Johanna Hedva Discusses Mysticism, Gothic Sensibility, and Artistic Practice in ArtReview Interview
In an interview with Ross Simonini for the ArtReview podcast Subject Object Verb, artist and writer Johanna Hedva delves into themes of mysticism, death, and the gothic. Their 2019 release, The Sun and the Moon, features the track 'Hag Blues.' Hedva's forthcoming album, titled Black Moon Lilith in Pisces in the 4th House, promises doom-inspired guitar work and operatic elements. Among their written contributions are the 2020 collection Minerva the Miscarriage of the Brain, the 2016 manifesto 'Sick Woman Theory,' the 2018 novel On Hell, and a 2020 hagiography of Nine Inch Nails. Identifying as a goth, Hedva discusses witchcraft traditions and engages with disability justice, evolving from 'Sick Woman Theory' through interactions with crip theory and community elders.
Key facts
- Johanna Hedva released the album The Sun and the Moon in 2019.
- Hedva's upcoming album is Black Moon Lilith in Pisces in the 4th House.
- Hedva published the collection Minerva the Miscarriage of the Brain in 2020 via Sming Sming Books.
- Hedva wrote the manifesto 'Sick Woman Theory' in 2016 in response to chronic illness.
- Hedva identifies as a goth and references Georges Bataille and Eugene Thacker's Cosmic Pessimism.
- Hedva was raised by witches, with practices including Korean fortune-telling and Wiccan rituals from 1960s-70s LA.
- Hedva cites influences from artists like Diamanda Galás, M Lamar, Lingua Ignota, Isabelle Albuquerque, and Arthur Jafa.
- Hedva splits time between Los Angeles and Berlin and enjoys watching movies at Laemmle’s theatre in LA.
Entities
Artists
- Johanna Hedva
- Ross Simonini
- Georges Bataille
- Eugene Thacker
- Leila Taylor
- Diamanda Galás
- M Lamar
- Lingua Ignota
- Isabelle Albuquerque
- Arthur Jafa
- Thomas Ligotti
- Robin Finck
Institutions
- ArtReview
- Subject Object Verb
- Sming Sming Books
- artpractical.com
- Third Rail Quarterly
- Laemmle’s
Locations
- Los Angeles
- United States
- Berlin
- Germany
- England
- Korea