1987

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“‘Do you like what you are producing?”—I was often asked this. My answer: ‘You ate putting the question incorrectly. It has nothing to do wit someone’s personal taste. Old, long-revered art has also its direct hits and its white elephants. Let the new generation have a go. Let us give them an open stage. We shall know more definitely in a few years’ time, whether one produces momentary shooting-stars, or comes the next classic.” And so strokes of genius and trash alternate in the Styrian Autumn. But all in all it has withstood much confusion. Hence a reason for celebrating? A genuine anniversary? Celebrate? Is that sustainable? Hasn’t the Styrian Autumn always justified those for whom the celebration easily becomes a grimace? There was also a desire to remain underground.”
—Kurt Jungwirth (original booklet translation)

The motto for steirischer herbst in its twentieth year was Animal Art. For the opening, there was a peace performance by the American conceptual artist Paul Kos with fifty carrier pigeons released during the pealing of bells at midday—with messages to Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan. People were encouraged to bring their pets to this event: frequencies only audible to animals were broadcast and special buffet stands were provided for dogs, cats, birds, and other animals.

An extensive exhibition held at several locations (Galerie Hanns Christian Hoschek, Joanneum-Ecksaal, Palais Attems, and others) and a symposium conceived and organized by Richard Kriesche were dedicated to the artistic occupation since the end of the 1960s with real, living animals. Works on exhibit included the performance Immersion by Mark Thompson, in which a swarm of bees completely enveloped the artist’s body.

The premiere of Friedrich Cerha’s opera Der Rattenfänger (The Pied Piper), after the eponymous play by Carl Zuckmayer, was presented at the Opernhaus. The exhibition Broken Neon at the Forum Stadtpark demonstrated the “Kolognialisierung” (Colognialization) of Graz fueled by the collaboration of the Galerie Bleich-Rossi (Graz) and Galerie Max Hetzler (Cologne) as well as their protagonists Jörg Schlick and Martin Kippenberger (the German neologism alluding to the influence of Cologne was coined by Rainer Metzger).

Program