Otto Muehl

Communal property, free sexuality, dissolution of the nuclear family - these were the basic principles of the Friedrichshof, the largest commune in Europe founded by the Viennese Actionist Otto Muehl in the 1970's. Because of these principles Paul-Julien Robert, who was born into this commune, for a long time didn't know who was his biological father.

A portrait of the Austrian avant-garde artist Otto Mühl/Muehl (1925-2013), whose work combined sex, violence, gastronomy and bodily effluence with unbridled abandon.

A portrait of the Austrian avant-garde artist Otto Mühl/Muehl (1925-2013), whose work combined sex, violence, gastronomy and bodily effluence with unbridled abandon.

In the commune of the Viennese action-ism-artist Otto Muehl the children should remain 'unspoilt from the nuclear family', in order to be brought up to a completely new human being. Setting out as a free collective in the early 70ies, soon the social experiment emerged as a totalitarian system, which, 20 years later, ended in a dramatic failure. Through the eyes of these children, the film looks back at the community and examines what has become of the children of this utopia.

In the commune of the Viennese action-ism-artist Otto Muehl the children should remain 'unspoilt from the nuclear family', in order to be brought up to a completely new human being. Setting out as a free collective in the early 70ies, soon the social experiment emerged as a totalitarian system, which, 20 years later, ended in a dramatic failure. Through the eyes of these children, the film looks back at the community and examines what has become of the children of this utopia.

A close look at the Austrian far-left Friedrichshof Commune which was set up in 1972 by artist Otto Muehl. It was dissolved in 1990 when Muehl was convicted of the abuse of teenagers who lived in the commune.

About a group of graduates from Cambridge University who go back to their college to visit a friend who has stayed on there. Otto Muehl founded a community of artists in Vienna in 1970 with the aim of exploring a completely free life practice. Since 1972, this society experiment at the Friedrichshof in Burgenland, 60 kilometers from Vienna, further developed. From the mid-1970s, other municipalities were founded in 30 European cities. At Friedrichshof itself lived at times up to 240 members and visitors.

About a group of graduates from Cambridge University who go back to their college to visit a friend who has stayed on there. Otto Muehl founded a community of artists in Vienna in 1970 with the aim of exploring a completely free life practice. Since 1972, this society experiment at the Friedrichshof in Burgenland, 60 kilometers from Vienna, further developed. From the mid-1970s, other municipalities were founded in 30 European cities. At Friedrichshof itself lived at times up to 240 members and visitors.

A brief introduction of Adolf Hitler's rise to power. With the emphasis on Der Führer's ambition to clean Germany from harmful, undesirable and degenerate art and culture (Entartete Kunst). Presented by children and teenagers from the Friedrichhofer Commune, Zurndorf/ Burgenland, Austria.

Everyone is engaged in intense physical training in the camps of the two enemies „Roter Schnee“ and „Schwarzer Oktober“. When a spy is uncovered full-scale fighting breaks out.

Picassos early years in Paris were characterized by poverty, yet wild parties with artist-friends were common. His life –so full of adventures with women- ends in the staid happiness of an ageing couple.

Forced collectivism, famines, errors and mistakes mark Stalin´s ruthless rise to dictorial power and only increase his madness until he even declares a chicken to be an English spy that should be liquidated.

The fight of the church against the sexuality of women by criminalizing them as witches reveals the insanity of manipulation in the perverted torture and liquidation of women who are suspected to be sexually attractive.

Emilie, a lonely old lady, is sucked into maelstrom of unreal pictures and into a sexual chase where real experience mixes with ecstatic and terrifying visions.

Neonazis, women´s groups, sects, skinheads, punks, the Pope and different groups of the society produce an apocalyptic szenario in a disastrous football match.

