Last month, we featured an incredibly fascinating interview with legendary Viennese Actionist Hermann Nisch. Tonight, the artist will be having his first exhibition at the Marc Straus gallery in New York. The exhibition will include recent paintings as well as important historic pieces from his distinguished career of over 55 years. Since 1957, Nitsch has been addressing the intensification of human existence through his ritualistic performance art, most prominently “The Orgien Mysterien Theater.” With more than 100 performances to date, these staged Dionysian performances are replete with religious sacrifices, mock crucifixion, blood, entrails, robes, dance and nude participants. Religious tropes are all here; the intensity resembles scenes from Grünewald’s Isenheim Altarpiece, the carcasses nod towards Rembrandt’s hanging meats. The exhibition opens tonight and runs until October 8 at Marc Straus Gallery, 299 Grand Street New York, NY. photographs by Tenlie Mourning