SKIN-DIALOGUE
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- SKIN-DIALOGUE
- HAUT-DIALOG
- 2024
- 5 b&w photographs
- 21 × 31,5 cm
“HAUT-DIALOG” (SKIN-DIALOGUE) was a 2024 performance by VALIE EXPORT at the Arcaded Courtyard (Arkadenhof) of the University of Vienna. The artist placed her arm and hand around a snake that is part of the Castalia statue atop the fountain in the middle of the courtyard. In ancient Greek mythology, Castalia was a nymph from Delphi and a daughter of the river god Achelous. She was said to have thrown herself into a spring near Delphi when pursued by the god Apollo. The snake symbolizes the fertility of the earth as well as rejuvenation through shedding of the skin. The Viennese statue was erected in 1906 in order to elevate the status of women at the university, as Castalia was a muse for wisdom. Each of the five photographs of this performance shows a different perspective on how the artist’s hand and arm touch the surface of the snake’s skin, thereby entering into dialogue with EXPORT’s early Body Configurations. W.S.