lecture
Horrible & laughable - The Grotesque in an Absurd World
Grotesk Spezial • Talk with Norbert Pfaffenbichler, Marco Russo & Sophia Süßmilch
Grotesk Spezial!
29.02.2024, 18:00 Leokino • free entry • Lecture in German; Duration: 60min
The cultural collective ContrApunkt and the DIAMETRALE association invite you to a #discursive that focuses on the grotesque from several perspectives (artistic and philosophical). The grotesque is an area in which the horrific and the laughable merge in a peculiar way.
In her highly acclaimed work, artist Sophia Süßmilch (designer of the DIAMETRALE Short Film Award 2021) focuses on the grotesque human body, which is regularly depicted bent, distorted, twisted, sprawling (18 breasts - anyone?!), flowing out or abstracted. In 2551.02 - The Orgy of the Damned by filmmaker Norbert Pfaffenbichler (to be shown afterwards at 19:45), we encounter grotesque hybrid creatures, monstrous figures with stitched faces, idiosyncratic hauntings and madcap clowning.
Together with the philosopher Marco Russo, the artist Sophia Süßmilch and the filmmaker Norbert Pfaffenbichler, we will examine the extent to which the grotesque opens the door to a reality in which the uncanny meets the comic and the absurd can thus take on a form of its own. Let’s challenge the terrain of the intelligible and bring ourselves to confront the paradoxical elements of our world.
This event invites us to explore the complexity of the grotesque from different positions without losing sight of the humor. By approaching this fascinating area from different angles, we may gain a deeper understanding of the absurdities of life.
© Apollonia Theresa Bitzan
Sophia Süßmilch was born a German citizen in the last millennium and died in this one. She is both a trained sculptor and painter and yet the queen of the botch. Süßmilch works in multimedia; she paints oil paintings to calm herself down and likes to be naked in her photo and video works.
Her works oscillate between ironic distance and aggressive closeness, which also corresponds to her personality.
Of course, she is currently writing her first novel, because Sophia Süßmilch can do everything, a little bit.
She lives in Munich, Vienna and Berlin.
She hates these cities.
Sophia Süßmilch is unfortunately unable to attend in person due to time constraints. She will be connected digitally.
Norbert Pfaffenbichler (*1967, Austria) studied at the University of Applied Arts, artist, filmmaker and curator, numerous participations in festivals and exhibitions.
Marco Russo is a philosopher and works in the fields of culture, art and education.
Time Table Grotesk Spezial – Do 29.02. – Leokino
18:00 • Schrecklich und lachhaft (talk)
19:45 • 2551.02 - The Orgy of the Damned (film)
21:45 • The Belgian Wave (film)