Considered a key figure in Viennese Actionism of the 1960s, the late Hermann Nitsch used a radical method of painting through his creation of the Orgien Mysterien Theatre, a concept of ceremonial performance art comparable to Wagner’s Gesamtkunstwerk (total artwork). This form calls to all five human senses and advocates for a profound existentialist reflection. Nitsch created his paintings using his entire body, applying oil or acrylic paint of a certain hue on his hands, feet, and other unconventional tools, demonstrating his energetic, spiritual and passionate persona. Chaos and violence accompany his work, which celebrates life and mirrors the human soul. His works are exhibited in the two Nitsch Museums in Mistelbach and Naples as well as in the Nitsch Foundation in Vienna and can be found in the permanent collections of preeminent international museums and galleries, including the MoMA, Guggenheim, The Metropolitan Museum, New York, Tate Gallery, London, Centre Pompidou, Paris, and Pinakothek der Moderne Munich.