Conchita Wurst on the crescent moon

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Sculpture “Conchita Wurst on the Crescent Moon” by Gerhard Goder. In the Museum of European Cultures (MEK).

Conchita Wurst on the crescent moon is a work of art by Berlin- based Austrian artist Gerhard Goder , born in Salzburg in 1956 , from 2014. It is an almost life-size wooden sculpture of the art figure Conchita Wurst by the travesty artist Thomas Neuwirth. The sculpture is based on the traditional form of a Catholic depiction of a saint, which is reminiscent of the crowned Saint Kümmernis Wilgefortis . The work is part of the collection of the Berlin Museum of European Cultures (MEK).

History and background

The figure was acquired and first shown by the Museum of European Cultures on the occasion of Berlin's Christopher Street Day in June 2015. Gerhard Goder was inspired for his work by Thomas Neuwirth's unexpected victory at the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen. The model of the sculpture is the fictional Saint Wilgefortis . Her legend tells of a young woman whose pagan father she wanted to marry off against her will. The converted Christian's prayers to escape this were answered. God made her grow a beard, which prevented forced marriage, but caused her to die on the crucifixion . The fictional character Conchita Wurst is also known to have a beard.

Description and interpretation

The figure, carved from the wood of the Swiss stone pine , is partially treated with color, the individual parts are stick-glued . The dimensions are 157 × 100 × 60 cm.

Shown is Conchita Wurst with lifelike reproduced hairstyle and beard in the style of alpine carving. The head is crowned in gold in accordance with the iconography of traditional portraits of Mary . Wurst makes a lunge on a silver crescent moon and grabs a microphone on a gold tripod with his right hand . So the sculpture recreates a scene from the successful Eurovision Song Contest. The view is directed towards the audience, but the mouth is closed. Gerhard Goder gives his Conchita Wurst on the crescent moon the physiognomy of a certain type of representation of the Jesus motif in the style of the Nazarenes . This type of image of Jesus is executed in the form of an image of grace . The crescent moon as the basis of the figure, on the other hand, makes use of the iconography of the medieval crescent moon Madonna . For the sculptor, the equivalent of the crescent moon, the sun, is the audience that Conchita Wurst shines on.

The whole rests on an octagonal base. With this work, the artist takes up Thomas Neuwirth's concept for the fictional character Conchita Wurst, who mainly deals with the androgynous simultaneity and entitlement of the sexes. Gerhard Goder describes the sculpture as a contemporary document for the current discussion about gender issues . He defines the crescent moon as the world . Thomas Neuwirth's statement that Conchita Wurst is a beautiful woman and a beautiful man in one person is the basis of the sculpture.

reception

  • Jan Feddersen considers the sculpture “... a very factual sketch of what the work of art is made of in terms of material - and in which technical context it is to be placed. In fact - according to my observation - it is the first exhibit that comes from the ESC context and is located in the high cultural area. "
  • In the Berlin tabloid BZ on July 2, 2015, the deputy head of department Michael Zöllner wrote, after quoting the press release of the Museum of European Cultures, in conclusion: "One more question remains: Is this art or is it sausage?"
  • Nantke Garrelts from the Berliner Tagesspiegel says: “Goder didn't just create his statue out of hype, it is intended as a contemporary document”, and quotes the artist as saying: “In 20 or 30 years you will look at it and yourself ask: Why was there so much excitement back then? "

Web links

Commons : Conchita Wurst on the Crescent Moon  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Press release of the Museum of European Cultures - National Museums in Berlin from May 7, 2015 or Conchita Wurst on the crescent moon. Website of the Museum Portal Berlin.
  2. ^ Elisabeth Tietmeyer: Conchita Wurst on the crescent moon. in the museum portal Berlin.
  3. ↑ Jan Feddersen: A Madonna figure, no Klimbim. Contribution to the ARD.de website from August 13, 2015.
  4. ↑ Michael Zöllner: "Conchita on the crescent moon": How the sausage got into the museum. In: Berliner tabloid BZ of July 2, 2015.
  5. ↑ Nantke Garrelts: Artist from Berlin carved Conchita Wurst as a messiah with a beard. In: Der Tagesspiegel. August 1, 2014.