Poster of the first exhibition of Hermann Nitsch at Galerie Josef Dvorak. "However 2nd Action was the first public presentation of this type of work. Although Nitsch wrote that the action took place on 16 March 1963, a newspaper article by Christian Sotriffer and a letter written by Muehl confirm that the performance took place on 8 March, on the occasion of the opening of Galerie Josef Dvorak at Lagergasse 2, Vienna. The gallery was converted from a former youth club in a basement storage area. For the exhibition Nitsch covered the main room with jute cloth, primed with white, onto which he dripped, injected and poured red paint and red colour diluted with water to create a large-scale abstract installation. Like his previous actions, 2nd Action was conceived as an integral part of Nitsch’s artistic practice, and not an appendage to the exhibition. Although many of the Actionist performances appeared on the surface to be chaotic, they often were based upon specific instructions or scores. In 2nd Action the bloody carcass of a lamb, with the head still attached, was hung against one of the canvas-covered walls, upside-down from a butcher’s hook and rope that were attached to the ceiling. The innards of the lamb were placed directly underneath on a white cloth. Through part of the performance, the carcass was rocked around the space, splattering the spectators with blood, creating an antagonistic and tense atmosphere. During the action Nitsch threw raw eggs against the canvas-covered walls and floor and chewed a tea rose. This photograph depicts the moment in which Nitsch, dressed in dark clothing, poured blood over the flayed carcass of the lamb. As the image shows, the space was covered with multiple drips and splashes of varying tones of red pigment and blood." - Tate, "Hermann Nitsch. 2nd Action"

Sitography: TATE, "Hermann Nitsch. 2nd Action", www.tate.org.uk
www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/nitsch-2nd-action-p20388