The artist stacking people into urban spaces to provoke a rethink of city life
Artist Willi Dorner doesn’t mind making a scene. His colourful installations-come-performance pieces go down like riotous flashbombs, leaving confused bystanders with no idea what to think. So much so, that local police have often stopped his performances mid-flow, in fear that his multicoloured troupe of dancers, performers and parkour runners were burglars or vandals.
When he launches his actions in a new location, Willy’s high-energy performers run through busy shopping centres, high streets and public squares, scouting the city before finding a curious piece of architecture – say, a doorway, stairwell or park bench – to then stack themselves into a technicolor body sculpture.
The often bizarre human installations that result obscure a deeper purpose: encouraging people to re-consider the built environment around them and examine how public space is used.
Willi has toured Bodies in Urban Spaces around the world, taking in England, France, Norway, Sweden, Finland and the US. Now he’s bringing the concept back to his homeland of Austria to explore its rich cultural and artistic past and present.
Willi’s new work, Always Right in the Middle, is about provoking a fresh look at Austria. His disruptive artistic practice aims to overturn the commonly-held view of traditional Austrian culture, to connect its rich Imperial heritage with the vibrant contemporary arts scene of today.
In Willi’s view, there is no tension between the traditional and the modern. Cutting edge contemporary galleries can coexist easily alongside its opulent Nineteenth Century Imperial palaces and architecture – often side-by-side, as visitors experience for themselves when they walk its streets.
Always Right in the Middle encourages visitors to explore Austria’s cities and make their own journeys through Austrian culture, unconstrained by patterns or preconceptions, to create their own unique stories.
For more inspiration, check out Visit Austria. Make sure you follow Austria on Instagram and Facebook to stay up-to-date with all the upcoming exhibitions, events, festivals and shows before anyone else!
You might like
The TOX tell-all
TOX26 — For a quarter of a century, he’s been one of the world’s most prevalent graffiti artists. He speaks to Huck’s editor Josh Jones about ignoring the internet and never cashing in on his infamy.
The sharp rise of video game photography
Point, shoot — As the entertainment medium’s fidelity levels increase and developers build more powerful tools, a growing community of gamers are pushing the boundaries of image making in virtual worlds. Vicky Jessop meets people at the forefront of the emerging artform.
Kristina Rozhkova’s scatty, confronting portrait of captivity
Gut Feeling — The Russian artist’s 2024 arrest and subsequent detention opened her eye towards the omnipresent dynamics of power and control. Her new photobook is a stark exploration of being trapped.
Washing strangers’ feet at Houghton Festival
Pedilavium — As part of artist Henry Krokatsis’s performance piece at the weekender, we sat down with over 30 others to clean the dusty digits of passersby, while reflecting on the power of collective ritual and human connection.
The anti-tourism guides revealing Lisbon’s true, radical heart
We Hate Tourism Tours — The Portuguese capital sees millions of people visit a year, against a backdrop of political turbulence and a housing crisis fuelled by short term holiday lets. Jack Burke meets the crew subverting their city’s perception, while bringing lesser seen stories and monuments to light.
The art of paying attention: How Austria’s Alps reward slowing down
Lebensgefühl — With a growing movement of art and music rooted in the area’s mountains, trees and waterfalls, the region is showcasing the importance of the human relationship to nature.