This film is a kind of anthology about Vienna, from the invention of film to the present day. The aim is to break down the usual clichéd "image of Vienna" such as that found in the traditional "Vienna Film" by juxtaposing documentary footage, newly shot material and subjective sequences created by various artists. Individual, self-contained sections of the film gain new meaning within the context of historical material. Familiar sites appear estranged when edited together with historical scenes. Other scenes appear like a persiflage or satirical. The film does not incorporate any commentary whatsoever. It is a collage of diverse materials aimed at conveying a distanced image of Vienna to the viewer

Мамаша мультимиллионера выбирает на телеконкурсе идеальную девственницу для своего сыночка, не составившую, однако, счастья ни ему, ни себе. В то же время по водам символизма плывет задрипанный буксир с головой Маркса на носу и с опьяненной революционной борьбой хиппующей девицей на борту, к которой вскоре присоединяется сексуально озабоченный матрос с «Потемкина»…

A subversive and experimental film by Otto Muehl.

Free sexuality is an ethical, moral undertaking. The artist clears away taboos. What really shocks is being confronted with the facts.

Free sexuality is an ethical, moral undertaking. The artist clears away taboos. What really shocks is being confronted with the facts.

The Austrian avant-gardist Otto Muehl may well be the most scandalous filmmaker to ever work in cinema, and Sodoma stands as his most famous work. This creation takes the experiments a bit further down the road.

The Austrian avant-gardist Otto Muehl may well be the most scandalous filmmaker to ever work in cinema, and Sodoma stands as his most famous work. This creation takes the experiments a bit further down the road.

The Austrian avant-gardist Otto Muehl may well be the most scandalous filmmaker to ever work in cinema, and Sodoma stands as his most famous work. This creation takes the experiments a bit further down the road.

"The Manopsychotic Ballet" was the last important action by Otto Muehl before he retired from the art world after a decade of painting and performance and focused on his commune as an alternative way of living. It marked the end of a very prolific phase of actions that followed the legendary Art and Revolution action by the Viennese Actionists in Vienna in 1968. As a result of this performance, Muehl and Günter Brus were prosecuted and could no longer exhibit publicly in Austria.

The last important action by Muehl before he retired from the art world after a decade of painting and performance and focused on his commune as an alternative way of living. It marked the end of a very prolific phase of actions that followed the legendary Art and Revolution action by the Viennese Actionists in Vienna in 1968. As a result of this performance, Muehl and Günter Brus were prosecuted and could no longer exhibit publicly in Austria.

"The Manopsychotic Ballet" was the last important action by Otto Muehl before he retired from the art world after a decade of painting and performance and focused on his commune as an alternative way of living. It marked the end of a very prolific phase of actions that followed the legendary Art and Revolution action by the Viennese Actionists in Vienna in 1968. As a result of this performance, Muehl and Günter Brus were prosecuted and could no longer exhibit publicly in Austria.

"The Manopsychotic Ballet" was the last important action by Otto Muehl before he retired from the art world after a decade of painting and performance and focused on his commune as an alternative way of living. It marked the end of a very prolific phase of actions that followed the legendary Art and Revolution action by the Viennese Actionists in Vienna in 1968. As a result of this performance, Muehl and Günter Brus were prosecuted and could no longer exhibit publicly in Austria.

Actionist film of Otto Muehl performance.

The broker Erich arrives with his prostitute at an apartment, already populated by three men. Abusive games, dancing and flirting occur. Things eventually degenerates completely.

The broker Erich arrives with his prostitute at an apartment, already populated by three men. Abusive games, dancing and flirting occur. Things eventually degenerates completely.

Модернистская вариация на миф про Леду и Зевса, принявший форму лебедя...

Модернистская вариация на миф про Леду и Зевса, принявший форму лебедя...

The broker Erich arrives with his prostitute at an apartment, already populated by three men. Abusive games, dancing and flirting occur. Things eventually degenerates completely.

Another try by the Viennese actionists around Otto Mühl, trying to shock the middle-class bourgeoisie with all sorts of explicit sexual and excretory processes.

A Materialaktion (an art performance/happening in which objects are used to create an art piece) by Viennese Aktionist Otto Muehl. The setting is a solemn Christmas celebration.

A Materialaktion (an art performance/happening in which objects are used to create an art piece) by Viennese Aktionist Otto Muehl. The setting is a solemn Christmas celebration.

