Florentina Holzinger's 'Pfingstspiel': Blood, Pain, and Ecstatic Ritual at Schloss Prinzendorf

Florentina Holzinger staged her monumental performance 'Pfingstspiel' over Pentecost weekend in Austria as a satellite event to her Venice Biennale contribution. The nine-hour marathon unfolded in two parts: a prologue at the Wiener Eislauf-Verein in Vienna, followed by the main event at Schloss Prinzendorf, the former estate of Hermann Nitsch. 700 guests were bused to the site. The performance featured extreme physical acts: performers suspended by hooks pierced through their backs and thighs, a crucifixion reenactment with red paint sprayed by drones, a monster truck crushing a tank with 'No war' on digital screens, and a parachuting dove. The finale involved a 'Last Supper' tableau where 13 performers were hoisted by hooks, bleeding while chatting and drinking wine. Holzinger's work reclaims the male-dominated legacy of Viennese Actionism, using female bodies as sites of pain and empowerment. The event was presented by Wiener Festwochen.