Austrian ‘enfant terrible’ of art Hermann Nitsch dies aged 83

Austrian artist Hermann Nitsch, famous for his paintings and performances of the use of animal blood and carcasses, died at age 83, his family said Tuesday.

Nitsch died at a clinic in Lower Austria province on Monday, his niece instructed AFP.

“Hermann Nitsch died peacefully at the age of 83 after a serious illness,” a statement from the family said.

Nitsch was part of the “Actionists”, a radical 1960s avant-garde movement known for skinning animal carcasses, tying up human bodies, and using blood, mud, and urine in their works.

“Austria mourns the loss of a fascinating painter and an impressive person,” Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen posted on Twitter, adding Nitsch “redefined” the country’s art scene.

The Austrian enfant terrible was best known for his long-running Orgies Mysteries Theatre, a performance-based show representing slaughters and religious sacrifices.

“In my conceptions of being, there is everything, life, death, illness, pain, aggression… Through my work, I want to show all of this,” Nitsch said in 2011 in response to criticism that dogged him throughout his career.

Nitsch’s more recent shows included an exhibition in Sicily, Italy, in 2015, which featured dead animals on crucifixes, and led animal rights groups to accuse him of blasphemy and inciting violence.

His wife Rita Nitsch told AFP at the time “that this type of small ruckus is usually a part of (his work)… But high-quality has triumphed over the polemic.”

Nitsch has museums devoted to his work in Austria and one in Italy.