Markus Schinwald
Markus Schinwald (born in 1970 in Salzburg, Austria) is a multidisciplinary artist trained in music and the applied arts; he is interested in myths, Freudian psychoanalysis and art history.
His practice is characterised by an exploration of the human body, its dysfunctions and constraints, which he brings to life through prostheses and devices that alter posture and appearance. He also alters historical portraits by adding masks or prostheses, creating a strange and melancholic aura that questions the psychology of the subjects. His works explore the unconscious, anxieties and repressed desires.
Movement and gesturality are key elements in his films and performances, in which he stages strange choreographies or constrained movements, evoking rituals. He draws his aesthetic from the nineteenth century, a period fascinated by psychoanalysis and hysteria. Markus Schinwald represented Austria at the Venice Biennale in 2011 and has exhibited internationally.
