Hannes Priesch
Braune Fahne (1979) / Fahnenspruch (2015) / Opferseelen (2015) / Rot-Weiß-Rot (2015)

Dates
20.9.2024–16.2.2025

Details
Braune Fahne (1979)
Mixed media on canvas, 195 × 48 cm

Fahnenspruch (2015)
Wood, wire, fabrics, wool, embroidery, watercolors, ca. 260 × 50 cm

Opferseelen (2015)
Wood, wire, fabrics, wool, embroidery, watercolors, ca. 260 × 50 cm

Rot-Weiß-Rot (2015)
Wood, wire, fabrics, wool, embroidery, watercolors, ca. 260 × 50 cm

Location
Neue Galerie Graz, Graz

Part of
Horror Patriae: Exhibition

Production specifics
Braune Fahne (1979)
Neue Galerie Graz / Universalmuseum Joanneum

Fahnenspruch (2015)
Opferseelen (2015)
Rot-Weiß-Rot (2015)
Courtesy of the artist and Galerie artepari

The title of an early work by Hannes Priesch, Braune Fahne, might be read as referring to the brown uniforms of storm troopers. Its format, too, might remind one of the vertical banners with which the Nazis decorated all the Third Reich’s cities, including Graz. However, Priesch’s banner is one of dirt, dust, and mud—creating associations with the filth of destruction.

In later works, Priesch would turn away from abstraction, taking a more conceptual approach. He would return to the flag format in the early 2000s, when Austria was experiencing a time of political turmoil due to the first major revival of the ultraright. Priesch’s flags present different versions of the Austrian flag. They mix its colors with contemporary references and materials, evoking the abject trashiness of nationalism and xenophobia in a world of cheap consumer products and growing garbage dumps.

Retrospective
Retrospective
Retrospective