Otto Muehl (April 28, 1925 – May 26, 2013) was an Austrian artist, actionist, and founder of the Viennese Actionism movement. Muehl was born in Vienna in 1925, and his early life was spent in Austria during World War II. He was conscripted into the German army in 1943 and was captured by the British in 1945. In 1948, he joined the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts, where he studied under Professor Albert Paris Gütersloh and Professor Herbert Boeckl.
After graduating in 1953, Muehl became a member of the Vienna Action Group (VAG), a loosely-knit collective of artists that sought to challenge the conventions of traditional art. Muehl and his colleagues used their bodies as a medium, engaging in shocking performances that explored themes of sexuality, violence, and power. In 1964, Muehl founded the Action Theater, an experimental theater group that performed improvisational performances.
In 1969, Muehl and his colleagues established the Friedrichshof Commune, an intentional community located outside Vienna. Muehl and the other members of the commune sought to create a society based on the principles of self-expression and free love. The commune was closed in 1991 due to allegations of sexual and physical abuse.
In the 1970s, Muehl's art shifted from performance art to painting and sculpture. He became well-known for his large-scale installations and paintings that often incorporated found objects. His work was often highly symbolic and often sought to challenge the status quo.
In later years, Muehl's work was exhibited in numerous galleries and museums throughout Europe, including the Museum of Modern Art in Vienna, the Tate Modern in London, and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. In 2002, Muehl was awarded the Franz-Schubert Prize for his art and his contribution to the Vienna Action Group.
Muehl died in 2013 at the age of 88. His legacy lives on in the work of his contemporaries and in the many artists he inspired. His work continues to challenge and provoke, and his influence can be seen in the works of many of today’s leading artists.
