Marianna Simnett's 'Circus' at Secession: Tickling, Botox, and the Violence of Entertainment

Marianna Simnett's exhibition 'Circus' at the Secession in Vienna transforms the basement into a pitch-black gothic space featuring light, sound, and sculpture. The Croatian British artist explores the collision of violence and delight through works like 'Catherine Wheel' (2026), a kinetic installation with a blue spinning skirt accompanied by the sound of Simnett being tickled for four hours by musician Tim Dahl. 'Fountain' (2026) is a neon of a urinating woman referencing Balkan folklore and Greek mythology, which Meta censored on Instagram. The show also includes 'Faint with Light' (2016), inspired by her grandfather's Holocaust survival, where she hyperventilates to induce fainting. Simnett avoids live performance, using recordings to create 'void art' that invites empathetic engagement. A companion book, 'Dodo Margarine', written by Camilla Grudova and illustrated by Simnett, accompanies the exhibition. Simnett's work often blurs boundaries between care and violence, as in 'The Needle and the Larynx' (2016), where she had Botox injected into her throat. The exhibition runs until 31 May.