, Otto Kodex, felt-tip pen and colour on paper, 2001
(archive Galerie A)