Four men, one woman and a cat in a room. The men drink and discuss. Things get a bit violent. The masochist acts out his desires by himself. Random fuss and sex occurs. Suddenly the woman gets her baby to change diapers. Odd things around the child. The cat gets abused. This is Otto Muehl going Fassbinder.

Four men, one woman and a cat in a room. The men drink and discuss. Things get a bit violent. The masochist acts out his desires by himself. Random fuss and sex occurs. Suddenly the woman gets her baby to change diapers. Odd things around the child. The cat gets abused. This is Otto Muehl going Fassbinder.

Four men, one woman and a cat in a room. The men drink and discuss. Things get a bit violent. The masochist acts out his desires by himself. Random fuss and sex occurs. Suddenly the woman gets her baby to change diapers. Odd things around the child. The cat gets abused. This is Otto Muehl going Fassbinder.

After the violent death of a prostitute, her father tries to find the people who are responsible for the fall of the young woman.

Libi (1968), whose title is perhaps a punning conflation of “love” (“liebe” in German) and “libido,” begins with an onscreen title: “DIESER FILM ZEIGT WIE DAS LEBEN EBEN SO IST” (“This film shows how life actually is”). We are treated to a blowjob, an umbrella indiscreetly protruding from a man’s ass as he reads the newspaper, anonymous people contorting their asses before each other, and scenes of priests performing sacraments whose moldering ritualism stands in contrast to Müehl’s liberated sexual display. A sign reading “Direct Art” is then pulled away to reveal a close-up penis lurking beneath.

‘Kunst & Revolution is a documentation on the famous action known as the “filthy uni mess”, which led to a jury court trial. I only had a few metres of film with me and they were quickly spent, but still the film gives one a rough impression of the events. As a whole mythology quickly arose around the event, I altered the material to counteract this effect (through repetition, and adding other material, for instance from a film about keeping dogs, and my own leftover footage from the Muehl action number 54 ‘Im Freudenauer Wasser’).’ In film 16 of his anthology Ernst Schmidt Jr. documented the actions of Günter Brus, Otto Muehl, Peter Weibel and Oswald Wiener.

An experimental, bizarre and a very different shooting of an association between the sexes.

An experimental, bizarre and a very different shooting of an association between the sexes.

In May 1965, Ernst Schmidt Jr. films the Otto Muehl performances Rumpsti Pumsti and Body Building. In this period Muehl conceives his actionist works almost exclusively for photographic and film documentation. The necessity of a spontaneous confrontation with the public, which plays a major role in Muehl's later actions, does not apply to these works.

Experimental film depicting military service in a grotesque way.

Four young men affected by psychological motorcar reactions and effluents that get more excited, crazy and freaked out as times passes.

Four young men affected by psychological motorcar reactions and effluents that get more excited, crazy and freaked out as times passes.

I set my sights on the human body and realized things, were moving at last, during my first material action, I soiled a female body with mud, paint, rubbish and paste, and tied it up in old rags and ropes dipped in mud. —Otto Mühl

Four young men affected by psychological motorcar reactions and effluents that get more excited, crazy and freaked out as times passes.

A kind of home movie made in Brus' apartment. Brus' Christmas wishes can be seen on a poster which he painted and which he holds for a short time in front of the camera.

Based on a Muehl Happening. The almost convulsive use of juxtaposition reappears here, but the captured gesture assumes a more erotic sensitivity, though the "action" itself was primarily a gradual destruction of the erotic.

In the first action he filmed, 6/64 Mama und Papa, Kren’s editing leads to many interlocking continuous shots; central takes recur like a leitmotif, circular motion and networking can be observed throughout the film. Kren painstakingly weaves the fury in front of his camera lens into dense geometrical figures. Shot/countershot sequences alternate, lumping back and forth between single (!) frames, they turn the Actionist turmoil into ornaments, rigid geometrical patterns, the equivalent in time to what Mondrian used to distill on canvas in space. (Peter Tscherkassky)

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The melancholy emanating from Caspar David Friedrich painting lonely in the snow becomes grotesque when he turns into a blood-sucking dracula who knows how to escape the vigilance of the lord of the castle and get at his victims.