Otto Muehl

Otto Muehl was an Austrian artist and founding member of the Viennese Actionists, a radical art movement that emerged in the 1960s. Muehl's work is known for its controversial and provocative nature, often featuring extreme performances and installations that explore the boundaries of the human body and the limits of society.

Muehl studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, where he developed an interest in Expressionism and Abstract art. He became involved with the Viennese Actionists in the 1960s, along with fellow artists Günter Brus, Hermann Nitsch, and Rudolf Schwarzkogler.

In 1970, Muehl founded the Friedrichshof Commune, a controversial experimental community in Austria that aimed to create a new kind of society based on free love and communal living. The commune became the subject of much controversy and criticism, with accusations of abuse and sexual exploitation eventually leading to Muehl's imprisonment in 1991.

Muehl's work has been exhibited extensively throughout Europe and beyond, including at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Venice Biennale, and the Documenta exhibition in Kassel, Germany. He remains a controversial figure in the world of art and continues to inspire debate and discussion around issues of artistic freedom, censorship, and social norms.